I studied in catholic school, from Pre-k to 12th grade. I went to church, got my first communion, and confirmation in catholic school.
It’s been eight years since I graduated high school and I may not go to church a lot but I remember what I was taught and I try live my life by that; treating others as I wish to be treated, being respectful and fair. I don’t steal or take things that are not mine, I try not to lie, I am respectful to my parents and family members, I pray, and I am thankful everyday to be here.
These are the things that I took away from what they told me was good and bad in the catholic church. Now, I don’t know if they understand what is good and bad, I don’t think they practice what they preach.
My mom, who is a teacher in the same catholic school I went to school, just lost all her pension after working for 20 years in catholic schools. And that is not just my mom’s pension, all teachers and employees of all catholic schools in San Juan lost their pensions.
That’s right, all of them. New teachers just beginning their careers and starting a family, old teachers planning their retirement and who just retired have to go back to work. They haven’t received and explanation yet but they had been assured that they would have their money once they retired. Where is it now? Where is my mom’s money, her friends’ money, my teachers’ money? Did they spend it? Where they lying when they said they would have a pension?
Today, there was a movement by catholic school teachers in San Juan, where we marched together from La Puerta de San Juan, to the San Juan cathedral to ask the Archbishop where the money was. But it is very curious that he moved the mass to another church, today the Archbishop didn’t celebrate Sunday mass at the Cathedral.
But the group stayed there, holding signs, signing, giving people pamphlets explaining why we were there. It was also covered by news, I may appear in the background of some shots, which made me very nervous and I tried to look away, but I did not hide because I was there for my mom, for my teachers and all the teachers who get up everyday to teach the children of our island, so we have a bright future ahead of us. These teachers taught me, my brother and my friends. They dealt with us when we were annoying little kids, and teenagers who felt we deserved the world, well now is our chance to have their backs. At the next demonstration let’s all show up, not just their daughters and sons, but their students, and all the parents to show them support, show the church we are all with them and help them get the pension they deserve.
Unstoppable María 