Our Neighbors in El Salvador

Dear Sisters and Brothers –

Our annual Pancake Breakfast is back next weekend, for the first time since 2019! Also, for the first time since before the pandemic, we will be hosting a delegation from Parroquia San Antonio, our sister parish in Soyapango, El Salvador. They are here to represent one-half of a ministry known as Las Vecinas. We, of course, are the other half, and a 22-year relationship has bound our two parishes in a bond of shared ministry and friendship. The primary means of our mutual support has been delegations back and forth, exchanging cultures, faith, and resources in support of those less fortunate than ourselves. This year’s delegation will include Fr. Mario Edilberto Díaz Díaz, the new pastor of Parroquia San Antonio, and three faces that will be familiar to many of you: Irma Vargas, Paty Lazo, and Rigoberto Echevarría. Fr. Mario replaced our longtime friend, Fr. Estefan Turcios Carpaño, who went home to God two and a half years ago.

St. Ignatius parishioners have helped to develop and support vocational training workshops and classes at Parroquia San Antonio, including clothing design and construction, a decorative arts program, a bakery training program, and English classes. We have raised money to pay instructors and purchase sewing machines, professional baking equipment, and materials and supplies. At Parroquia San Antonio, both parishioners and people of the local neighborhood attend classes where they learn skills that enable them to earn money to meet the basic needs of their families. Some workshop graduates have gone on to open their own shops.

Also, we provide full scholarships for 20 young people each year, which enable them to attend local public and private elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. Those who attend San Antonio, a private high school where the quality of the education is high and the local gangs have no presence, must meet high standards for admission. Over the years, we have also provided funds for disaster recovery, including funds for three construction projects in response to damage caused by tropical storms. We began supporting a food distribution program in 2019 to help the most needy in the parish, which became even more critical during the pandemic, and we have also supported the parish’s health clinic over the years. We also helped Parroquia San Antonio manage some of the severe financial challenges presented by the pandemic.

Our primary means of supporting our Las Vecinas ministry has been the annual Pancake Breakfast, Silent Auction, and Crafts Sale. The Pancake Breakfast and Crafts Sale will be held next Sunday, November 12, after both the 8:00 am and 10:00 am Masses. Doors will open at 9 am. Please bring cash or checks to pay for the breakfast and crafts. The prices will be $15 for adults and youth over 10 years old, $5 for children 5-10 years old, and free for children under 5 years old. Please plan to join us for fellowship and to support this important ministry.

The Silent Auction, which allows us to raise most of the funds needed to support the Las Vecinas Ministry, was moved online during the pandemic, and will continue to be an online event. The Online Silent Auction www.32auctions.com/LasVecinas2023 will open on Saturday, November 4th, at 9 am, and close on Tuesday, November 14, at 5 pm. Please note that you must register on the site to bid in the auction. In addition to bidding on the wonderful auction items, you can also make a direct donation to sponsor a student scholarship ($360/year) or help pay a workshop teacher's salary ($100/month) through the auction site.Thank you in advance for your support of Las Vecinas, our joint ministry with Parroquia San Antonio!

Oremus pro invicem.
Fr. Greg

Photo: Parishioner Maria Boden speaking with a dressmaking workshop participant in 2017.