Our Sister Parish: San Ildefonso, Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico

Ministry Name:

Ministry to Our Sister Parish: San Ildefonso, Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico

Commission:

Church and Society

Mission/Purpose:

  • To make our siste parish and the concerns of her people more present in our worship
  • To generate financial and substantial support for the operations of our sister parish
  • To help SSPP parishioners deepen their faith by learning from the example set by our sister parishioners

Learn More About:

Regular Activities:

Currently, the regular activities conducted by this ministry are:

  • An annual Chiapas Chili Cook-off. The proceeds of this public event are donated to S. Ildefonso. Past monies have been used for, among other things, publishing a songbook of church music in Tzeltal, the Mayan language that most parishioners speak.
  • An annual visit from the pastor (and sometimes a parishioner) of S. Ildefonso. Volunteers serve as hosts and organizers for this visit, which is usually done in connection with the annual Mission Appeal;
  • Occasionally, organizing and sponsoring a visit of SSPP parishioners to Tenejapa. On the most recent visit in January, 2000, Fr. Tom DeVries and Mary Pat Clasen led five other parishioners to Tenejapa for one week.
  • Regularly but not according to any schedule, reminding parishioners of our sister parish through the liturgy, in the gathering area, and at parish events such as the Block Party.

Spiritual Growth/Benefits of Participating in this Ministry:

  • Reinvigorate your own faith by getting to know other faithful people in different circumstances.
  • Spread your faith through the mutual exchange that goes on in a twinning relationship.
  • Help further the work of the universal church and foster spiritual, social, cultural and economic development here and in Chiapas.

Our ministry is not mainly about helping other needy people around the world (although in fact the material needs of our sister parishioners deserve and receive our consideration). To the contrary, our sister parishioners lead very rich and deep faith lives, perhaps because they are unencumbered by the material distractions and concerns of our level of affluence. While it's easy to think of our sister parishioners as needy, what they have to show us about faith, determination, love for each other and for us, and the peacefulness of their lives makes us think them rich indeed.

Specific Requirements to Consider if Participating in this Ministry:

None, although Spanish speakers and those who have traveled to Mexico might bring some special talent or experience which would help us strengthen our ties to our sister parish.