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Our Sister Parish Mission San Agustin
Guerrero, Mexico |
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BACKGROUND:
In Winter 2003 the Cluster Parishes of St. Helen's and Our Lady of Fatima, Schenectady, NY and Misión of
San Agustin (now the Parish of San Agustin), agreed to share in a Sister Parish partnership.
GOAL:
The goal of the Sister Parish relationship is to link our faith communities in a mutual partnership so as to share
each others' faith, culture, and community life. It is expected that this journey will lead to a greater sense
of world community and greater global understanding. |
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Our delegation to
Mission San Agustin.
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Our delegation treated
to entertainment.
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A deligate meets
the people.
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Men of the village.
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SAN AGUSTIN PROFILE:
The parish is in the Archdiocese of Acapulco, located in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains about 150 miles East
of Acapulco. Three villages comprise the parish:
- Cuanacaxtitlan (often referred to as Cuana) has about 5,000 residents with its church named San Agustin. Cuana
is the main village, it has electricity. Visitors from the US usually are lodged here in the parish center.
- Yoloxochitl (often referred to as Yolo) has about 2,000 residents, its church named San Francisco.
- Arroyo Cumiapa (often just called Cumiapa) has about 1,000 residents. After Fr. Massimo's arrival, a new church,
San Juan Diego was constructed. Cumiapa is the most remote village. Since April 2007, there is electricity in the
village, but there is no assurance that it will be permanent. A health clinic has been built with the help of US
funds. It still needs furniture and most of all a doctor.
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RESIDENTS:
-Mostly farmers.
- Life-expectancy is 65 years.
- Average annual income is $365.
- Parishioners are Mixteco Indians, the indigenous people.
- Mixteco is the native Indian language, each village has a slightly different dialect.
STAFFING:
- The parish is entrusted to the care of PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) Missionaries. The North
American headquarters is located in Detroit, MI.
- Fr. Massimo Segú is the pastor of San Agustin since August 28, 2007. Previously, he spent three years
in Arroyo Cumiapa learning the language and working on the church construction.
- In the near future another missionary priest from PIME will be assigned to San Agustin. |
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Our group shares in song.
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Our group shares in song.
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The delegation witnesses
a wedding.
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The children celebrate Three Kings
Day.
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INFRASTRUCTURE:
In 2001 a purification plant was built in Cuana to provide safe, clean water. The water is then sold at sixty cents
a gallon so it is affordable by everyone.
In 2003, the second major water project, a well in Cuana, was built. Per Fr. Graziano, former Cuana pastor, "…about
5,000 people do not have running water in their homes for nine months" out of the year. Three months of the
year, the rainy season, provides them with the needed water for their homes. Therefore, "the rest of the year
is a long, dry period during which people have to carry water from surface wells to home."
Fr. Massimo instituted a livestock program in Cumiapa modeled after the Heifer program. Families are provided rabbits,
quail, sheep or goats and trained to care for them. The offspring are then given to another family. He also developed
a fishery to provide sources of protein in the diet. Since inception of this program Fr. Massimo found the raising
of some of the animals to be costly. He is exploring the raising of turkeys as a better alternative for the families.
There is a need for someone skilled in animal husbandry to offer on-site training in the villages. This area is
still being reviewed.
A parish center is projected for Yolo. When built its second floor would be residence for religious sisters who
have expressed an interest in ministering to that village.
MEDICAL STATUS:
A health clinic was built in Cumiapa in 2006, thanks to donations of both St. Helen's and Our Lady of Fatima parishioners.
The Mexican government promises a physician when a clinic is available; Fr. Massimo is working to get a government
doctor for the clinic with the local Mayor's approval.
- In 2006 approximately 30 children and 20 adults in the parish died. Some contributing factors are: present living
conditions, unsanitary water supply, lack of sufficient nourishment, lack of medical care.
- Children receive immunization from the government, often with much delay. Rates of diabetes and asthma are high.
- A doctor is now stationed at the clinic in Cuana. She provides medical care in Cumiapa once or twice a month.
Only a nurse is presently stationed full time at the clinic in Cumiapa.
- Medical equipment and furniture for Cumiapa are going to be purchased thru donated monies.
- Areas of needed medical specialties include: hearing, vision, dental and gynecological.
- The next big project is a laboratory for Cuana. A local technician is currently being looked for.
- Infant mortality and nutrition are major issues in the villages, as well as hearing loss. |
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SUPPLIES:
Medical supplies needed include: bandages, gauzes, disinfectants, sutures, syringes, IV equipment, glucose monitoring
supplies, urine dip sticks, and ultrasound equipment. Per Fr. Massimo, prescription medications must be purchased
in Mexico.
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Our delegation meets the children of the village.
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Our hosts share their bread with us.
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A fish farm raises food for the village.
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Church of Juan Diego in Arroyo, Cumiapa.
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FUTURE PLANS:
Through an on-going relationship with Seton Center, Troy, various medical supplies are shipped to Detroit for transportation
to the parish in Mexico.
The sister parish committee worked with local medical personnel, and with a team of audiologists from Gallaudet
University, to travel to the Parish of San Agustin in Mexico. The focus of this trip: assess the medical and audiologic
needs of the residents, provide needed initial care to the residents and begin assisting/ training the local health
care providers. This successful medical mission trip took place January 2008 and has now opened the door for future
medical mission trips to San Agustin. Among the highlights of this trip was the official ribbon cutting ceremony
for the opening of the new medical clinic. |
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Donations for Mision San Agustin may be sent to
either:
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St. Helen's Church
1803 Union Street
Schenectady, NY 12309 |
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Our Lady of Fatima
2216 Rosa Road
Schenectady, NY 12309 |
Please make checks payable to the appropriate church, earmarked for the Sister Parish and they will be forwarded
to Mision San Agustin.
Learn about Juan Diego |
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Submitted by the Cluster Parishes of:
St. Helen's-Niskayuna, NY
( Contact: Sr. Linda Vendetti, CSJ, at (518) 346-6137, Ext. 13 )
and
Church of Our Lady of Fatima-Schenectady, NY
( Contact: Mrs. Helen Moon at (518) 370-0027 ) |
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