The first days of this new normal, he describes them as taken from a "horror movie", because there was nervousness and panic in the population because of the messages circulating in the media and social networks. Food and certain medicines became scarce and compulsory confinement aggravated the situation of the poorest.
Faced with this situation, Fr Rubinsky's pastoral work focused on how to help the families served by the Salesian community during the hardest weeks of the pandemic. A good number of them suffered a hard blow to their economy, as their income depended on informal trade and they could not go out on the streets to work. "If the coronavirus doesn't kill us, my family and my children will starve," was what we heard on the news.
At the end of March, he saw a light of hope for assisting the poorest. On a call on his mobile phone, he heard: "Father, I want to help your parish because you (the Salesians) are doing wonderful work with the people." It was a great emotional moment because this benefactor had committed to donating 500 food kits.
And now what do we do, was the question that Fr Rubinsky asked himself. Calling people to the parish or to the community would have created crowds and chaos. So, following the example of Jesus and Don Bosco, as a community they made the decision to go out to meet the people most in need.
During those weeks, even though the number of infected people had been growing rapidly, and in the surroundings of the community one could hear of people dying from the virus, their commitment to helping people was stronger than their fear of the disease; there being a priest called them to share their pain for the death of a loved one and to make them feel that the Church and the Salesians were with them.
"I'm one of those who get into the van and go and give a hand to the people. I am not looking for death, I am not looking to get infected, but I do not like to be locked up, I am not a father who stays behind the desk," said the Father who experienced a similar situation in April 2016.
At that time, he was the parish priest in Manta and felt, in person and at the forefront, the destruction and death caused by an earthquake. His attitude was the same then; he went out to talk to the families who were sleeping in the streets and he gave them food coupons. This experience was valuable in knowing how to properly channel the donations received.
It was then that, together with Fr José Luis García and a group of lay people and young people, he formed a group that was at the forefront of helping and accompanying hundreds of families. Protected by gloves, glasses and a mask, he organized the delivery of food kits to the poorest sectors served by the Salesian mission: Nuevo Pilo, Venezuela, Voluntad de Dios, El Bosque, Alcides Pesántez and Rayito de Luz. In 20 days he travelled through these neighbourhoods where he distributed, at first, 500 food kits and then 1,000 more that reached the community.
"I would arrive, knock on the door, talk to them and know their situation, before handing out the food. You can't imagine the excitement they had, some were even dancing for joy because they had nothing to eat anymore. But I didn't just give them something to take to the table, I also shared a word of encouragement so that they wouldn't lose hope for better days," says Fr Rubinsky as his eyes moisten and his voice breaks due to the harsh realities he knew up close.
Then, the aid from Don Bosco Mission arrived and he went out again to deliver the $60 cards so that the families could buy food in the supermarkets. More than 600 cards were distributed and this aid still continues through the "Daily Bread" campaign.
On these long walks he encountered really difficult situations, such as a household where the four members were disabled and could not move around on their own. He went to a supermarket, did their shopping and personally took the food bags to them.
Through the contacts of Fr Rubinsky, a company in the city donated 27 thousand litres of milk. The Salesian parish worked as a collection centre and, together with Caritas of the Diocese, this product was distributed to different churches and later delivered to the parishioners.
Despite being in constant contact with people, he has not contracted the virus. He has had three tests and all have come back negative. Who do you thank for this protection? Well, he does not hesitate to say that it has been the protective mantle of Mary Help of Christians, whose figure he placed at the entrance to the community to block the entry of the Covid-19 and to look after his Salesian brothers who are elderly: Father Arturo Gallardo and Father José Luis García.
"I have asked God to protect me and Mary Help of Christians to shelter me. Since I was a novice I have been very devoted, I believe in her very much, and I ask her to end this because it has brought so much pain to the people."
During this time, there were also many moments of anguish that prevented him from sleeping. It was then that he began to write at night and in a notebook, he wrote the "Story of a Pandemic". In those writings, he captured his emotions, the feelings of the parishioners and helped him to channel all the stress and worry he felt at the time.
Father Rubinsky considers that the main challenge of the present times is to continue being with the people, to continue being a light through our animating presence as a Salesian community. He considers these moments as stages that have marked his personal and religious life, because they have allowed him to strengthen his vocation of service and to thank God for continuing to give him the gift of life and the opportunity to continue to demonstrate his love for the most needy.
