UPDATES ON O UR IMPACT AND NEEDS IN P ERU The Augustinians of the Midwest Province have served the faithful and the needy of Northern Peru since the first invitation of St. Pope John XXIII in 1963. Following decades of growth in the cultivation of native vocations, the Peruvian Vicariate no longer has an urgent need for missionary friars from North America. Nevertheless, the Augustinian mission to Peru, which serve some of the country’s poorest and most remote populations, remain one of the Midwest Province’s largest financial responsibilities.
PACAIPAMPA When the Augustinians first reached the remote Andean village of Pacaipampa in the 1980s, its residents lacked not only a parish where they could worship, but also electricity, roads, or running water. Still today - after the addition paved roads, utilities, and a parish staffed by three Augustinians - Pacaipampa remains one of the poorest communities in the country.
cutlery, and refrigeration for students who travel great distances from their homes to attend the local middle school. These students, who often walk hours to school, find themselves unable to return home for lunch. One student reported that he wakes up at 2 AM in order to arrive at school by the 7 AM bell.
Once a year, the Augustinian priests of Pacaipampa travel to even more remote mountain villages, inaccessible by car to say Mass for the grateful Catholic communities there. For some, these visits offer the only Mass they will be able to attend all year. For the priests these are long, often dangerous treks by foot and by horse which keep them away from the care of their own parish. One of the simplest, but most vital, services of the Augustinians in Pacaipampa is the St. Rita Cafeteria, which offers a safe, clean place to eat,
PACASMAYO In the arid seaside village of Pacasmayo, the Augustinian Community is responsible for the administration and finance of three schools: the primary and secondary schools of The Lord of Miracles, and the Center for Basic Special Education. The latter offers basic care, education, and arts therapy for grade school students with special needs such as severe learning and developmental disabilities or communication disorders. Currently the Center for Basic Special Education serves 22 students with a staff of psychologists, physical therapists, and social workers. Highest paid among staff members are the psychologists, who receive only $6,100 for the academic year. The school refuses no child on the basis of the parents’ ability to pay tuition. However, for this reason it depends upon outside funding, largely from
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The Midwest Augustinian |
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donors to the Midwest Augustinian Province. Specialized care for children with disabilities, even those from families without money, is truly an extraordinary and exceptional service for this region.