He serves both the Tenancingo parish and another nearby congregation, some 20,000 people total. He says Mass in both parishes and administers to the poor and sick. He is beginning to teach the residents about herbal medicines, hoping to prevent some of the sickness that claims so many lives. He has begun to restore the church building itself. And lastly, but perhaps more importantly, he is reaching out to the young of the community, A youth director would be a big help, Melendez says.
Many young people have little to do.
Most of the young girls have their first sexual encounter between the ages of 10 and 14. It is not uncommon for girls to bear their first child as a young teen. Many of the young men who are the fathers of those children don't stay with their families. Yet Melendez doesn't lose hope. Instead, he proudly follows in the footsteps of those who have gone before him such as Archbishop Oscar Romero, who became a martyr in his homeland when he was gunned down by an assassin on March 24, 1980.