Peru Ministry News
The 2010 St. Monica mission trip
• 2010 Mission
Trip Blog
• Online photos and videos at
http://perumissiontripjune2010.snapfish.com/
•
In 2006, the village of La Piedra asked two
Santísimo Sacramento staff members if their village could
be helped like other villages to the north. The staff
members were astounded by the poverty that they found and
convinced the pastor to help. St. Monica parishioners
immediately began supporting 24 families in La Piedra with
food packages. One sponsor also feeds 100 children
breakfast before they go to school. This June eighteen St.
Monica missionaries visited La Piedra and were welcomed by
the village. During Mass, missionaries in the front row
were invited to stand and face the back of church to see
the overflowing crowd. After Mass, we went behind the
church and were shown a partial structure to enlarge the
church. There was no way to pay for the $2,500 project.
Immediately missionaries began making bids and $3,500 was
raised. Afterwards the 2010 Missionary Team was treated to
a wonderful fiesta in the front of the church.
• Santa Monica Chapel
in Los Polvorines, Peru
Saint Monica parishioners built the chapel three years ago
so the poor would have a place to worship. This June,
Deacon Lee did a para-liturgy for the parishioners and
missionaries. Afterwards a painting of St. Monica (given by
our parish) was processed through the desert streets while
praying and signing. The next evening all returned for a
grand fiesta celebrating the third anniversary of blessing
of the chapel. St. Monica parishioners also daily feed
breakfast to children in this village.
Fiesta
Movie
•
Learn about helping the poor in Peru by
sponsoring a family and possible much more. A
PowerPoint presentation “Missionary”.
• Deacon Lee's
Peru blog
•
Photos of chapel construction, blessing, and first
fiesta
•
St. Monica Chapel in Village of Los
Polvorines
In
August 2006, Fr. Uhen visited St. Monica Parish in Edmond
and suggested that it might be nice if we funded a chapel
in a poor village near Piura. We immediately jumped on the
idea and St. Monica Capilla was build with the help of
missionaries from St. Monica in June 2007. Deacon Lee
blessed the chapel that summer
The chapel is in Sector C of the village of Los Polvorines.
This large and relatively new village is divided into three
sectors and the St. Monica Capilla is in the southern most
sector. The chapel is visible from the Pan American
Highway.
In January 2008 a metal roof was added to the chapel, with
the help of parishioner Dean Herzog. Fr. Uhen celebrated
the first
Mass in the chapel and Deacon Lee served as deacon.
We also had a fiesta in the evening during which Fr. Uhen,
Dean, and Deacon Lee participated in Peruvian
dances.
Since the village and chapel are new, they will require
nurturing to develop. Many marriages have to be regularized
and children baptized. The presence of the chapel will help
bring many into a regular relationship with Jesus.
To help establish the chapel as a pleasing place of
worship, we bought 43 chairs in January.
The parish in Piura had its first stewardship fair in
January. St. Monica Capilla proudly displayed information
at their booth.
In April, St. Monica Parish began feeding breakfast 5 days
per week to 123 children in Sector C of the village. This
allows them to go to school with food in their bellies and
hopefully learn better. First
breakfast
In June, fourteen missionaries presented a crucifix and
painting of St. Monica to the chapel.
