Important: The Pilgrimage to El Salvador is being planned for the first week of February (beginning Jan. 31) Its purpose is to build bridges of awareness and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The total cost is about $800. If you or anyone you know has an interest in going or in learning more, please contact us. We will start making airline reservations soon. We don't want anyone left out who might want to go.
Sponsored Students: The new school year begins in late January and we are connecting sponsors with students. We had about 75 sponsor/student relationships in place last year. Most sponsorships are $25 a month for 10 months or $250 a year. If you are already a sponsor, would you let us know whether you wish to sponsor a student again or not? If you would like more information on sponsoring, please contact us. We hope to have the list of sponsors and students complete by mid December.
The International Gift Fair was again held the two weekends before Thanksgiving and set an all time high in sales: $20,000. Beautiful, unique and reasonably priced crafts made by needy artisans in over 30 developing countries were sold. Thanks to all who participated in any way! Molly Linehan, now living back in Northeast Ohio, was the new coordinator for the Fair. (mollyohio@yahoo.com or 440-437-5768.) To read Molly's letters from her year in India check: www.geocities.com/welinehan
Mike and Jean Kreyche returned to Chalatenango for five weeks last summer to follow up on projects from their 2003 year there. Jean continued to improve computer education in some of the village schools around San Francisco Morazan. One computer was carried by community members, hiking the mountains for one to two hours, to reach the school in Los Llanitos - above San Fernando. There is electricity and a computer in the school in Tremedal! Mike worked on a service learning project between Oscar Romero University and City College of New York. (kreyche@neo.rr.com or 330-677-4487 eves)
In September the new church in Tremedal was dedicated. People from St. Vincent de Paul in Elyria, great supporters of the project, attended the dedication.
Coffee - very grass roots, fair trade - from Sumpul Chacones in Chalatenango is available through Kreyche's or Linehan's for $6.00 a pound - whole bean or ground.
La Palma Crafts are available through Geri Dailey at 440-964-7331.
Chris Jacobs is keeping up our web page: chalate.freeshell.org (don't use "www")
The El Salvador pot luck picnic is held every June at Linehan's in Geneva. If you don't hear from us about it, let us know! Anyone interested is welcome.
We coordinated the 2004 mission appeals for the Diocese of Chalatenango. Fr. Rafael Fuentes and Fr. John Dailey came from El Salvador to preach the appeals in several states.
To receive more information on any of the projects, contact John or Rita Linehan at 440-466-3207 or welinehan@yahoo.com
PARISHES IN OHIO WITH SISTER PARISHES IN CHALATENANGO, EL SALVADOR
Alliance: St. Joseph
Ashtabula: Mother of Sorrows
Ashtabula: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Boardman: St. Charles Borromeo
Elyria: St. Vincent de Paul
Garrettsville: St. Ambrose
Geneva: Assumption
Kent: St. Patrick
Kent: KSU Newman Center
May God Bless You and your interest in building bridges of solidarity with the needy in the world. You do make a difference!