How the commitment of a priest in Ecuador changed parish life

With 54 years of service in a rural parish in the Diocese of Guaranda in Ecuador, Salesian Father Antonio Polo has changed the region through pastoral and spiritual labor – but also, with the help of the local population, through business ventures such as the development of Salinerito Cheese.

When Father Antonio Polo arrived in Salinas, Ecuador from his native Italy, over five decades ago, he was not only struck by the beauty of the landscape, but also by the difficult conditions in which its inhabitants lived. “There were no roads, no electricity, and the population worked very hard in the salt mines,” he tells Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The salt mines themselves had quite an impact on him: the mountains of salt that shone like white cathedrals were built on hard-working days that put a heavy strain on the health and skin of the workers. 

In an effort to help the community manage its own resources, and to relieve them of such hard labor, he decided that change was needed: “I did not want them to be fully dependent on charity, but to be able to provide for themselves. Working the salt mines was not enough, so I thought about cheese,” he recalls. This was the beginning of the Salinerito Cheese project, which he started with some of the local farmers. The climate, the cattle, and the skills of the people made for the perfect combination to produce this cheese, which has been sold in Ecuador for 50 years. Today, Salinerito is a household name and can be purchased in shops in the country’s main cities.  

Currently, Salinas sells not only cheese, but also chocolate, natural cosmetics, and other local produce. The community of San Miguel de Cañitas, which is part of the Salinas parish, plays an active part in these initiatives and, therefore, with the support of foreign volunteers and the Salesian mission, helps fight poverty and marginalization.  

A new chapel for San Miguel de Cañitas 

Despite this progress, major challenges remain. Father Jaime Chela, who has worked alongside Father Antonio Polo for many years, explains that “access to these communities is difficult, because there is no bus service. In the winter, especially, when the rivers swell, it can be very difficult to get around.” Nonetheless, he adds, “there is a very strong sense of community and a desire to help those in need.”  

Father Antonio Polo explains that San Miguel de Cañitas “did not have a proper place to celebrate the sacraments. We would meet in a hall in the school.” The local people had long wanted to have their own chapel and promised to help with the construction. For this reason, ACN – which has already supported the priest in the past – is supporting the construction of a chapel for this community of 70 families, many of whom are of indigenous origin. “Boosting the Church’s pastoral work in this place could have a positive impact on other communities, motivating them to become active, and helping to spread the Faith in the region,” the priest explains.  

Father Polo underlines the importance of the connection between spiritual and human development. “For me, there are three types of bread: the bread of the Word and evangelization, the bread of the Eucharist, and our daily bread, our sustenance. Without this bread, we will lose the youth. If we do not offer them work, we also lose the opportunity to provide them with the other ‘bread,’ even to those who feel a calling. Without work, there is no life.”  

Another issue that Father Polo is working on, alongside the other Salesians, is digital evangelization. “Nowadays, there are no limits to communication, and the message of faith is like a shining light, which we want to nourish. Digital evangelization fills us with hope. It is the key,” he claims. Father Jaime explains that they broadcast Mass over Facebook and says that “the response has been very positive; it has been a beautiful experience. We are also forming indigenous choirs to recover Quechua, which is their ancestral language, and therefore helping them to learn and to preserve their own tongue.”  

“I was called to this mission 54 years ago; my time is coming to an end. Thinking of the future helps me draw new strength,” the Salesian says. “We are deeply grateful for your help. These is sometimes a certain coldness with institutions, but that has not been the case with ACN. We constantly pray for ACN and all the generous benefactors who make this possible.”