"Sister Parish"
Jenny Linane
Sunday, June 5th 2005

Good Morning. It’s always a joy to be with you here at SJA, where the walls are paper-thin and the roof is ever-so-high. On this Mission Sunday, I would like to share with you some of the blessings I have experienced through my involvement in our Sister Parish relationship. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have had to experience this beautiful and thriving mission. It is a mission of solidarity which seeks to promote equality and respect while broadening knowledge of the people and cultures of Joan of Arc and Tierra Nueva II through sharing on a cultural, spiritual, economic, social, and political level. Our Sister Parish relationship embodies our Joan of Arc mission of transcending traditional boundaries and drawing those who seek spiritual growth and social justice. To capture the essence of solidarity, I turn to the words of Lilla Watson, an aboriginal woman from Australia who proclaimed: “If you’ve come to help me, you are wasting your time, but if you’ve come because your liberation is bound up in mine, then let us work together.” Indeed, we are all equal shareholders in the peace and justice that is the Kingdom of God.

My introduction to the Sister Parish solidarity mission began around this time last year as I began preparing for a trip to Tierra Nueva II with 7 other delegates. When I reflect on my delegation experience, I wonder if it is even possible for me to learn more, to laugh more, or to find more spiritual inspiration in ten days than I did last August. Each day of our journey was both rich and unique. In TNII, we shared stories and music, engaged in a bible study, and played group games. In fact, there was a particular game of animal charades and I’m hoping no pictures from that event show up on the screen. You might say I got a little too into my monkey role. Amidst the music, laughter, and shared meals, I came to learn about the members of our sister parish- about their generosity, their culture, their values, their deep spirituality, and their commitment to our hermanamiento. They are a people who work around the clock day after day to support their families and who know how to enjoy the company of friends and family without reaching for the nearest piece of technology or material resource.

In addition to spending time in Tierra Nueva II, a significant part of the delegation experience is visiting with individuals and groups dedicated to peace and justice. One such experience which was particularly powerful for me was visiting a Mayan woman named Chonita. Our delegation, as well as two youth from TNII, stayed with Chonita at her home in Santiago Atitlan, a village which experienced horrific repression at the hands of the Guatemalan government during the 36-year civil war. Chonita courageously shared with us the painful memories of the merciless torture and murders of both her husband and son. Today, Chonita houses the fair trade craft cooperative she began in her home to support other Mayan women and their families. In the context of the dominant paradigm, Chonita possesses virtually no resources. However, our time with Chonita revealed an immense spiritual reservoir wherein Chonita passionately embraces her rich cultural heritage as she responds to the struggle of her people by cultivating a truly prophetic vision.

The other aspect of the delegation I would like to share is my home visit experience. Staying with host families is an incredibly integral component of both delegations and the overall Sister Parish mission. Given my love for children, I was excited when Briana Connors and I were matched with a family with 9 children. After about 30 seconds in the Boror Tocay family home, 5 year-old Santos, who never seemed to stop dancing, established a permanent residence in my heart. Santos pulled out all the stops in an effort to entertain us, shooting marbles across the bumpy, earthen floor of his home and doing handstands against the wooden wall. Meanwhile, Teresa, a 9 year-old aspiring teacher, eagerly gathered her school work and thumbed through my Spanish-English dictionary. Our host family, Briana, and I spent most of our waking hours playing soccer, sharing our languages, and making tortillas....I should be honest and say that I merely tried to make tortillas. All of the older children in the home tended to 2 year-old Angelica, whose black-and-white photo appears on one of this year’s Sister Parish cards. Despite my best efforts to engage Angelica, who was sick throughout our stay, she remained in the arms her of parents and siblings much of the time. She did seem to enjoy watching her siblings play with Briana and me. Upon our departure, Angelica began crying a more intense cry than the one I had heard throughout our stay. Her young mind seemed to sense that a significant change was occurring in her home; the guests, who had created a stage that highlighted the joy and gifts of her siblings, were leaving. After sharing an emotional good-bye with our host family, we walked to San Marcos church for our group good-bye....And I thought Minnesota goodbyes were long. What I remember most was saying good-bye to Teresa, who was crying persistently and could not bring herself to smile in our group photo. At that moment, I vividly recall thinking that there was no longer a question of “if” I would return to TNII, only “when”.

In addition to my strong feelings about returning to TNII, I also firmly desired to become an active Sister Parish committee member when I returned home. The committee members are wonderful mentors to me. They continually share their knowledge with me and invite me to join them in solidarity actions at the political level, such as learning about and opposing the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The committee members offer me real examples of how to eliminate material distractions that impede authentic living. They teach me the importance of developing and working toward visions of peace and justice, such as one in which there are more people involved in sister parish-like relationships than there are in the U.S. military.

I invite each of us to reflect on the solidarity missions in which we are invested, whether we walk with brothers and sisters in Guatemala, Haiti, South Africa, or North Minneapolis. How might you take your next step in the name of solidarity? How will we, like Matthew in today’s Gospel, heed Jesus’ call to follow him, to act with love and mercy, rather than sacrifice? Perhaps this involves learning another language, writing a letter to rekindle a relationship, or contacting a legislator to share insights about an oppressed group?

There are many important ways to support the SJA - Tierra Nueva II hermanamiento. First, we can pray for the people of TNII and our relationship with them. Current, specific opportunities for involvement revolve around the upcoming July delegation; these include: hosting delegates, providing transportation, interpreting, and visiting with delegates at various events. In addition to funds generated by our annual card and candle sale, financial support is used to fund delegations and carry out the goals outlined in our joint mission statement, which emphasizes the development of women, children, and young adults. Our on-going projects in TNII include the youth scholarship program, the children’s Christmas celebration, and the women’s group. More specifically, the women’s group, with whom we have shared culturally sensitive domestic abuse material, is quite remarkable. Recently, they began using their candle-making skills developed through our fundraiser to start a small business. Special joint parish projects have included funding part of a wall around the school to inhibit squatter settlement in the school yard and contributing to the building of San Marcos church. On our delegation, our brothers and sisters gratefully pointed out that the support of SJA allowed them to put windows in the church meeting room. Personally, I cannot thank the people in TNII enough for the windows they have offered me- in opening my eyes to the beauty of strong community ties and a deeply profound spirituality.

Thank you for allowing me to share my Sister Parish experiences, and on behalf of the Sister Parish committee, I would like to extend our deep appreciation for all that you do to support our mission of solidarity.