Day 12
In the morning we walked to the Indian boarding school. The boarding school which the Jesuit Catholic Mission supports has130 students who live in the town and 70 Indian students. Fifty percent of the Indian students live far away and stay at the school Sunday evening through Friday. Some live too far away and only go home when school is out for the summer. School is mandatory for children up through junior high but the law is not enforced so many children do not go. After visiting the school we boarded the bus to go to visit Urique Canyon overlook which is another of the spectacular canyon rims. We climbed to more than 5,000 feet stopping once to view the town of Cerocahui from high on a cliff. We were supposed to take this trip first thing this morning but it was postponed due to icy conditions on the roads. The road is normally dirt but now mud and is narrow and looks to be dangerous. We stopped at a beautiful scenic view of the town, Cerocahui, from 5000 feet up. We arre passing big trucks which are hauling silver ore back from a mine miles away. We came to a fork in the road and see that the road is in very bad condition with big ruts in the road where trucks hve been slipping. Thank God the driver decided to go no further. It is again disappointing not to see the beauty of Copper Canyon from the rim but we felt it foolish to take the chance.The Jesuit Priest, Father Javier Ciupos, spent time showing us the church and grounds and explaining the various programs they are involved in to help people in the community. The church is very nice with beautiful stained glass windows, some original and others being replaced as they have the money to do so. This mission was started in the 1600’s to help the Indians. The Indians were happy to have the mission because the mission helped them, brought cattle and sheep and started schools. Besides the boarding school the mission has a school of carpentry and electronics taught by local Indians. Also included in the mission projects are greenhouses and small farms. The mission has a small tractor they loan out to people in need. The Priest is Father P. Javier Ciupos. He is the Priest for 70 small towns, some as far away as 7 hours. It takes him four years to make the rounds. He is the youngest of 3 priests for this area. He is supported by friends and family since the area is so poor. The church was remodeled in 1942 and a bell tower added then. Indians under the instruction of the Priest carved the stone in the front of the church. The stained glass windows at the front of the church are original and others are added as the church can afford it