Guatemala Mission Makes Substantial Progress on the Religious Education Building

Thanks to funds sent from the people of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane and the hard work of many people in Ixtahuacan, phase one stabilization of the religious education building in the parish of Santa Catarina in Ixtahuacan has been completed. Father Manuel Nicasio and the catechists of the church send their sincere gratitude and ask God to bless all benefactors. They ask Santa Catarina, patron saint of their parish, to pray for the people of Spokane in gratitude for their generosity and support.

In December, catechists Diego, Pablo and Pascuel led visitors Ron and Donna Connell on a tour of the building. They proudly showed improvements and work completed by volunteers from Ixtahuacan and the 29 surrounding communities over a period of four months.

Santa Catarina Parish is requesting support for the second phase of the building project. The goal is to complete the two-story building with windows, doors, and paint. The roof and ceiling also need to be replaced as they both have suered from extensive water damage.

This revitalized building will be used for many activities of the church. The 250 children of the parish will receive their religious education here. This will also be a place in which to train catechists, musicians, lectors, and lay ministers. Prayer meetings, teen activi- ties, and sacramental preparation classes will also meet in the repaired building. All of the activities to take place in the parish build- ing will include people from the 29 surrounding parishes as well as Ixtahuacan proper.

This building will provide a safe environment for the children of Ixtahuacan and surrounding communities while they engage in studying the Catholic faith. It will also add another meeting space for hundreds of people involved in the religious and catechetical life of the church in Ixtahuacan.

Donations are being accepted for this project. The proposal submitted by the Ixtahuacan committee totals $12,400. If you are able to help fund the much needed renovation of the building, please contact Donna Connell, chairperson of the Guatemala Commission at (50) 924-1346 or email: [email protected] Thank you!