By Carmen F. Aguinaco

“I’m not doing anything special. I’m not going to build anything. I am going to just be what I am called to be in the heart of a community. This is Jesus’ idea: to be one among all,” says Álvaro Dávila with a big smile, although he is just about to embark on a difficult, risky and exciting journey.

After 27 years in the United States, the Guatemalan is returning to his native country to launch a project working with and counseling adults who find themselves in the midst of violent situations, often because of the country’s political and social conditions, which many times includes torture and widespread domestic violence.

It all began in Chicago where, after several years of ministry in family catechesis in parishes, Dávila was faced with the harsh reality of domestic violence and admits he started “to get tired of being a man.” He was devastated to watch the tragic reality of domestic violence and decided to devote his life to connect with these men, “with whom naturally I do not sympathize, but empathize. They carry with them a terrible burden of suffering, since in many cases they themselves were victims of abuse and violence in their childhood. They repeat learned behaviors.”

Dávila saw the need to give men the opportunity of visualizing themselves as capable of becoming people of faith and hope. In a Chicago parish he launched a counseling program for men, and he recently set off to replicate the same model in his beloved Guatemala. With the support of his parish community and many others interested in the project, Dávila has returned home to develop family education and mental health services projects that will help raise awareness and prevent violence. He will also help create university psychology courses to study these issues.

According to recent studies by the OAS (Organization of American States), Guatemala is one of the most violent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Dávila’s decision was made from his deep sense of trust in God’s providence. It is a radical decision, but for Dávila, it is just a consequence of his spiritual journey. “If I approach a man seeking God, he will follow,” he says. It is this contemplation to seek God that Dávila considers essential for such a daring life decision and it is where he finds his strength. “Otherwise, one can easily burn out.”

When asked about the issues of security—both financial and physical, Dávila again flashes a smile and says, “I am aware that I could get killed, but I am not afraid. I believe deeply in Resurrection.”

If you saw a great need in your community, what do you think you could do to help? How do you work for peace in your own life and in your own family and community?