In 1998, Fr. Joe Uhen, pastor of Santisimo Sacramento in Piura, Peru came to visit St. Anthony on the Lake as a missionary priest.  What transpired after that visit is a successful twinning parish relationship unlike any other in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. 

Santisimo Sacramento Peru Program Updates

Due to the pandemic many things have changed in our lives and that is true with our sister parish, in Piura, Peru. We, for the second summer in a row, will not be sending a container of humanitarian aid along with Family-to-Family boxes to our friends at Santisimo Sacramento. Also, for the second year in a row, Fr. Joe Uhen will not be making his annual Mission Appeal visit to St. Anthony’s like he has for the past 20 years. 

To make-up for not shipping a container and Padre Joe’s visit, we have dedicated the weekend of September 11-12, 2021 as our Archdiocesan Mission time for Peru. The homily for the weekend Masses will be a video narrated by Padre Joe giving us an update of the current status of his ministries and how his people are faring during these difficult times. 

Donations will be accepted to help with the programs on-going at Santisimo, and Family to Family sponsors will be welcome to make a monetary donation to their Peru family in lieu of sending items on the container. 

Another change is our annual trip to Peru which is typically held in October. This too has been postponed until early October, 2022. 

We are very sad to have lost the past two years of visits and activities with our sister parish, but are extremely grateful for the continued generosity of our parishioners.

God bless you for all you do!

~Maureen Michaels, Peru Liaison

Contact Maureen Michaels with questions.

Read Padre Joe's Christmas Message Here

A message from Padre Joe that was shown on Mission Appeal Weekend.

Padre Joe Uhen has celebrated 25 years of priesthood!

• Read Padre Joe's Letter 

View pictures from our October 2019 Peru Trip

• Santisimo Sacrament Peru Trip Photos

These videos tell the story of how we are making a difference in Santisimo Sacramento.

Santisimo Sacramento's parish school is Mother of Good Counsel which opened the first classrooms seven years ago.This is a video of a new addition that is being constructed whereby they will be able to accommodate well over 1000 students in the near future.

In January, 1999, 11 members of St. Anthony on the Lake visited Peru to see what we as a parish could to do help the over 40,000 members of Padre Joe's parish. We were blessed to find it a community of faith filled, beautiful people who dwell in homes consisting of dirt floors, bamboo walls, tin roofs, with no running water or electricity. From that fact finding mission, evolved our current Family to Family Program where families from St. Anthony sponsor families in Peru donating $30 per month to supply the Peru family with rice, beans, powdered milk, vegetable oil and various other sundries. To date St. Anthony on the Lake sponsors over 350 families in Piura.

Subsequent annual visits have included 210 St. Anthony parishioners who've made the pilgrimage, many having traveled more than once.

In September each year, Padre Joe Uhen, comes to St. Anthony’s to visit along with two to three of his staff members. While here, Fr. Joe celebrates at each of our weekend masses and gives us an update on his parish, Santisimo Sacramento. Each of his staff members also speak to our parish thru Fr. Joe’s interpretation and tell of the many thanks that their people send to all of us at St. Anthony’s.

Learn more about our Sister Parish:

Areas of Impact

Donation Request List

Family to Family Giving

Peru Container Information 

Peru News

Peru Trip Photos

Please contact Maureen Michaels at [email protected] or (262) 691-9170 X1101 for information on how to support our sister parish or visit our online giving opportunity through WeShare.