IGNACIO VILLAR ITURRIAGA SJ
Chuco, as he was then affectionately known, was a member of the Amigos' 1967 Huandacareo project. He was studying theology at the Jesuit seminary in Boston when, under the influence of Fr. Joe O'Looney, he traveled to Mexico to be part of the Amigos' program.
Born in 1935 in Caibarien, Santa Clara Provence, Cuba, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at age 20. He studied philosophy at Loyola College in Spain, theology at Boston University, and was ordained in the Dominican Republic in 1968.
He founded an organization called "Faith and Joy" in the Dominican Republic to promote quality education and social programs for the poorest communities of Latin America.
Padre Chuco died on 29 August 2018 in Posadas, Argentina where the funeral Mass was offered at the Santos Martires parish, presided by Monsignor Juan Ruben Marinez.
[Further memorials can be found on YouTube by searching for, "Padre Ignacio Villar"]
[Amigos, especially those who were on the 1967 Hunadacareo project, are invited to share their memorials which will be posted on this site.]
Born in 1935 in Caibarien, Santa Clara Provence, Cuba, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at age 20. He studied philosophy at Loyola College in Spain, theology at Boston University, and was ordained in the Dominican Republic in 1968.
He founded an organization called "Faith and Joy" in the Dominican Republic to promote quality education and social programs for the poorest communities of Latin America.
Padre Chuco died on 29 August 2018 in Posadas, Argentina where the funeral Mass was offered at the Santos Martires parish, presided by Monsignor Juan Ruben Marinez.
[Further memorials can be found on YouTube by searching for, "Padre Ignacio Villar"]
[Amigos, especially those who were on the 1967 Hunadacareo project, are invited to share their memorials which will be posted on this site.]
Padre Chuco SJ
by Setsuko Amann November 24, 2020
Padre Chuco joined Amigos Anonymous to find out "what community is" . . . as seen from the eye of Huandacareo in the summer of 1967. He began to realize that community was: making a home out of an old, leaky house . . . living with ten pigs in the backyard . . . cleaning the "bano" without being told . . . getting to know each other . . . a bus ride on a 3rd class bus with animals and chickens . . . living with a Jesuit . . . thanking God your "bano" doesn't move in the night . . . letters from home . . . "bolillos" for Communion . . . washing dishes and not complaining . . . planting a backyard vegetable garden . . . helping Mexican kids carrying "petates" [reed mats] on their heads . . . singing in the back of the bus . . . Saturdays in Morelia . . . a banana split at the hotel Alameda . . . learning Mexican cumbia dance . . . not having shaving cream for three days . . . having TP for your head . . . taking Cloromycedin . . . . To summarize, Chuco might say that "Community is Living with fifteen other people for a summer . . . wondering why we came . . . complaining . . . talking . . . arguing . . . discussing . . . forgiving . . . loving . . . trying to understand another and trying to be understood . . . learning to love
sixteen people . . . .
by Setsuko Amann November 24, 2020
Padre Chuco joined Amigos Anonymous to find out "what community is" . . . as seen from the eye of Huandacareo in the summer of 1967. He began to realize that community was: making a home out of an old, leaky house . . . living with ten pigs in the backyard . . . cleaning the "bano" without being told . . . getting to know each other . . . a bus ride on a 3rd class bus with animals and chickens . . . living with a Jesuit . . . thanking God your "bano" doesn't move in the night . . . letters from home . . . "bolillos" for Communion . . . washing dishes and not complaining . . . planting a backyard vegetable garden . . . helping Mexican kids carrying "petates" [reed mats] on their heads . . . singing in the back of the bus . . . Saturdays in Morelia . . . a banana split at the hotel Alameda . . . learning Mexican cumbia dance . . . not having shaving cream for three days . . . having TP for your head . . . taking Cloromycedin . . . . To summarize, Chuco might say that "Community is Living with fifteen other people for a summer . . . wondering why we came . . . complaining . . . talking . . . arguing . . . discussing . . . forgiving . . . loving . . . trying to understand another and trying to be understood . . . learning to love
sixteen people . . . .