A delegation from the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala visited St. Charles on Wednesday, September 7. The highlight of the visit was a beautiful evening Mass concelebrated by Monsignor Malovetz and Padre Raul Monterroso. Many thanks to all the parishioners who joined us for this celebration, and to the choir for leading us in beautiful song!
The three-person delegation (including P. Raul, Luci Herrarte, and Roel Peralta) spent a week in New Jersey visiting parishes in the Diocese of Metuchen to review projects under the growing Catholic Charities Solidarity Team (CCST) program. Msgr. Greg, along with staff and members of the Guatemala Steering Committee, met with the delegation to deepen our fellowship and advance the understanding of the CCST partnership. Specific steps were identified as we progress toward formalizing a specific project between our community and a parish in Guatemala. To see more pictures, please visit the photo gallery.
God calls all Christians to a life of service and justice.
The Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo strives to live its faith in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Santa Rosa in Guatemala, as we collaborate in creating just communities through long-term sustainable relationships.
History
Agreed upon in 2003, the Dioceses of Metuchen and Santa Rosa were partnered in a program initiated (but since discontinued) by Catholic Relief Services. Now under the guidance of the Catholic Charities Solidarity Team of Metuchen (CCST), GSP provides opportunities for project support, education, exchange visits, faith sharing, and advocacy on behalf of the world’s poor and marginalized. Read Bishop Bootkoski’s 2003 State of the Diocese to learn more about the Diocesan relationship.
Since 2008, parishes in the Metuchen Diocese have begun making long-term commitments of their own to Santa Rosa, including Queenship of Mary in Plainsboro, St Joseph’s in Millstone, and St. Bernard’s in Bridgewater.
As Santa Rosa Bishop Bernabe de Jesus Sagastume has stated, "We understand that we should not exclusively look for economic solidarity, but rather something more profound and integral: the sharing of faith, charity, cultural values, the struggles and hopes of the poorest. This allows us to grow in an authentic brotherhood and solidarity."
GSP at St. Charles BorromeoIn September 2009, our parish hosted the 8-member delegation from Santa Rosa for a day as they travelled throughout the Diocese of Metuchen. While at St. Charles, the delegation and leaders from Queenship of Mary met with lay leaders at St. Charles to discuss the parish-to-parish partnerships. Follow up meetings throughout the winter revealed excitement and enthusiasm for a potential partnership at St. Charles.
In the spring of 2010, the Guatemala Solidarity Partnership (GSP) had their first “kick off” with fun and festive information gatherings after Masses. The application process for delegates to Guatemala began soon there after and our initial delegation is scheduled to travel in mid-September. The goal of the partnership is to form real and long-term relationships with people who are of another culture and are economically disenfranchised. We hope to both share and receive as we eventually engage in concrete actions such as advocacy and support for sustainable projects that will improve living conditions in Guatemala.
To date, St. Charles has sent two delegations to Guatemala in September 2010 and May 2011.
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