PANNUCHES HOMILY

Saturday, March 19, 2023

Chapel of the Holy Child

The Right Reverend Father Gene Savoy, Jr.

Copyright © International Community of Christ

In 2009, in accordance with Sacred Law and the 19th Saying of Jamil, I formally established the Holy Order of Matriarchs and appointed dedicated women of The Community who had attained age and wisdom, and who had devoted their lives and energies to God, as Matriarchs of the Church. Let’s read from the 19th Saying regarding the Matriarchs.

Because God created man and woman in His Image, both are of God and therefore equal. Man and woman beget children which they do not beget separately, but together, as God intended for them to do under the light of the sun, conjointly with God as co-creators, neither being superior to the other by natural law nor by spiritual law.

In many of the former religions, women were subjected to an inferior role because men were not able to serve both the creative spirit in women and God; therefore, they separated themselves from women entirely, fearing that love for women and family would separate them from God.

This Church is of God, and thus of spirit, but in order for it to be universal, it must include women in the ministry, as well as children reared for the ministry; for a Godly life begins at an early age. Indeed, it begins even before birth, for the parents must be of God if a child is to be of God – in both blood and spirit, as animated by the living Image and the Word of God.

There must be good order in the Church of God, and for this reason those admitted into the Church ministry, both men and women, mustneeds submit to the Codes of the Order if the Church would remain stable and be preserved. Let the men and women of the Church see themselves not as men or women, but as spiritual beings, coworkers with God for the creation of a new Earth under God’s rule. And let the sacred marriages be consecrated in Heaven and ruled by Heaven’s order under God.

I have established the ministry by my person, and God will nurture it by His Light. Therefore, as the first Patriarch of the Church is male, ordained of me, let your successors be male offspring of your seed, joined to me by blood and spirit forever, in order to preserve what I have established.

The females who have been admitted into God’s Community of ministers in the new age shall exemplify the spiritual life as God intended them to do from the beginning; therefore, let them take their stations as ministers, following the order established by my person and by my successors, equal with men in all things….

And if women would follow as disciples of the Order you will have established as Patriarch, let them subscribe to the vows after passing the age of 30 years, holding to the same requirements as the Patriarchs, but being called Matriarchs, an order of Progenitors of a new race of man.

And in this Church, the Matriarchs will exemplify the holiest path of devotion, inspiring their companions and offspring in time to come. And they shall be called Holy Mothers of the Church who will emulate the chaste and Holy Women of ancient times. And they will take the necessary vows as a requirement of this sacred office.

And the Patriarchs and Matriarchs shall assume responsibility for every child of Light of the Community. And they shall be aided by their Brothers and Sisters in Light to assure that the children are nurtured by the Light of God for the new creation of which they are a part.

In 1999, my father established the Holy Order of Patriarchs and appointed the first two Patriarchs, in addition to himself as Head Patriarch. Of course, since his physical passing from the world, the Office of Head Patriarch was vacant until I attained my 52nd year last month. Let us now read from the 18th Saying of Jamil concerning the Patriarchs.

Each of the religions of the world is to be given the Teachings by the Ordained. And by means of these Teachings, the older religions inspired by the Image and the Word of God given to the Prophets and Holy Ones in former ages, will be regenerated and fulfilled. And from within these religions and the Ordained, the Enlightened of God will emerge to form a Holy Order of Patriarchs, an Order of Progenitors of a new race of man.

And they shall be called Holy Fathers of the Church. They will emulate the Prophets and Holy Ones of ancient times, and take the necessary vows as a condition of this Holy Office. And they shall inspire the formation of a True Church, a universal Church, brought out of the many churches of the world. This True Church will live the new laws of God and, by so doing, restore the sun and the earth and the cosmos to goodly order for a New Creation in which God’s Image and Word will manifest openly as in the beginning of the First Creation….

And this Holy Order of Patriarchs shall lead the multitudes of churches of the world, inspiring them by their Light and wisdom. And by these means the Patriarchs will become fathers unto the churches, joining the noble family of Holy Men of times past, protecting and safeguarding those in their charge with love and understanding, justice, sympathy, patience, tolerance, generosity, honesty, peace, goodness, and Light as a unified whole, unseparated from one another; of one mind, one body, one spirit – universal and one.

And the Order of Patriarchs will have its beginnings when, upon a pre-ordained time, you shall withdraw from the activities of man and devote your whole life to God within the Community. And by the sign and color of your vestment, the holy members of the Order will recognize that the Order of Patriarchs has been formed. Once the Order is formed, you shall initiate disciples into it, and they shall subscribe to the vows after the passing of 52 years of age….

And let the Patriarchs of the Church [dedicate] their entire lives to the service of the Community as a glory and a power to God, seeking their origins in Light until their final mergence with God at the conclusion of their lives on Earth. Let the Patriarchs live the Image and Word as did I, the Child, emulating the Way. Let the laws and statutes be impressed upon their hearts and minds and spirits, to be lived and not spoken, for the Word of God is neither found on paper nor revealed by the tongue. And by these means, the Holy Race shall be instructed and taught how to receive God in its midst.

“…This Saying teaches us that from out of the multitude of churches in the world that will teach Cosolargy, such as the Communities of Christ, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Brahmanism, and other religions embracing our concepts, something higher will evolve. We do not know how long this evolution will require, but it will begin in our lifetimes. A True Church will evolve which will be divorced from the popular religions of the day and age. It will be a truly universal religion in which men and women can express themselves as a race of spiritual beings. However, this will require a maturity which people today do not have. Therefore, the Teachings of Cosolargy will be given to the popular religions of the world as amendments and supplemental material so that they can be fulfilled as a higher religion. This Church which will evolve out of all churches will be shared by all races and creeds without favoring any particular religion. This is what the Saying tells us.

“The first Patriarchs of this religion will be a select number of enlightened men who will follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and many of the other prophets of times past. And they will be known by their enlightenment. The office they hold will not be one that will be attained by earthly intelligence, but by spiritual enlightenment which will be discerned by all. And these Patriarchs will divorce themselves from the world so they may be able to counsel the leaders of the world. The Patriarchs will lead man as did the founders of the world religions in ancient times. They will represent a spiritual Order. And this Order will own no material thing….”

These lines are from the commentary on the 18th Saying.

Now that I have attained the age of 52 years, I assume the office of Head Patriarch of The Church, thus re-activating the Holy Order of Patriarchs. I have taken this opportunity to appoint two Ministers of The Community as the first to join me in this endeavor, at this time. They are the Reverend Fathers Robert Petrovich and Ted Staver.

These two appointments, which will be followed by the Rite of Ordination, mark a new beginning as we enter the third 20-year cycle in the 61st year of the Second Advent Calendar. More appointments will be forthcoming for both men and women who meet the required qualifications, which include solemn vows to The Order. These qualification ands requirements can be found in the commentaries of the 18th and 19th Sayings. There is much to contemplate and discuss as we look to Second Advent Easter and Second Advent Pentecost.

Click here to play the audio of this homily.

Click here to read the post about the appointments.

The Tourism Association of Leymebamba, Amazonas, Peru is organizing a cavalcade (horse ride) from May 14 through May 20, 2023. They have asked to use some of the proposed Gene Savoy Route for their event. The route, proposed by Gene Savoy Xplorations (GSX), seeks to publicize the finds that the legendary American explorer Gene Savoy, Sr., discovered in the 1960s and later from the 1980s through the early 2000s. His great discoveries include the fabled last stronghold of the Incas, Vilcabamba, and the mighty citadels of the Chachapoya civilization in the northeastern part of Peru Gran Vilaya and Gran Saposoa.

Martin Chumbe, GSX’s agent in Chachapoyas, Peru, has been asked to be part of the organizing committee. He said, “Because of the great contribution of Gene Savoy, the ancient Chachapya culture is known throughout the world.” The cavalcade will begin in Leymebamba and then visit sites discovered by Savoy, including Gran Chivani, Vira Vira, and Atuen. Discovery of these sites is recorded in Savoy’s acclaimed book, Antisuyo: The Search for the Lost Cities of the Amazon.

Gene Savoy Xplorations is a major sponsor of the event and has granted permission for the cavalcade to use the name of Gene Savoy. Gene Savoy Xplorations, through its representative in Lima, Ismael Seoane, is working with the Peruvian government to acknowledge the Gene Savoy Route in northeastern Peru just as it recognizes and promotes the Inca Trail, which has become famous for its connection to Machu Picchu.

Click Here to view a video of Gocta Falls near Chachapoyas in Amazonas, Peru.

Sunrise from Church of New Epiphany PHOTO: Stephan Fuelling

Pannuches Meal Rite

The 148th Pannuches Meal Rite was held Saturday, September 3, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

The 149th Pannuches Meal Rite was held Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

The 150th Pannuches Meal Rite was held Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

Jubilee Sunrise Divine Services were held in Sanctuary on the Sunday mornings following the Pannuches Rite. Jubilee Sunday is a day of fasting.

Christmas-Epiphany Vigil
The Twelve Days of Christmas are observed by tradition in the Second Advent Church. Beginning Sunday, December 25, and continuing through the morning of Epiphany, Friday, January 6. Sunrise Divine Services were held in Consecrated Sanctuary each morning at the Church of New Epiphany during these days of special blessing, as weather permitted. Services were held on the 25th, 26th, 28th, and 31st of December.

Here is a photo from one of the services. Videos are posted on the Facebook Cosolargy Forum.

Photo by Stephan Fuelling

Photo by Stephan Fuelling

Friday and Saturday Chapel Services were suspended due to the Vigil schedule.

Children’s Blessing
The annual Children’s Blessing was held following Sunrise Divine Service at the End Times Parsonage on Sunday, December 25, 2022 at 7:45 a.m.  The Blessing was followed by a breakfast. While not a part of the Sacred Calendar of the Church, this Blessing is held each year during the Christmas-Epiphany Vigil. Children, parents, and other members of the Community gathered for the ceremonial blessing of the children of the Community.

Epiphany Eve Banquet
The annual Epiphany Eve Banquet and festivities took place at the Rectory-Abbey on Thursday, January 5, 2023, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Members of the Community, their families, and special guests of the Bishop were invited to attend this special seasonal banquet. The meal was followed by a visit from Santa and his reindeer and gift-giving.

Epiphany Day
This forty-second anniversary of Epiphany in the Second Advent Church was a day of special blessings and revelation in the Church and the day on which the Church commemorates the True Baptism of Jesus by God the Father. The Message given on January 6, 1981, is related in the Prophecy of the New Covenant:

“On this hallowed day of God’s Appearance, bountiful blessings manifest to the Holy Ones of Light of the Church of the Second Advent founded by His Word. To those unified in Community and holding to The Law, God sends forth the Comforting Spirit of His Image. As the Church has been restored, God will restore those blessings given to the First Church—now in apostasy—and make sacred those Holy Days that are kept in remembrance by the old Churches, but which are not alive with God’s blessings.

“In commemoration of this Day let The Community gather together once each year in remembrance and in fellowship. God will baptize all assembled in the Spirit of His Holiness. God gives an unmistakable Sign from Heaven in the New Sun as a mark of His Advent and Divine Presence. Let all behold the Signs of God manifest in the Heavens and know that their New Ministry is by God’s Authority, and that He has come to Judge the world. This Day is a day of confirmation of God’s Appearance, a day of blessing to strengthen the Good against the Powers of Darkness, and to empower them to teach.”
Prophecy of the New Covenant, pp. 913-914

After the Sunrise Divine Service on Christmas morning, 2022, we gathered at the End Times Parsonage for breakfast and the annual Blessing of the Children. Here is a selection of photos from that event.

Preparing for the Blessing of the Children 1

Preparing for the Blessing of the Children 2

Blessing of the Children conducted by Rev. Noriko Roy

Blessing of the Children

Blessing of the children

Stained glass cross

Breakfast

Breakfast

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Gathering in the Chapel of the Holy Child                           PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Harris

September 2022 Convocation & Seminar
September 7 through September 12, 2022

The Convocation held this year was the first in three years due to Covid restrictions and was a
rousing success. People who have attended for many years said it was one of the best, and new
people found it enjoyable and informative. Here is a breakdown of the events and lectures
accompanied by photos.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. Giving his presentation.                                        PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CAPTION: Robert Roy

A display of Gems, jewels, stones, and crosses.                    PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. giving a presentation                        PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bruce Kanzelmeyer answering a question.                                PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Wednesday, September 7 – Friday, September 9
RESIDENCE TRAINING SEMINAR

Color & Sacred Imagery
Advanced Programs I & II

The seminar was presented in the Chapel of The Holy Child by Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. in morning and afternoon sessions. Each session was video recorded for future use as an online training program. The original version of the lecture series was presented in 1980 by Rt. Rev. Gene Savoy Sr. The 10-hour training seminar updated for a contemporary audience.

Part 1 is six hours of oral instruction on the psycho-physical and spiritual bodies; color polarities; demonstrations on the use of gemstones, the sacred thread, and mirrors; and the use of color in ancient medical practices. Part 2 is an expansion of Part 1 in four hours of oral instruction on healing, the use of the sacred thread and vestments, the Pythagorean image of the sun, and the awakening of the force centers.

Friday, September 9

“The Three Communions”
The lecture was presented in the Chapel of The Holy Child by Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. and video recorded for future use as an online training program. It provides a comprehensive commentary on the three communions – the communion of bread and water, the communion of light, and the communion of the Divine Presence – their importance, meanings, and related symbologies.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Saturday, September 10

A morning Communion of Fellowship & Homily was held in the Chapel of the Holy Child.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Acolytes and other children of the community with Francine Petrovich.        PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Savoy conducting ordinations.                                                PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Savoy conduction ordinations.                                             PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Ordinations:
Vivienne Marcsik, 1st Degree Ordination
Martha-Lucia Sierra, 1st Degree Ordination
Yuka Honjo, 1st Degree Ordination

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Savoy conduction ordinations.                                                      PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Michele Grief, 3rd Degree Ordination

Saturday, September 10

Three lecture presentations were made on Saturday afternoon in the Chapel of The Holy Child:

“New Scientific Views of Consciousness”
Presented by Rebecca Willis
A new movement within science is working to overturn the currently accepted materialistic worldview and its limitations on understanding the human spirit. They recognize consciousness as beyond the brain and primary to physical existence. Their work offers new perspectives on consciousness while laying a groundwork for greater receptivity to the teachings of Cosolargy within society.

“What is Metanoia?”
Presented by Ted Staver
Exploring the concept of metanoia as it relates to The System of Cosolargy and the Community as a whole: the forms of metanoia; metanoia as regeneration of spirit and a special state of grace that is a blanket over the Community; collective manifestation of metanoia and Shekinah; the oral tradition of the paradosis as the secret of the parousia and the means to metanoia.

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephan Fuelling

Bruce Kanzelmeyer giving his presentation.                          PHOTO CREDIT: Stephan Fuelling

“Liturgical Chimes & Hand Gestures”
Presented by Bruce Kanzelmeyer
Sound, color, and an introduction to chants and gestures in the Sunrise Divine Service:
1. An Introduction/Review of the Natural Harmonic Scale
a. An introduction to harmonics, the nature of sound
b. The quest for harmony; intro to musical scale
c. The natural harmonic scale: “It’s all about Fundamentals”
2. The Relationship between Color and Sound
a. Sympathetic vibration
b. Establishing fundamental pitches based on the color spectrum
c. Light, color and color bodies: The Cosolargy Papers
d. The Primary and Secondary Force Centers as related to Color and Tone
I. The use of chimes
e. The ICC spectral scale
f. A Visualization of the Solar Cross
3. Intro to Chant and Gesture Used in the Divine Service

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephan Fuelling

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephan Fuelling

Sunday, September 11 morning
Sunrise Divine Service
Cathedral Church of the Americas

PHOTO CAPTION: Robert Harris

Bishop Savoy conduction ordinations.    PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Harris

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Savoy conduction ordinations.                                                 PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

2nd & 3rd Degree Ordinations:
Shawn Smith, 2nd Degree Ordination
Marilyn Taylor, 2nd Degree Ordination
Gary Huss Jr, 3rd Degree Ordination
Terry Hutchinson, 3rd Degree Ordination

Breakfast
A buffet style breakfast was served at the End Times Parsonage.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Bishop Savoy delivering the State of the Community Address.              PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

10:00-11:00
“The Counsels” delivered by Gene Savoy Jr.
A “State of The Community Address”
A report by the Head Overseer on the activities of The Community; on things accomplished; projects in the works or nearing completion; and strategies, tasks, and ventures planned for the near future. Held at Monastery Gar

Sanctuary Tour
A tour for first-time visitors to the Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary  was conducted by Gene Savoy Jr.

Sunday, September 11
evening
“Developments in Peru”
A tour of the Gene Savoy Sr. Museum at Bishopstead was conducted by Bishop Gene Savoy Jr.

Following the tour of the museum, a buffet style Banquet was held at Bishopstead.

The Jamilian Bell Choir during Divine Sunrise Service.                 PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Monday, September 12
Sunrise Divine Service
Cathedral Church of the Americas

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Breakfast
At the End Times Parsonage

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Radheka Savoy presenting.                 PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Amanda Buchanan presenting.                    PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Following breakfast, we moved to the Monastery Gardens for a reading of the new publication of the Jamilian University Press, The Jamil Commentaries.

Originally published in 1973, a series of six moving impressions expressed by people who actually met The Child, with a foreword by Gene Savoy Jr., who met and knew each of the six individuals. The presenters included Gene Savoy Jr., Rebecca Willis, Robert Petrovich, Amanda Buchanan, Radheka Savoy, Ted Staver, Marilyn Taylor, and Harold Boulette.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Rebecca Willis and Gene Savoy Jr. presenting. PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Roy

Monday, September 12
afternoon
Lunch and a series of five lectures at the End Times Parsonage:

“The Sacred Calendar”
Presented by Amanda Buchanan
The geometry of the Sacred Calendar, sacred days and how they were derived, the calculation of sunrises and sunsets, and how the calendar relates to the Solar Cross.

“The Solar Cross”
Presented by Michael McIntyre
A multi-faceted approach on the symbology of the Solar Cross borrowing from the disciplines of anthropology, cognitive science, ancient texts, geometry, and psycholinguistics.

“The Essene Legacy”
Presented by Robert Petrovich
Rediscovering, through the Sacred Teachings of Light and the findings of recent scholarship, the power and dedication of the Essenes and Therapeutae.
Rediscovering the power and dedication of the Essenes and Therapeutae through the Sacred Teachings of Light and the findings of recent scholarship:
Relation of the Therapeutae and Essenes through Moses
History from the Hasmoneans to the Herods
The two Orders of Essenes
Distribution in towns & cities of Judea
Community Centers & Essene society
The Covenant of Renewal
Common property & entering the Order
Qumran as monastic production center
Jesus’ amendment to the old Essene teaching on the War of Light and Darkness

“Origins of Shingon Buddhism”
Presented by Yukinori Matsushita
Shingon Buddhism, one of the major sects of Buddhism in Japan, was founded by Kukai (774 – 835 CE), known posthumously as Kobo Daisih, after he traveled to China, where he studied Tangmi under the monk Huiguo and became a Teacher of Light.

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephan Fuelling

Shawn Smith presenting a gift to Gene Savoy Jr. PHOTO CREDIT: Stephan Fuelling

“Solar Cultures of Africa”
Presented by Shawn Smith
Every culture that applied The System has something to offer us. This includes the many solar cultures that existed in Africa. This presentation will focus mainly on the Dogon of western Africa.
Most of the pre-colonial history of Sub-Saharan Africa remains shrouded in mystery to us in these modern times.
Unfortunately, this ignorance extends to what is known of the true nature of her “indigenous” religions and thus, her many Cultures.
The native religions of the Continent known for her colorful sights and vibrant sounds, and warmth of 1.4 Billion inhabitants, has been categorized with prejudice by proponents of Western Religious Anthropology with monolithic models of either “Pagan Animism” or “Shamanism”.
However, with delicate consideration of certain African Traditional Religions (ATRs), we can observe that what even seems polytheism has evolved from an erosion of an earlier monotheism associated with the Solar motifs.
Cameroon, a nation of 17 million, is home to 216 ethnic groups, each with its own distinct dialect and culture. We attempt to decode the most prominent of her Tribal liturgies, the etymology of sacred words, and symbology of her ancient local landmarks to “connect the dots” and consider their greater significance in the light of the Second Advent in the Sun of Righteousness.

Humberto Garcia takes an early morning dip this May in the Gulf of California.

The following interview took place on May 25, 2022.

Communique Editor: When did you and Humberto Garcia make your trip this year to Baja Sur, Mexico.

Gene: The dates we went are May 10-16, 2022.

Communique Editor: And when did you begin speaking with Humberto about residing on the property?

Gene: Well, we’ve been talking about that for many years really. But a few things got in the way. First of all, Covid set us back. Then we were waiting for Humberto to retire from his teaching position. And so it’s become possible now.

Communique Editor: When he came to visit for a month, that was part of the initial plan, to have him go down there with you and check the place out, and make arrangements with him. What things happened down there to help him get settled?

Gene: Well, remember that he went down with me when I first went down on my first trip. That was in 2015. So he joined me there at that time. But we didn’t have the property at that time. We were just checking the place out. So this has been quite a process actually.

Communique Editor: After those seven years had passed, we’ve owned the property now for –

Gene: – Five years.

Communique Editor: During this trip, did you introduce him to anyone in particular that would help him?

Andrew Tuck speaks with Humberto Garcia at the Earthblocks manufacturing site.

Gene: He met with everybody we work with down there. He met Andrew Tuck, who of course is our main person there; and he’s the earth block manufacturer. He’s also the designer and the engineer, and he has a vision for what we want to do. Andrew also has the connections with the Legacy group. That is important, because that is the environmental group that wants to do something very unique on that side of the Baja Peninsula.

Communique Editor: We have an article on what they are doing in the Communique already, which we will link to: 2019 Baja California Sur Impact Expedition.

Gene: And you might link to their website also (http://legacyworksgroup.com/) because they have a good writeup on what they are doing in Baja on their web site. And while we were there in Mexico, I found out that Humberto’s first degree was in environmental science.

Communique Editor: He has a PhD in environmental science as well.

Gene: I didn’t know this until we were there. And Andrew started talking with Humberto about the Legacy Group. So Andrew and Humberto were able to talk very technically about the science of it all. We are in a very unique position because we are, basically, at the center of the zone that they are trying to create as this environmentally protected area. So the place that we chose in El Cardonal is actually turning out to be something we didn’t even realize when we bought the place. It’s a pretty perfect location.

Humberto on the property in front of the Cardon.

Communique Editor: And the idea is for Humberto to move down there as soon as possible, possibly by the end of the year, I understand.

Gene: That would be great.

Communique Editor: And while he’s down there, … Let me put it this way, I guess the plan now for the property has been modified. It’s going to take certain stages.

Gene: Right. We are going to start with the first stage, which is building a residence for Humberto, which will also have a guest room and an office so that he can do the Cosolargy and the Jamilian University work. He’s going to be the perfect person to be there, not only because it’s his country but because of his background with environmental science. He’s going to be a perfect representative for us with the Legacy people and all of the scientists that are there, the environmentalists.

Communique Editor: And while he’s there on the property, I understand that he is going to be doing some developing of the property. I understand there is also talk of a garden and fruit trees and things like that.

Gene: Right.

Communique Editor: I understand that the initial plan for development includes the house for Humberto, but also the infrastructure for something more. Is that right?

Gene: Yes. We don’t really know exactly what that is at this point, but we are going to be putting in … Remember, we already have water and electricity to the property. So that’s already there. The first step is to put in the septic system, which we want to make sure can accommodate up to four structures. What those will be at this point in time we don’t know.

Communique Editor: And all of that probably will create an environment that we will then build within. And so the placement of all of these things will be –

Gene: We’ll know more next month when Andrew comes up with a new plan. And he needs about a month to do that. The other interesting thing is that when Humberto met with Andrew, I introduced him to Kevin O’Leary, who was our real estate person. He’s very well connected down there because he lives there. So that was a good connection for him to make. We are in the process of getting the beach concession.

Communique Editor: What is that?

Gene: In Mexico you cannot own the beach, but you can limit who can do things on the beach in front of your property with a beach concession. You have to own it, which means you get a license from the federal government so that other people can’t do certain things in front of your property. Kevin has been very adamant that we need to get that, and so it seems like a good time. Right now Humberto also met with our accountant, and he met Cal and Janice Abel, who sold us the property and who have offered to pay for the septic infrastructure.

Cal Abel points out the location of the first building development on the property.

Communique Editor: Wow! So we are getting help.

Gene: Yeah. We are getting help from the people who sold us the property. And they live in Cardonal.

Communique Editor: Oh?

Gene: So they are right there.

Communique Editor: We are going to be working with the property as a Center for Cosolargy in Latin America. Could it also work as a local center in relation to some aspect of the Legacy program?

Gene: Well, I think so. Again, I haven’t met with them. There is supposed to be a big conference in December in Los Barriles that we’re invited to attend. So we’ll be going to that. We’ll know more in December.

Communique Editor: Okay. I’ll look forward to hearing about that.

Gene: But I think they are looking for a place to put a learning center, which we might offer.

Communique Editor: Well, that sounds great.

Gary Buchanan and Gene Savoy Jr at Fortaleza Kuelap, March 3, 2020

The Community is getting involved again in Peru after a lapse of several years. Following extensive legal entanglements over the nature of the Andean Explorers Foundation, The Community regained control over the unique research and valuable archives in 2019. Then COVID hit. Three years ago, the editor of the Community Communique sat down with Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. to discuss his recent visits to Peru in January and November 2018 to explore possibilities for the future work of The Community there and his vision for the future.

The interview was recorded February 11, 2019. The ending commentary was written May 24, 2022.

ED: Let’s start our discussion with an explanation of the name “Gene Savoy Xplorations.”

GSJr: In June 2018 we formed a DBA [fictitious firm name] of the Church, which is “Gene Savoy Xplorations” with an “X.” This will be the beginning of recreating our work in Peru, as the Andean Explorers Foundation as an entity is no longer part of the Church. The formation of “Gene Savoy Xplorations” as a part of The Community will also ensure that we never have the kind of problem again that we have had with incorporating the Andean Explorers Foundation, because this entity will be part of the Church and not a separate corporation subject to outside manipulation, as the Andean Explorers Foundation proved to be.

ED: And you went down to Peru a few months ago?

GSJr: I went in January of 2018 and November of 2018.

ED: And you had a plan at that time?

GSJr: Yes. The plan in January was to see what the climate was for us getting involved, and what the interest was, and, also, to see how Chachapoyas had changed. We had heard that it has changed quite significantly. And I had gotten reports that the government is spending a lot of money in Amazonas because they are very concerned with the number of people visiting Machu Picchu, and so they want to limit the number of tourists there and expand into other areas.

Pedestrian walkway in Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru

That means they have to open up additional archaeological sites, which makes sense.

Restoration work underway at Kuelap Fortress

The next major site is Kuelap, and that’s why a magnificent cable car system going up there has been built.

New cable car tramway with old mule trail below

This is the area where we spent many, many decades working. The government is spending a great deal of money there, as I said, which interested me because we had thoughts back in the old days, in the 1990s, of how we could take advantage of the archaeological sites that my father had discovered, and how we could capitalize on that. We were letting the whole world know about these places – these archaeological sites – and where they were, but then other people were coming in and reaping the benefits of what we had discovered. And that’s fine, but we should also be a part of that. Maybe thirty years ago wasn’t the right time. But now definitely is. In the last twenty years, the Peruvian government has built national road systems that didn’t exist before. There are daily flights from Lima to Chachapoyas, which you didn’t have before. The townspeople have spent a lot of money in Chachapoyas itself, beautifying their city. It really is quite different from what it used to be when I was first there.

ED: Can you describe the way it was in the early 1990s, and the way it is now?

GSJr: Well, it was kind of like being in the old west in a way. There were horses and mules and the occasional pickup truck. People were coming in from the countryside, the campesinos [peasant farmers]. And in the best hotel in town, for example, you didn’t have private bathrooms. There was a communal bathroom. You didn’t have hot water. You showered in cold water. There was one TV in the whole town. That was a big deal. It belonged to a guy who owned a restaurant on the plaza. And everyone in town would come and watch through the doors and the windows what was on the TV because that was very novel. It’s totally different now. You have internet service. You have hotels that have private bathrooms. You have hot water. They’ve renovated a lot of the old homes with courtyards for restaurants, coffee shops and wine bars.

Ismael Seoane, Martin Chumbe and Eduardo Morocho at a coffee shop in Chachapyas, Amazonas, Peru

It’s just a totally different scenario. They actually have a fleet of taxis. It’s changed quite a bit. That cable car system is really phenomenal. I recommend it to anybody, if they are there. You have to take the cable car system up to Kuelap.

ED: What was it like to get from Chachapoyas to Kuelap before?

GSJr: From Chachapoyas you would take a truck to the town of Tingo, which was about an hour or an hour-and-a-half drive back in those days because they didn’t have paved roads. All of the roads are paved now.

New national road, Amazonas, Peru

Now it’s about forty-five minutes to get to Tingo by car. And then, in the old days, you would have to take mules up the mountain, which would take you half a day to get up to the fortress. Now you do the whole trip up the mountain in twenty minutes via the cable cars.

New cable car crossing the mountain valley below

ED: Where did the idea come from to do explorations in the corporate sense rather than going in to do archaeological work?

GSJr: We are not limiting ourselves with what we can do with Gene Savoy Xplorations. Really, the first thing in January 2018 was to just feel things out. I was able to go to Chachapoyas. I was very, very impressed with what I saw. There is a lot of opportunity there, and the tourism is increasing. It has been doubling every year, for pretty much the last few years. According to government projections and other projections, that is only going to increase . For the most part, though, people are still not going into Gran Vilaya. The importance of Kuelap is that it was the fortress of the cities that lie beyond.

Gene Savoy Jr. at Kuelap examining Chachapoyan frieze

Kuelap basically protected what we now know as Gran Vilaya and Gran Sapasoa, which my father discovered. These were all Chachapoyan civilizations. They were conquered by the Incas. Nobody is really going beyond Kuelap. But now it is very easy to get to, for instance, Gran Vilaya. But the tourist agencies are not taking people in there yet. We believe that we can start taking people into Gran Vilaya. And that is the basis for us to establish our own tourist agency in Chachapoyas.

ED: And who is helping to put this all together?

GSJr: Right now , the main person that I work with in Peru is Ismael Seoane.

Gene Savoy Jr. and Ismael Seoane in the Swiss Hotel Lobby, Lima, Peru

He’s the third son of Pancho Seaone. [Francisco “Pancho” Seoane was the logistics officer for the Andean Explorers Foundation and worked with Gene Savoy, Sr. on his expeditions from 1984 until Pancho’s death in 1997.] Ismael is also the brother of Francisco and Alfonso Seoane. Ismael has connections. He’s the one who has connections with attorneys. These attorneys have connections with high profile people in the government, with the media and public relations firms and things like that. We are starting out with something very small. Also, his eldest brother, Francisco, is also helping in various ways. Francisco is now our archaeologist. He teaches at the University of Trujillo. He had been on a few of the expeditions when we were first there with my father. Francisco has agreed to be our official map maker and the liaison between us and the Institute of Culture. If we do anything in the future, we have to go through the Institute of Culture. So it’s very important for us to have an archaeologist that is our “archaeologist in-residence,” so to speak.

ED: Is there anyone else you have been working with in Peru?

GSJr: The other person who is helping a great deal is Martin Chumbe.

Gene Savoy Sr. and Martin Chumbe at Gran Vilaya, c. 1989

He was on expeditions when we were there in 1989 and the early 1990s. He is familiar with Gran Vilaya. He has also become very familiar with Gran Saposoa. He has connections in Chachapoyas. He is really the key to our connections in Chachapoyas. Ismael and Francisco have connections in Lima and Trujillo, but Martin is equally important because he knows everybody in Chachapoyas.

ED: And he now makes his living as a guide?

GSJr: Martin always had made his living as a guide, and he has become very prominent as a guide. Everybody knows him. Tourists seek him out to be their guide.

Gene Savoy Jr. with Martin Chumbe in expedition gear at the entrance to Gocta Falls, Amazonas, Peru

He’s very good, and he wants to work with us. He reveres my father and has pictures of him, and his relatives have copies of magazines going all the way back. They are very excited that this is now happening.

ED: You put all of this together last January?

GSJr: The initial trip was in January 2018. Other things were taking place between January and November, when I went again. By that time, we actually had a few more things in place. We were able to meet with the law firm of GLB Abogados.

Gary Buchanan, Ismael Seoane Peyon, and Gene Savoy Jr in Lima, Peru , March 7, 2020

The law firm is two brothers, and they are helping us right now putting together the legal structure for what we are going to do in Peru. At this point, the idea is to have two corporations, one for-profit and one non-profit. The reality is that people will help us get things started, but they eventually will want to be compensated for their efforts; and quite honestly, I think, so do we. If we were to start the tourist agency, which we would like to do, the plan for 2019 is to do three things: First of all, and as we speak, Martin is in the field for 75 days. What he is doing is mapping, further mapping. We have maps that Gary Buchanan did back in the old days. Martin has his own set of maps, which he has shared with us. What he is doing now is going to these sites, and, with a GPS, taking the elevations and the distances from one point to another along the trails. The idea is to approach the Peruvian government to designate a specific official route, which will be called the “Route of Savoy” or “The Savoy Route” or, in Spanish, “La Ruta de Savoy,” similar to the Inca Trail in concept. The Inca Trail is down in Cusco and Machu Picchu. If you want to backpack you can take a few days going on the Inca Trail, and you can walk to Machu Picchu. This would be the same kind of concept. La Ruta de Savoy is going to be based on all or most of the sites that my father discovered in the 1960’s. So basically, everything that was talked about in his book Antisuyo is going to be part of “La Ruta de Savoy.”

ED: Including Gran Vilaya?

GSJr: Gran Vilaya and Gran Sapasoa are going to be two other separate things. So we have some big ideas. For right now, Martin is in the field for 75 days, mapping, getting coordinates, distances, elevations. The idea is that ,with the travel agency, we’ll be able to take backpackers and campers and people like that. He needs to know, for instance, how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B, and from Point B to Point C, and so on. It takes so many days to do the whole route, but you need to set up designated places for people to camp, and this is where we need the government’s assistance to help us with investments. The government has set up some very interesting investment programs so that they can start developing these sites and then recoup their expenses with, obviously, the tourist dollars. That’s the first thing that is happening. Second, we will have an expedition. It will be kind of a scouting expedition in the summer, probably in July or August [of 2019], where we will go into Gran Saposoa with Francisco and start mapping Gran Sapasoa. It’s the place that hasn’t really been mapped. Gran Vilaya has been mapped many times. Martin will also verify certain distances and things so we can update our main map.

ED: So you are actually talking about doing three different routes?

GSJr: Yes, we are talking about three things: The Savoy Route, Gran Vilaya, and Gran Sapasoa. That’s what we’re concentrating on.

Scenic overlook, Amazonas, Peru

After the scouting expedition this year, when we have better information about places and distances and where to visit, then the idea is in 2020 to have a true expedition where we actually have some media exposure, and we will announce Gene Savoy Xplorations as being active in Peru. We’ll have the travel agency set up. And we already have people who have donated space right off the main square for the offices and all of that. So I think this is actually quite exciting. The way that I look at it is, if The Community is going to expand its ministry and at some point and some day have a presence in Peru, which I believe it should, it again has to have some basis for financial survival. So we have to set up some things that are going to bring in revenue. And, obviously, the work that we have done at the ruins can be the revenue stream that initially supports The Community’s establishment there. You have to do the one thing before the other. Otherwise, it doesn’t make any sense, in my mind.

ED: And as far as the expedition in 2020, do you want to say anything more?

GSJr: Not this point. The only people who know about it at this time are Ismael, Francisco, Martin, and I, and also Alfonso [Alfonso Seoane, also the brother of Ismael] who is helping us in Reno. The idea is that all of this will be kept quiet until we actually do something, because we want to make a big splash. But working with Ismael is easy for me because he is a businessman, so he understands that you have to take things slowly, and you have to plan things and do things properly, and make sure that everything at the back end is set up before you do anything on the front end. We don’t want to rush into things, and then have everything fall apart or be unorganized and sloppy. Then people get upset.

ED: Anything else you would like to add?

GSJr: That’s basically the whole idea, and I think that is all we really need to say right now, except that this isn’t a new idea for me. I had been talking about these ideas years ago, but certain people involved in the Andean Explorers Foundation didn’t see things my way and went off on their own doing their own thing which didn’t have anything to do with the mission of the Church. Gene Savoy Xplorations is already a legal entity here in Nevada. The attorneys have already reserved the name “Gene Savoy” in Peru on our behalf, so the whole idea is that once this comes out, who knows what’s going to happen? That’s why we are doing everything very meticulously on the back end before we make our next move. The Community has its roots in Peru and Mexico. Those places are significant to us. We shouldn’t forget that.

* * *

During the three years since the February 2019 interview with Bishop Gene, much has transpired in the world. Covid-19 was a major factor everywhere, including Peru, and The Community’s plans had to be put on hold. The planned 2020 expedition never happened. However, Gene was able to make one final trip with Gary Buchanan in February/March 2020 before Peru was locked down due to Covid and before Gary’s passing in October of that year.

Gary Buchanan with statue of Chabuca Granda, Barranco, Lima, March 7, 2020. PHOTO: Gene Savoy Jr.

Since that time, Gene Savoy Xplorations (GSX) has developed and trademarked an official logo.

Newly trademarked logo for Gene Savoy Xplorations

The logo emphasizes the importance of the feathered, or plumed, serpent and its representation of Quetzalcoatl in Mexico, Kukulkan in Mesoamerica, and Viracocha in Peru. Readers will remember that Gene Savoy, Sr. named the three vessels he sailed Feathered Serpent I, Feathered Serpent II, and Feathered Serpent III. The first craft, which was the totora reed raft he sailed in 1969 from Peru to Panama, was also referred to as the Kuviqu, for Kukulkan, Viracocha, Quetzalcoatl.

Another positive development has been the collaboration of Gene, Jr. with Mr. Gabriel Urza. Mr. Urza, originally from Reno, Nevada, is a Fulbright Scholar and currently on the faculty of Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. (For a profile of Gabriel Urza click here.)

Mr. Urza contacted Gene in early 2021 about the possibility of writing a full biography of Gene Savoy, Sr. from his childhood and youth, to his service in the United States Navy during World War II and thereafter entering Catholic seminary to become a priest, to his explorations and life in Peru, including with The Child Jamil, the System of Cosolargy, the founding of The Community and its relocation to Reno, as well as its activities from 1957 to the present. Gene has been working with Gabriel on the project over the past year-and-a-half.

An exciting development of their working together is the opportunity for Gene to travel next month, June 2022, to the legendary site of Vilcabamba, which Gene’s father discovered in 1964. The discovery catapulted Gene Sr. on to the world stage. Gabriel invited Gene to accompany him to the famed ruins of the Inca resistance to the Spanish conquest, which Gene gladly accepted. The son of the guide who accompanied the elder Savoy in 1964 will guide the younger Savoy and Gabriel Urza on their trek next month. It is anticipated to be an exciting meeting spanning two generations of explorers!