Sister Parish in Hidalgo, Mexico

For the past several years we have been assisting a sister parish in Hidalgo, Mexico. Actually our assistance has spread to three parishes, all in the same area, in the Diocese of Huejutla. The three parishes are Santa Ana, in Santa Ana, San Pedro in Chapulhuacan, and Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart) in Pisa Flores. All are near one another in the mountains north of Mexico City. Initially our contact with these parishes came from workers at Denton’s Crab House, who came to Calvert County on season workers’ visas to pick the crabs. Many of these workers attended our church.

Each of our sister parishes in Mexico has more than 20 chapels in each of several small towns which are part of the parish territory.

Our contact for all of these places is a catechist, Justino (“Tino”) Perez Moreno. Tino is a catechist in the parish of San Pedro. He has care of 14 communities (pueblos), each with their own church. When we met Tino he was homeless, sleeping in the churches he cared for. Tino also works in the fields.

Over several years we have assisted in building two chapels. We have also built retaining walls, paid for doors and windows for churches and purchased several bells, chairs for churches, and Bibles, catechisms, prayer books and hymn books. We have also distributed clothing and other goods. We have also purchased material for a house for Tino (about $3,000). We have also bought school supplies for about 225 children in Santa Ana. Our CCD children, under the leadership of Jeanette Gionfriddo, collected money for books (in Spanish) for the children at Santa Ana.

Father Daly and parishioners from St. John Vianney have made three visits to that area in the last 10 years.

The total cost of all these projects has been paid by the proceeds from our annual Latino Night and from special donations from generous parishioners.

Over the years we have sent about $12,000 to Mexico for various projects.