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Fr. Jack’s Medal of Honor Acceptance Speech

The following speech was given by Fr. Jack Davis upon receipt of the Medal of Honor, bestowed by the President of the Congress of Peru in 2006.

Dr. Mercedes Cabanillas, President of the Congress of Perú; Distinguised Congressmen; Msgr. Bambaren, Bishop Emeritus of Chimbote; Msgr. Angel Francisco Simon, Bishop of Chimbote and dear friends:

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this Medal of Honor from the Congress of the Republic.

In the year 1971, I visited the city of Chimbote for the first time.  Everywhere was seen evidence of the terrible earthquake which had occurred eight months earlier.  I was stunned by the destruction, but the capacity to recuperate manifested by this people impacted me enormously.  I had much hope that its future would be better.

Three years later I received permission from the Bishop of the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota to join the Mission Society of St. James the Apostle.  I was assigned to Perú where they gave me five cities from which to choose and I chose Chimbote to begin my missionary service.  This was in March, 1975.

One year later, I attended a meeting of the priests of ONIS, where I participated in a reflection about the Theology of Liberation, directed by Father Gustavo Gutierrez.  By means of it, I learned that it is not God’s will that poverty exist.  Poverty or, better said, the impoverishment of persons is the result of personal or social sin; in other words: it is the result of injustice.  I listened to for the first time the theme of preferential option for the poor.  In addition I learned that each Christian, each citizen, each human being has the obligation to work to eliminate the causes of poverty.  These thoughts have been made more profound many times through the summer courses on Theology.

During this meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with Father Jorge Alvarez Calderon.  I told him that there existed for me the possibility of receiving donations from my family and from my friends in North Dakota.  My question was: ought I accept them or not?

He answered me that this depends on how I was thinking of using the donations.  

Inasmuch as the only way from which impoverished persons have gone to escape the chains of poverty is through education, since 1976, following the advice of Father Jorge, our emphasis has always been to promote education.  Through the means of education, impoverished persons can understand the causes of their poverty and seek solutions.  Through the means of education the person can take charge of his own destiny.  Through the means of education the human being has the opportunity to understand better his Creator God.

In 1980, when many Chimbotans passed from poverty to an extreme poverty, our Bishop Msgr. Luis Bambaren insisted that each parish establish people’s soup kitchens.  At this moment I realized that the reasons for dropping from school were diverse, and for this reason I had to diversify the programs we offered.  

No student can study well without being well fed; for this we set up programs for feeding.  No student can study well if he suffers illnesses resulting from his poverty; for this we set up a medical post.  No student can study well if his mother is mistreated or if he himself suffers abuse; for this we established a women’s shelter and a defender of legal rights for children and adolescents.  No student can study well if he is tied to juvenile gangs, to drugs, or suffers from alcoholism, for this I have preached to the victims of these social infirmities and I have tried to reeducate them and create programs to attract them and to reintegrate them into society.

It is not that we have sacrificed our education programs.  Throughout these years,  in the three parishes where I have worked in Chimbote, we have initiated literacy programs for adults, initial education programs and tutorial programs for primary and secondary school students.  We have implemented libraries and, recently, rooms for computers and sewing, and shops to study in technical fields and also a pre-university school.

Although much of my energy and resources have been dedicated to social problems, I have always kept and I keep in mind the advice of Father Jorge as the priority.

Despite all of our efforts, the consequences of poverty: dropping out of school, juvenile gangs, drug abuse and violence in the family continue.  I take consolation in the words of Mother Teresa: “God does not ask us to be successful; He only asks us to be faithful.”   

In conclusion, I accept this medal as an indication that a common person can achieve it -- following the example of Jesus Christ.  I ask you please not to forget yesterday’s Gospel about the poor widow.  We all have something to give to the most needy.  Now 95% of our resources come from abroad, but it is very important that we augment the participation of our Peruvian citizens in Philanthropy.  In this way we also increase solidarity with our impoverished brothers.  This is a work for all.

I end praying to God and imploring you my brothers and sisters to follow the example of Jesus in worrying about the marginalized of society until the glorious day when they gain their freedom from poverty.

Many thanks and may God bless you.