Annual Sister Parish Candle Sale Coming This Sunday, November 24th, 2002

Can you imagine a holiday season without candles - without the quiet flickering of flames, the soft glow and fresh smell? Candles add immeasurable warmth to a setting. They speak to us of hope, of everlasting life, of faith. We light them to honor our deceased and to symbolize our hopes for peace and justice.

Candles also serve as a powerful tool to unite St. Joan of Arc with its sister parish Tierra Neuva II in Guatemala. As a project, the candle sale has cemented the ties of community between the two parishes. With each parish doing its part, Tierra Nueva II making the candles and St. Joan of Arc selling them, a bond of mutual respect and satisfaction has developed. The sale has fostered a relationship of solidarity not of charity.

Tierra Nueva II is a tenacious community that has bloomed in adversity. Lacking basic infrastructure and reeling from the assassination of their parish priest Father Alfonzo in 1994, the community has mobilized to bring in roads, electricity, water, and a school. Their strength and perseverance is a model for St. Joan of Arc to learn about grassroots organization in a hostile environment and to learn about hope and faith in difficult times.

The candle sale began in 1997 as a joint endeavor to raise funds for Tierra Nueva II while providing something back to the St. Joan of Arc community. It is a sustainable project that seen much development and modernization over five years. Better wicks, new packaging, waste reduction and multiple shapes and colors are just a few innovations that have crept into the process. It also provides employment for some of the neediest community members in Tierra Nueva II.

The funds from the candle sale, in conjunction with Mission Sunday proceeds, support a variety of initiatives. They make it possible for TNII sister parish members to travel to St. Joan of Arc. They help support scholarships for education beyond high school and for English classes - the skills of each are then returned to benefit the community. They support a women’s project where consciousness raising, domestic-abuse information, literacy and math skills are as much a byproduct as handicrafts. They also support youth projects, which have resulted in critical items such as a fence to protect school land from squatters and a Christmas party for nearly 500 youths across the community.

For candle sale organizers Tim and Mary Beth Leone-Getten(pictured with daughter Sienna), the relationship with Tierra Nueva II has been incredibly powerful. “We learn from people in dire situations about grassroots organizing, about hope and about getting things done for your family. It shocks people [St. Joan of Arc delegations] how much we have in common with Tierra Nueva II although daily life is so different. We make connections on so many levels,” says Mary Beth.

Tim has been inspired watching the two communities respond to each other and learn from each other. He commends St. Joan of Arc for its commitment to continue its relationship with Tierra Nueva II even when it was clear it wasn’t always safe. For Mary Beth, the connection between the two parishes runs deep. “St. Joan’s is the church of peace and justice and Tierra Nueva II is living that everyday.”

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Jeanne Morales has been active at St. Joans for the past year. She loves working in her garden, attending the St. Joan of Arc Bible Study and sneaking off for camping trips when she has time.

The Sister Parish Candle Sale is a one-day-only event and will take place after both masses on Nov. 24.