July 27, 2018

Letters to the Editor

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No letters were printed this week; here is the letter from last week:

St. Lawrence parishioners see face of God in others through twinning relationship

In the July 6 issue of The Criterion, there appeared a lengthy article on the “blessings of parish twinning.”

I wish to add to that article. St. Lawrence Parish in Lawrenceburg has had a twinning relationship with San Luis Parish in San Luis, Guatemala, for 18 years. Our sister parish, San Luis, has approximately 100 missions throughout the Peten, the northwestern part of Guatemala.

This area was subject to much violence and death at the time of the military rule. Many Quechi Indians lost their lives, and many were uprooted. These humble people are very poor and very religious, as St. Lawrence parishioners have discovered through the years.

St. Lawrence has made four trips to San Luis over these years. The latest was three years ago when our former pastor, Father Peter Gallagher, visited with three parishioners. The priests of San Luis have also visited St. Lawrence four times.

The current San Luis pastor, Father Filomeno Ceja, visited a year and a half ago, and he movingly spoke at all the Masses and to the school children about the people of San Luis and the appreciation and joy to have a relationship with the people of St. Lawrence and also the good that has resulted.

St. Lawrence prays for San Luis on a regular basis, and the people of San Luis pray for St. Lawrence.

Over the years, St. Lawrence has helped to establish a health clinic, supported health programs, supported the education of children, helped in the construction of mission churches, and supported the cost of transportation and fuel for the priest’s visits to the many missions.

Many blessings have flowed to the people of St. Lawrence from this relationship. A greater vision of Church has happened, the faith of the Guatemalan people has been a model to St. Lawrence, the visits have deepened the faith of all, lives have been improved, and God has been seen in the faces of others.

- Ron Stegman | Guilford

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