A Special Christmas in Progreso, Mexico
 Thanks
to the crew of the cruise ship Holiday, a group of Mexican
children enjoyed an unforgettable Christmas in 2007
A group of 14 boys and girls from one of the poorest
areas of the port town of Progreso, on the Yucatan
Peninsula, enjoyed an unforgettable Christmas in 2007. The
children were invited to visit the cruise ship Holiday which
belongs to the Carnival Company and docks in the port of
Progreso every two weeks.
Fr Lorenzo Mex Jiménez, national director of AOS Mexico,
parish priest in Progreso and director of the Stella Maris
Centre there, organised the visit at the invitation of the
cruise line. They were joined by teacher Dulce María López,
port pastoral worker Antonio Buenfil and his wife María
Isabel.
The children arrived on time and were taken to the port
by bus. For a few hours, they experienced life onboard a
luxury cruise liner. Adrián, head of hotel services onboard,
was their guide. Together with several members of the crew,
he took time to give them a wonderful experience which the
boys and girls thoroughly enjoyed.
The
children explored the gaming rooms, restaurants, theatre,
videogame salon (which they liked so much they did not want
to leave!) swimming pools, study area, gymnasium and crazy
golf course. They even had an appointment with Alan, the
captain of the ship. The captain, of Italian nationality,
gave the children a clear and simple explanation of how a
ship works.
 The first officer responsible for hotel services then
served an excellent meal for the young guests in one of the
ship’s restaurants. With so many surprises, the children
began to relax and became more confident. Soon they were
asking questions and taking a real interest in all the
novelties which they were experiencing onboard.
But the greatest surprise was still to come. It arrived
just after lunch. Several of the officers and members of the
crew arranged a meeting with “Father Christmas”. He and the
ship’s mascot distributed presents, souvenirs and sweets to
the children. Presents were also given to the
representatives of the Stella Maris Centre to be distributed
to other children who had not been able to join the visit.
As a sign of solidarity, the crew organised a collection
which they gave to Fr Lorenzo for the poor of the parish.
The visit ended after lunch when the paying passengers
began to return to the ship in order to set sail. The act of
generosity and willingness to serve the less fortunate on
the part of the crew was made even sweeter by the delight
and appreciation of the young guests. They certainly enjoyed
a different experience this Christmas.
|