A Dawn Unforeseen: A Journey from the West of Ireland to the Barrios of Peru

A Dawn Unforeseen is the true story of a Mayoman who joined a missionary organisation, was sent to Peru and found himself working in Lima, the capital city. He was confident that all he had to do was to follow a well-beaten track. However, he quickly realised he had more questions than answers. He began to discover the rich culture and innate dignity of a marginalised people. They were oppressed and had their basic rights denied. Their situation could not be helped by messages about fate or the hereafter. Sent to convert he was now the converted. With some colleagues, Luke encouraged people to begin to think for themselves. He witnessed how they gradually freed their minds and souls to become agents of their own destiny. This new pastoral approach was not without difficulties however. Luke came more and more to see his work as a lifetime commitment, and decided to open his heart. In the barrio where he lived and worked, he met Carmen, a social worker. Having fallen in love with their work with the poor, Luke and Carmen now fell in love with each other, got married and continued their journey, while raising their own family. At the height of one of the most turbulent periods in Peru’s history, they made the decision to move to Ireland. Here they and their children began the process of adjusting to their new homeland, though they are forever connected to Peru and its people.