Queenship of Mary's Guatemala Partnership

04/25/2018

At Mary's garden with the farewell party.

04/22/2018

We are blessed with such a diverse community! We have someone from almost every country starting from A to Z!

04/22/2018

Our final Synod on Solidarity/Day of
Reflection!

04/22/2018

At St Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Metuchen.

04/22/2018

Starting the day with a visit to our Church! Welcome Luvia, Padre Juan, Padre Jaime, Doris, Silvia, Freddi and Berta!

11/19/2017

09/17/2017

10 years of friendship and faith!
"The original plan was to send a delegation to continue building upon the friendship which had been established and strengthened for the past eight years. That changed when we found ourselves searching for a replacement for our program administrator. We spent the next few months searching and praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We needed to find someone who would be able to continue the mission of Amistad y Fe but the individual would also have to be able to help us move forward. The November 2016 delegation was small, just four of us, but the task was large. This was my first trip to Guatemala to personally meet the friends I had spoken with during Skype meetings as well as those I heard about from past delegates. It would also be my first meeting with our new facilitator, Freddi. I was also able to visit my first coffee plantation and finally meet the Guatemala members of the Coffee Solidarity Group.
This was to be a short trip where we would meet with the participants and assure them that our partnership was as solid as ever. It would also be the first formal introduction of the new facilitator, Freddi. I am extremely grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of the delegation because the experience was one in which I believe I gained a lot more from the people of La Morena than I could have ever given. In addition to this being my first visit, it was also the first time I saw an active volcano - thank you Freddi!" - Christina Rosa

09/17/2017

10 years of friendship and faith!
"The trip of March 2017 stands out in my memory because I had the undeserved honor of reading the gospel in Spanish during mass in La Morena, followed by the repetition in Spanish of the homily that Monsignor Robert delivered in English.
My role in all the trips to Guatemala has been to repeat in Spanish what was being said in English and to bring to English what was being said in Spanish.
I am still thinking about what really happened during the gospel and homily during the mass of that day of March 2017 in La Morena. I did realize later that Christ is always present when we gather to celebrate mass. I did realize that The Word of God is also present and distinct. I did realize that we all are indeed brothers and sisters in Christ. Finally, I did realize that whoever belong to the church must give thanks for our priests, we should pray for them, and we should pray for more." - Rita Murray

09/17/2017

Guatemala Partnership - 10 year anniversary!
Over the last couple of weeks we went down memory lane, revisiting the trips to Guatemala that forged a beautiful and fruitful partnership with our friends in La Morena. Over the next few weeks, we will get to know some of our friends from La Morena. As we reflect on our 10 year anniversary, let us join in prayer for each other!

09/04/2017

10 years of friendship and faith!
"In the time I've spent in La Morena, I remember the hours spent in meetings with the people who participated in the program. It started and ended with prayers. I always had concerns about how our friends from La Morena would handle such a dialogue. As the days progressed, I saw their sincerity and faith in our friendship. They opened their homes to us. They shared their meals and pieces of their lives to us. It is not easy to describe what I saw and experienced on that trip. Even with what little they have, I was amazed with their faith in God and their strong family ties. Stories and pictures did not fully capture their conditions.
I was part of the Guatemala team who wanted to help a small town of La Morena. In return, our friends helped me see God in their struggles.Our Guatemala Partnership is not perfect but it is making a difference in lives of people in La Morena and in Queenship of Mary.
I would like to share a quote from Cesar Chavez:'If you really want to make a friends, go to someones house and eat with him... the people who give you their food, give you their heart' " - Rey Reyes