Our Sister Parish in Guatemala, “Our Lord of Esquipulas,” celebrated their patronal feast day on January 15. It is a feast of a ‘Black Christ on a Cross,’ whose wooden-carved image has been the inspiration for many miracles since the late 1600’s.
Each month in your envelope packet (online also) is an envelope marked for supporting our ministries there. Our contributions make a big impact in several main areas:
1. High School Students – we sponsor young people who do not have the financial resources to go to school beyond 6th grade. Depending on the scholarship requests, we sponsor between 15-25 students each year.
2. Medical Clinic- our parish there sponsors a clinic that allows low-income people to have access to prescriptions and minor surgical treatments. Last year, we also supported the training of a version of ‘nurses aids’ to go out into the poor villages and offer preventative health care initiatives.
3. Parish Ministries – some of our monthly funds help support basic parish ministries of lay formation, youth, marriages, and care for the elderly.
This weekend, we celebrate with them by offering special Guatemalan treats after Mass alongside our usual donuts and coffee. I am so grateful for the leadership of Laura Polillo over the past decade, and for our new leaders, Alicia and Ryan Luechtefeld. Please stop by our “Guatemala Photo Wall” (in the hallway toward the offices) and see all the updated images from our last visit there. Watch for a financial update also coming soon.