Q COSTA RICA – Archbishop Angel San Casimiro, Bishop of Alajuela, apologized to don Evangelista Blanco and reinstated him as the gardener of the Zarcero Park, abruptly dismissed on Saturday after 50 years of work.
“Certainly, life is not about doing things, but knowing how to do them. And in this very case, I think it was not known how to give the news to a man who has dedicated his life to his work. For this, don ‘Tista’ (as don Envangelista is known locally), I am sorry, I ask for your forgiveness. If it is human to wrong, it is also to apologize and to correct the error,” said San Casimiro this Wednesday afternoon in a video broadcast on the Episcopal Conference Facebook page.
The video was made at the home of don Evangelista with San Casimiro, with his arm over the shoulders of the 79-year-old don Evangelista, to personally apologize for all that has occurred and the pain caused during the last several days,
San Casimiro told Tista to be back at work as his has done always and has the full support of the Conference.
“We have given him a new role for his presence in the park. We want other ’tistas’ to emerge in Zarcero, and that is why someone has to prepare them,” added the Bishop.
Likewise, Kenneth Castillo, the Zarcero church priest who fired don Evangelista on Saturday, tendered his resignation to be able to spend time with his family.
“It does not mean that Father Kenneth is abandoning the priesthood, never. He is simply giving himself some time to calm down, to reflect and try, on weekends, to help in some neighboring parishes,” sais San Casimiro.
According to the Bishop, Castillo is being replaced by another priest, whose name will probably be revealed by the weekend during masses that he will himself officiate in the absence of a parish priest.
In fact, the ecclesiastical leader invited parishoners to approach the Eucharist this weekend, in order to make official the return of the laureate gardner.
Don Evangelista, a winner in 2014 of the National Prize of Popular Culture, of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, was grateful for the action taken by the Church.
“I feel so happy …. with this the people are going to relax a little and it will be a new Zarzero for all people, for all of us, everyone at peace,” said the artist.
