Social Ministry at College Church
Parish Poolside Brunch – Sunday, September 13
Here is a fun way to visit and celebrate summer's end as a parish community and simultaneously raise some needed funds for our SISTER PARISH IN GUATEMALA! Come and bring the whole family for lunch and fun in the sun!
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM at SLUruba! SLUruba is part of the University's Simon Recreation Center – it is a lovely outside area with two swimming pools, sand volleyball court and lots of green grass to throw a blanket on; we'll have live music, home–cooked authentic Mexican food, and precious time to visit with fellow parishioners!
Tickets will be sold after the Sunday masses on August 23rd, 30th, and September 6th. Ticket prices: Adults (over 21), $10; Students and teens, $7; Children under 12, $5; Children 4 and younger, free.
Our Sister Parish
Our sister parish is Parroquia La Natividad de la Virgen María in the municipality of Santa María Chiquimula in the Totonicapán department of Guatemala.
Santa Maria Chiquimula is almost directly south of St. Louis and is approximately the same distance from St. Louis as Los Angeles is from St. Louis.
A Brief History
In 2006, we formed a committee to explore the idea of establishing a sister parish relationship with a parish in Latin America or Africa. Our Pastor suggested we look for a Jesuit parish. We were able to take advantage of an already established twinning relationship between the Missouri Jesuit Province and the Central America Jesuit Province to get suggestions for Jesuit parishes we might work with.
In 2007, we established contact with La Natividad and eventually it was arranged that a priest who is resident in that parish, Fr. Ricardo Fallo SJ, would visit us in the late fall of 2007 to initiate the sister parish relationship.
A letter (pdf) we sent to the pastor of La Natividad in September of 2007 outlined our hopes for the relationship.
In late November, 2007, Fr. Ricardo visited the parish. He concelebrated and spoke at one of the Sunday masses, met parishioners at a reception afterwards, met with parish social ministry leaders, and gave a presentation on “Guatemala Today and Cultural Change Among Mayan People” that was open to the university community as well as parishioners. (Fr. Ricardo is a renowned anthropologist and scholar of Mayan people and indigenous culture and languages. Among his works are the books Massacres in the Jungle: Ixcan, Guatemala, 1975-1982, and The Story of a Great Love.)
In June, 2008, a group of five parishioners (Vicki Simon, Erin Klein, Ana Montero, Paul Dowkontt, Cheryl Caldwell) visited La Natividad. Here are pictures from their trip and below is a brief description of their trip:
On June 4th and 5th we traveled to Guatemala City and Antigua and Quetzaltenango (Xela), finally arriving at our Quiche sister parish of La Natividad in the highlands of the department of Totonicapan (a 5-8 hour drive, depending on landslides, mountain road accidents, market days, animals, and, as everywhere in the world, the weather!).
The week was a very good and full one, packed with activities and conversations from sun-up to sunset. Warmly welcomed and accompanied by Pastor Jorge Sarsaneda, SJ, Padre Ricardo Falla, SJ and Brother Gonzalo, SJ, we were introduced to many people and every aspect of their parish life. We met their parish steering committee (5), parish council members (18), catechists from 36 outlying villages (hundreds), teachers, a youth group, the clinic staff, a women’s group (gathered to share their knowledge of herbal medicines), parishioners at Mass, children and the administrative staff at the parish. We also visited a rural family who are part of a large weaving cooperative.
Before leaving, and after several meetings, we developed together a Mission Statement (pdf) that expresses the foundation and our purpose for developing this twinning relationship. We hope you will take the time to read it. Our small group returned with our minds and hearts ready to burst from meeting so many kind people, taking in so much new information from this beautiful world apart and from scenes and stories that will make you smile and cry! All of us want to share what we learned with you…and we are challenged by how to do that! We want each of you to become a part of this sister parish relationship.
St. Francis Xavier (College) Church, St. Louis, MO