U.S. archdiocese, Dominican Republic parish mark 25-year partnership

SABANA YEGUA, Dominican Republic (CNS) - Twenty-five years ago, two priests from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Fathers Richard Broach and Tom Demse, arrived in the Dominican Republic to begin a partnership between the archdiocese and La Sagrada Familia Parish in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana.

On Oct. 29, a contingent of 25 people from the archdiocese, led by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan and Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba, joined more than 600 parishioners and guests in the town of Sabana Yegua for a Mass marking the 25th anniversary of the twinning relationship. The celebration was held outdoors to accommodate the large crowd. Over the gathering area, between the church and parish center, blue tarps were put up to block out the intense Caribbean sun. However, with a morning rain shower, they served another purpose. Joining Archbishop Dolan and Bishop Sklba as concelebrants of the Mass were the apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, and Bishop Jose Grullon of San Juan de la Maguana, along with 12 priests from both dioceses. In his greetings to the worshippers, Archbishop Dolan thanked God for the 25 years of friendship and cooperation between the two church communities. "I bring to you the love, the greetings, the prayers of the people of southeastern Wisconsin," he said. "You are a gift to us. You help us realize that our family of the Catholic Church is bigger than our own home. We are close to you. We are all sons and daughters of God; we are all brothers and sisters in Christ." Archbishop Broglio said, "An anniversary is not only a time to look back and to remember the good things that have been accomplished. It is also an invitation to look forward and see what remains to be done. "In that context," he added, "I asked Archbishop Dolan to relay the gratitude of the Holy Father for all of the good pastoral work done by the priests of the archdiocese, those who left what they knew, and who willingly accepted the challenge of a ministry in a new land, with a different language and other customs." The bond between the Milwaukee Archdiocese and Sagrada Familia, in the province of Azua in the southwest corner of the Dominican Republic, was initiated by now-Archbishop James Harvey, who was ordained as a priest of the archdiocese and today is prefect of the papal household at the Vatican. Twenty-five years ago he was secretary to the apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic. He approached Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland, then head of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, about forming a relationship with Sagrada Familia. At the time, there were only 14 priests, all foreign-born, in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana. The town of Sabana Yegua serves as home base for La Sagrada Familia Parish, but the boundaries extend far beyond one town. The parish encompasses 28 communities within an area of about 120 to 150 square miles. The parish priests consider the local prison the 29th community; they make regular visits to inmates. About 50,000 people belong to the parish, the largest of 30 parishes in the diocese. In addition to religious formation of children and adults, parish leaders must tend to the primary needs of the people. These include preventing malnutrition and disease, and gaining access to drinking water and health care. This social dimension of parish ministry also extends into other areas such as job training, housing and diversifying the agricultural produce of peasant farmers. A parish pastoral plan developed for 2005 and 2006 by the priests and pastoral team of La Sagrada Familia helps leaders keep focused. They have organized their pastoral activities into seven areas: Christian life (celebrating the sacraments and Christian formation), health programs, a nutritional center for children, building latrines, housing, education, and farming and food production. What began as an agreement to provide priests to staff the parish has blossomed into an opportunity for Catholics in the Milwaukee Archdiocese to experience the mission church, where the emphasis is no longer helping the poor, but walking with them. As a way to participate in the sister parish relationship, numerous parishes in the archdiocese have established ties with the parish's villages, helping to build chapels or schools in those faith communities. Special collections are taken to support the parish, and some parishioners have visited the Dominican Republic to witness the work being accomplished. As an archdiocese, "we're growing in awareness to what the needs are" in the church's missions, said Franciscan Sister Frances Cunningham, director of the World Mission Ministries Office, which oversees the twinning relationship between La Sagrada Familia and the archdiocese. She said that right now the church is challenged to build relationships, she said. "If we don't, we have lost an opportunity. We need this relationship just as much as people in the D.R. need this relationship."

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops