Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
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American Martyrs Catholic Church and Father John Barry, Thank You for Making an Impact!
An Unfolding Love Story
We pray this love story will continue to grow and flourish in the years ahead.
Fr. John and friends, thank you for putting your faith into action by traveling to Guatemala to share the love of Christ with the poor. You have built a unique friendship with families in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima. As an unfolding love story, your compassion and actions are changing lives in both Central America and the United States.
During each mission trip to the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima in Guatemala, you lift up the community of faith with hands-on service projects and spiritual formation activities.
Even when the COVID-19 pandemic suspended international mission trips, you continued to bless the people of Guatemala from the United States by hosting food packing events. The men, women and children you served are deeply grateful for your legacy of love.
Thank You for Feeding the Hungry
Your Food Packing Impact
Your continued practice of the Corporal Works of Mercy is helping the Church feed hungry families around the globe! Thank you for all you have helped us accomplish. Here is a summary of your food packing impact:
- November 13, 2021: 123,444 meals.
- January 8, 2022: 147,528 meals.
- March 19, 2022: 149,688 meals.
- November 11-12, 2022: 201,960 meals.
- March 4, 2023: 200,880 meals.
In March, we were inspired by the students from American Martyrs Catholic School who worked tirelessly to assemble the boxes we needed to pack more than 200,000 meals — and afterwards they packed meals during the first shift. It was wonderful to see the next generation of Catholics demonstrating this servant leadership!
Because of your compassion, we have been able to deliver more than 823,500 nutritious meals to needy families so far, and we know even more will be accomplished at your upcoming November food packing. At that point, the American Martyrs community will surpass the 1 million meals packed milestone. That will be a historic event!
“It was an opportunity to put yourself in the background and put the poor right in front and ask, ‘How do we serve?’” - Fr. John Barry
We give thanks for Father John Barry and the compassionate families at American Martyrs Catholic Church, and we pray God will continue to bless you abundantly as you share his love and transform the lives of thousands of poor families in Guatemala.
God bless you for restoring their hope in a brighter future!
Mission Trips and Outreach
You Are Transforming Lives and Touching Hearts
Your ministry to the poor in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima has transformed many lives. Praise the Lord for your ministry of compassion! Since you began your service in Guatemala, here are just a few of the things you’ve accomplished:
You built a beautiful chapel in the village of La 46 and have funded the construction of a new chapel in Agua Zarca.
You funded a new roof, windows, doors, walls and floors for La Concepción’s chapel.
For the Blessed Sacrament, you provided funds to build sacristies at the La 46, Agua Zarca and La Concepcion chapels.
You constructed homes for several families, including Sandra and Faustina, in La 46.
You provided food relief to poor parishioners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You installed new tile floors and gutters at Hogar de la Niña.
You provided furnishings for Sandra’s house.
You extinguished a fire on the grounds of Hogar de la Niña!
You gifted duffel bags of supplies for the girls at Hogar de la Niña.
You provided fun and Christ-like love for the girls living at Hogar de la Niña.
You built a beautiful chapel in the village of La 46 and have funded the construction of a new chapel in Agua Zarca.
You funded a new roof, windows, doors, walls and floors for La Concepción’s chapel.
For the Blessed Sacrament, you provided funds to build sacristies at the La 46, Agua Zarca and La Concepcion chapels.
You constructed homes for several families, including Sandra and Faustina, in La 46.
You provided food relief to poor parishioners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You installed new tile floors and gutters at Hogar de la Niña.
You provided furnishings for Sandra’s house.
You extinguished a fire on the grounds of Hogar de la Niña!
You gifted duffel bags of supplies for the girls at Hogar de la Niña.
You provided fun and Christ-like love for the girls living at Hogar de la Niña.
The Construction of the Chapel in La 46
Before your support of the new chapel construction in La 46, the people celebrated Mass in a shack without walls and a leaky roof. The new chapel can comfortably seat 200 people and help the Catholics in La 46 live out their faith. This chapel will host Mass, prayer groups, Bible studies and spiritual retreats. God bless you for making a spiritual investment!
The Construction of the Chapel Roof in La Concepción
Because of your generosity, there’s a roof on the chapel of La Concepción! Now 1,266 men, women and children have a dignified place to worship. The villagers are overjoyed by the new roof on the chapel. “Considering the pandemic in which we live, sending that aid to our community is the response of Our Lord Jesus Christ to give us a worthy place where Holy Mass is celebrated,” said Jesús Pantaleon, a member of the community.
Sandra’s Generosity
Although La 46 desperately wanted a chapel to worship the Lord, the village didn’t own enough land to make the project possible. Then, a single mother named Sandra graciously offered to give up her land and house so the effort could move forward. It was an answer to the parish’s prayer, and all Sandra wanted in return was another plot of land, four posts and a few bags of concrete to rebuild her home.
Since Sandra suffered from various health problems, including leukemia and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that caused a pulmonary embolism. Because of her health challenges, her doctor told her she could no longer live in a house with dirt floors. She was also caring for three teenage daughters, including Kerly, who has cerebral palsy. It was clear that Sandra needed a better house than the one she gave up for the parish, and that’s why your support was vital.
Thanks to you, Sandra received a new 3-room house with a cement foundation, a waterproof roof, secure doors and windows, and electrical wiring. This was a dream come true for Sandra and her daughters!
Sadly, Sandra recently passed away while undergoing chemotherapy in Guatemala City. Her family is devastated, but they’re pressing on and trusting in the Lord. Your generosity also provided a house for Sandra’s elderly mother, Faustina, and Sandra’s husband and son (both disabled) so that she can also help care for Sandra’s daughters.
Thanks to your support, Sandra’s mother, Faustina, and her son now live in a beautiful and safe home.
Sandra’s legacy of compassion will live on through her children. Thank you for giving them this wonderful gift!
Hogar de la Niña Santa Rosa de Lima
On previous trips to Hogar de la Niña Santa Rosa de Lima, a new tile floor was installed in the kitchen, the pantry and the children’s dining room, and new gutters were added in the main building’s school classroom areas. The girls were blessed by their receipt of duffel bags filled with supplies — and they were thankful you helped extinguish a fire on the campus grounds! God bless you for investing in the hearts and lives of these girls. They need positive adult mentors and friends, and you provided that through your compassionate actions!
Spiritual Outreach
A big part of Father John’s impact in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima is bringing spiritual refreshment to the people. By celebrating daily Mass in different communities and for the girls at Hogar de la Niña, you brought encouragement and hope. These communities were also blessed by Fr. John offering the Sacraments of Healing by making home visits to the sick. Thank you for bringing the Eucharist and the compassion of Christ to hundreds of spiritually hungry villagers!
Spiritual Outreach
When your friends in Guatemala needed your support to make it through the COVID-19 pandemic, you compassionately provided for Raúl Monterroso’s team to distribute food baskets to 1,112 people throughout the diocese.
One of the families you supported was Ramon and Olimpia Coro and their five children. Ramon is a construction worker, and the pandemic restrictions have made it difficult to find work to feed his children. When the diocese delivered a food basket sponsored by your parish, the Coro family knew God was taking care of them. Thank you for your support!
Mission Trip Memories
Thank You for Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus in Guatemala!
Jesus’ commission to carry his love to the ends of the Earth is a serious calling! It sometimes takes sacrificial spirit, courage and perseverance. We’re grateful that you brought all three to the people of Guatemala through compassionate service and generosity.
Fr. John and friends at American Martyrs Catholic Church, your commitments to hosting food packing events and mission trips to benefit poor families did more than address extreme hunger and improve housing conditions. They made an impact on the hearts of each person you encountered and touched with Christ’s love.
May this wonderful love story continue to unfold in the years to come! God bless you!
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
– Matthew 28:19 –