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“I truly met Christ in the people of Guatemala. We all continue to live out the mission by praying for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
In March, a group of 11 seminarians from St. John’s Seminary in Boston took a mission trip sponsored by Cross Catholic to experience first-hand the work of the Catholic Church among the poorest of the poor. This was first and foremost a pilgrimage of encounter through which these men in priestly formation could recognize the face of Christ in the faces and lives of their sisters and brothers of Central America. Fr. Bernard Olszewski, from Cross, led the group as they witnessed the various projects Cross is supporting in Guatemala. Bishop Bernabé Sagastume, OFM Cap of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima met with the group at his residence to help the group understand the diocesan vision of transforming the hearts of the people so that their whole lives may be transformed by the works of housing, food, agricultural reforms, education, disaster preparation, and community building. They were able to share in the faith of the diocesan community as many villagers joined in the Eucharist in the Cathedral. On subsequent days these men saw how difficult daily life is for these poor – even helping carry heavy water containers as the women must do every day in order to have drinkable water for their families. It was a time of prayer, reflection, and insight into the work of Cross Catholic and the Church in the developing world.
