Our Sister Parish - A Palm Farm for Honduras

These giant palms have reached the end of their life cycle and will be replaced by sapling palms (seen below). In 3-5 years they will begin making a nice income on the dates they produce.

Our Honduras project took another huge leap this week as we purchased a palm farm for St. Rita’s in Saba. Through the generous contribution of a family in the parish we purchased a nine acre farm approximately 8 kilometers from the town for $26,500. This is part of an effort to provide a means for the support of the parish church.

We currently have two parishes with whom we are partnered, St. Rita’s in Saba and St. Stephen’s in Rio Esteban. Last year we purchased a cattle farm in the coastal mountains where St. Stephen’s parish is currently raising some thirty head of cattle. We then turned our attention to St. Rita’s, which is located in an inland river valley which is rich in corporate farm production. Our hope is to provide a way for these parishes to assist in their own support. They are competent farmers and ranchers, usually working as laborers for others. This effort provides them with

the opportunity to work for their parish and participate in providing the needed resources for the mission of the Church.

Other projects that we are supporting have all been funded for this year. Padre Gildo, the pastor of St. Rita’s, visited us this Spring. His visit was not a fund raising effort, but part of a visit to our Diocese on the occasion of our new bishop’s installation. Before that visit a list of needs was under development and we had the opportunity on the occasion to make those known to our parish.

They included the following:

St. Rita’s and St. Stephen’s Operations - $8,000;
St. Rita’s Music School - $1,700;
Construction and repair of three chapels - $9,500;
Rehabilitate the parish offices and rectory at St. Rita’s - $2,400

for a total of $21,600. Adding the farm costs, our goal for 2007 was $48,100. Since Padre Gildo’s visit we have raised $53,526 (not including the $26,500 farm purchase).

In addition we have sold $9,343 of Mike Howard’s Build the House Honduras music CDs*. Obviously, we have met all our goals for the year. Thank you. God’s grace flowing through your generosity is a clear sign of his miraculous power.
A note on the future. Sometime this year I will travel to Honduras to discuss further needs. We are thinking that it is time to consider an additional parish with whom we can partner or, at least help, especially with the idea of establishing another farm or other enterprise. We are committed to the plan of finding some way for the parishioners to work in support of the parish. Our brothers and sisters there oftentimes only a lack a little resources to bring to fruition a vision that God has given them.

I asked a group one time what they needed more than anything else. One man said, “We just need some way to work to make a little money. Then we can fix up the church and buy the things that our parish needs to do God’s work.” Of course, we know that they already have the most important things. For they have made known God’s presence and all they have is a smile.

*(Thanks Mike and all who helped with the music project. You can obtain copies of Build the House at the reception desk in the administration building or the narthex information table after Sunday Masses.)


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