The Sister Parish Committee at St. Joan of Arc meets one or two times per month. The first Wednesday of the month is our regularly scheduled meeting with the third Wednesday of the month reserved for an optional meeting, if required. Minutes of each meeting are drafted, distributed to committee members and posted on the website. Committee membership is informal. Simply attending the meetings and participating in Sister Parish activities constitutes membership. Many people volunteer for delegations or other specific activities, but do not attend the committee meetings on a regular basis throughout the year. When volunteers are needed for delegations or other activities announcements are made via the parish bulletin and email. Five to ten people typically attend the committee meetings each month and more than 100 members are "at large" on the email distribution list. These people respond when voluteers are needed for other Sister Parish activities such as delegations or the alfombra.
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Leadership of the committee is provided by the chairperson who also acts as a contact point for St. Joan staff or Sister Parish, Inc. communication. Ross Starkson is the current chairperson. |
The Sister Parish Bible study typically meets on the third Thursday of the month. We reflect on and discuss the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of the next month and share reflections with Peregrinos de Jesús, the Bible study group that meets in TN2. During the South-to-North delegation in July of 2005 one of the delegates from TN2 asked what the name of our group was. We decided that we would be called Peregrinos de Jesús Dos.
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Carol Krush is the facilitator of the Bible study group and the meetings are held in her home. Call her (612.822.5282) for directions and meeting time. |
Our committee creates the alfombra (the Spanish word for carpet) at Easter-time as a sign of solidarity with our Sister Parish in Tierra Nueva Dos. It is also a wonderful opportunity for us to share something from Guatemalan culture with SJA. It is believed that the tradition of making alfombras arrived in Guatemala from Spain and the Canary Islands. However, there is also the belief that the pre-colonial Maya made carpets out of pine needles, fruits and flowers. The word for carpet in Spanish is alfombra, a word of Arabic origin.
The alfombra itself is a sawdust carpet and is made with great effort and dedication. In Guatemala during the Lenten season, processions leave from the church. Ahead of the processions, people make the carpets on the street in front of their homes as a sign of their faith in God, devotion, as well as to pay tribute to Jesus' sacrifice. In Guatemala, a lot of the carpets are made with fresh flowers, pine needs and colored sawdust.
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Prior to Saturday, the committee determines the design for the alfombra, templates are cut from corrugated cardboard and sawdust is colored with a analine dye. Volunteers from the committee and members "at large" spend several hours on Holy Saturday constructing it. After construction is completed, the alfombra is covered with tarps to protect it until Easter morning when, after the 11:00 Mass, George and the entire congregation walks on it. |  |
The SJA Sister Parish committee sells candles made by our brothers and sisters in Tierra Nueva Dos and greeting cards designed by the SJA Sister Parish committee to help help fund several activities including the South-to-North delegations and the scholarship program that is coordinated at TN2. The Sister Parish committee at TN2 purchases the supplies, equipment and makes the candles. The SJA committee sells them at an annual sale that is usually held near the end of November. The candles and cards are also sold throughout the year via the book cart available after masses.
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Candles are typically brought from Tierra Nueva Dos by the delegates. Cards are designed and printed by the Sister Parish committee at SJA. A candle and card sale is held at SJA just in time for the holidays. Proceeds from the sale are used to fund the North-to-South delegations and buy supplies for the next batch of candles. |  |
Communication is a key component of Sister Parish activities. In addition to the many letters and email messages that are sent between St. Joan and Tierra Nueva Dos, the Sister Parish committee maintains a website presence on the St. Joan of Arc parish website. We communicate with the parish through the parish bulletin as needed and have a bulletin board located in the vestibule at the entrance to the gym.
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From time to time the Sister Parish committee arranges Spanish language classes for those interested in deepening their awareness of Latin American culture. These classes do not just teach the language, but also introduce students to cultural, economic, gastronomic, social and political topics that are relevant to our hermanamiento and life experience in Guatemala. Don't be surprised if you learn some salsa and merengue in the process! |  |
North-to-South and South-to-North delegations are the heart and soul of our relationship with Tierra Nueva Dos. We typically have one delegation a year and alternate North-to-South and South-to-North delegations every other year. Delegates go through several hours of orientation to prepare for the trip. This preparation covers cultural, economic, political and social issues that are important to be able understand the reality the delegates will encounter. We also talk extensively about the philosophy of our Sister Parish relationship. It is important for delegates to understand that our hermanamiento is based on a solidarity model, not on a charity model. We do not go on a delegation to "help". Delegations are not "mission trips". We go to be with friends and family and to deepen our bonds in faith and love.
Since delegations are so important to the mission of Sister Parish, we keep a record of the activities of each delegation and communicate those activities to the entire parish through the website. To check out past delegations just click on the "Delegations" tab at the top of this page.
The members of the Sister Parish committee go on retreat together once each year, usually just after the Christmas holidays. It's very important to keep in touch with the spiritual motivation that provides the foundation for our activities throughout the year.
The Sister Parish, Inc. organization facilitates linkages between parishes in the United States and Central America. It is a non-denominational organization but focuses on relationships between churches rather than civic communities. Part of our work at St. Joan is to support this organization since we recieve so much from them. We send representatives to Sister Parish Northern Association meetings and participate in planning and decision making when needed.
Sister Parish, Inc. facilitates communication by maintaining a representative in each of the participating Central American countries who travel to the communities linked with northern churches. These facilitators coordinate the southern part of the delegations and keep us informed of situations and events that are relevant to our relationship. They help make travel arrangements, coordinate lodging, help delegates obtain visas and passports and help out in many other ways.
To learn more about the Sister Parish organization visit the Sister Parish, Inc. Homepage
The best way to get involved is to start coming to the monthly Sister Parish committee meetings.
Contact us by email: Sister Parish @ St. Joan.