The convention of the Diocese of Honduras was held at La Santa Cruz Camp and Conference Center in Muchilena, Omoa, July 16-17. It was a celebration of the growth of the diocese and a time to reflect on the impact that Hurricane Mitch had on the diocese and country.

Many of the clergy and lay delegates from El Paraíso, the area of the diocese furthest from the site of the convention, arrived late after quite an odyssey. They had left very early in the morning on an express bus, only to find their way blocked by a landslide. They were forced to cross the landslide on foot and then look for alternate transportation on the other side. It took them a series of six different bus rides to reach their destination. They were further delayed when one of the buses in which they were riding collided with another vehicle. The collision damaged the bus's hydraulic system, which meant that the luggage compartment could not be opened until a repair vehicle was sent out by the bus company.

During the convention, more than 20 new clergy were presented for the first time, as were special guests from several new preaching stations. San Mateo, El Cerrón, was received as an organized mission of the diocese.

A large portion of the time was spent reporting on the devastation of Hurricane Mitch and the response of the diocese and of the various congregations to it. A video about the hurricane and the response of the church which had been produced by the diocesan department of communications was shown to the assembled delegates, who watched it with great emotion.

Reports were presented on three of the housing projects being sponsored by the diocese as a response to Hurricane Mitch and the ongoing poverty, from which the country has always suffered. Project Fe, Alegría y Esperanza (Faith, Joy and Hope) is being funded by the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. It is building 100 houses in the Barrio Episcopal on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula. The Proverbs 24:3 Project is a joint effort of the Episcopal Church of Honduras, the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) and Habitat for Humanity of Honduras to build 200 homes, 25 of which have already been built in the Barrio Episcopal. There are also plans to build a church and other community buildings in the neighborhood. The Colonia Episcopal is a housing project for 78 families on the outskirts of Puerto Cortés. It is being funded by the Diocese of Washington.

In his sermon at the convention Eucharist, the Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, Bishop of Honduras, exhorted the diocese to be deaf to cries that something cannot be done. He gave examples from the history of the diocese of people like Veronica Flowers and Bishop Hugo Pina, who said that things could be done when others said that they could not, and who were proved correct. Bishop Frade said that the challenge before the diocese now is stewardship.

(The Ven.) John H. Park