The convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Abancay, in southern central Peru, was initially established in 1964 with seven religious from Cusco. Today the community has no fewer than 20 religious, who live a strict life of prayer and self-denial. And so by now they have been able to send some of their sisters to no fewer than four other Carmelite convents, where vocations were fewer. They write: „In our contemplative life we pray daily for the needs of the world and of all mankind.“

 

 

The sisters of this contemplative congregation support themselves by the work of their hands. They make floral arrangements and sew liturgical items, but above all they make the hosts that are used for the celebration of the Eucharist in their diocese. Each month they produce over 300,000 hosts in their convent of Saint Joseph! However, with their old host making machine they found it very hard to produce this quantity, and at the same time the quantity needed has been steadily increasing as a result of the migration from the surrounding rural areas. So now the sisters have turned to ACN and, thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, we haven‘t let them down. 11,870 Euros was the amount they needed, and so now the sisters are rejoicing in their new host baking machine, which makes their work so very much easier. They are most grateful to you all and write, „May God reward you all for your generosity! You may be assured of our prayers. In our poverty we take our prayers to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and ask him to pour out his graces and blessings on each and every one of you.“

 

This year the „Little Sisters of the Helpless Elderly“ (Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados) are celebrating the 145th anniversary of their foundation. Ever since 1873 they have been caring for the poor, the lonely and the helpless elderly. Their congregation, founded in Spain, can today be proud of the fact that they have over 200 houses spread across 20 countries and four continents. Most of their convents are in Central and South America, but the sisters also have homes in the Philippines, Mozambique and in Europe.

 

 

In Peru and Bolivia they currently have no fewer than 212 religious sisters caring for over 2,100 elderly people who would otherwise have no one to care for them. In Peru they have 11 convents and a retreat house; in Bolivia they have five houses. Above all in the big cities the traditional family structures tend to fall apart, with the result that many old people rapidly find themselves alone and helpless. They not only need help to wash and feed themselves, but they also need human affection and support in their spiritual and mental needs. The sisters seek to care for the whole person, to „care for the body in order to save the soul“, as their foundress, Saint Teresa Jornet used to say.

 

 

We have been helping the communities in Peru and Bolivia each year, ever since 1994, and we intend to continue helping them again this year – with a contribution of 4600 Euros for their basic support.

The apostolic vicariate of Yurimaguas in the east of Peru is situated for the most part in the Amazon rainforest, in an area that is home to various different indigenous Indian groups.

The 224,000 or so Catholics in this region live scattered over an area greater than many of the smaller European countries. There are just 25 priests to care for them, all of whom face long, difficult and dangerous journeys as part and parcel of their mission.

Consequently, one of the greatest needs of the vicariate is for more priests to help in the task of ministering to the Catholic faithful, bringing them the sacraments and caring for them pastorally. And so the vicariate has established a vocations apostolate, which is already bearing fruit. For there are 19 young men currently preparing for ordination. Seven of them are still in their two preparatory years at the propedutic seminary of Yurimaguas, while the remaining 12 are already studying at the seminary in the diocese of Callao, near the capital, Lima.

In years gone by it was heroic European missionaries who braved all the adversities of the region and proclaimed the Good News of the Gospel here. But today their numbers have dwindled and the new, home-grown vocations are coming from the Peruvian people in the parishes they once founded. Being born and brought up in the region, these young men are ideally suited, physically, linguistically and culturally, to working in these climatic conditions among the indigenous peoples of the rainforest. We are only too happy to support these 19 young men on their path to the priesthood and have promised 5,650 Euros towards the cost of their training.