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.
This message from Padre Joe will be shown at all Masses September 11 and 12, 2021.
Dear Friends,
22 Years ago, St. Anthony on the Lake established a relationship with Fr. Joe Uhen, pastor of Santisimo Sacramento in Piura, Peru. Since that time, many great things that have transpired between our two parishes. We’ve formed friendships, family sponsorships, and have created and maintained support of many wonderful ministries that have benefited thousands! During the past 18 months Covid has changed some of the ways our twinning relationship has unfolded. Padre Joe and his staff have not been able to visit, nor have we made our annual pilgrimages to Piura. The monthly food package deliveries had to be curtailed with families needing to go to the parish to pick up their monthly food allowance in Soles (Peruvian dollars). We have not been able to ship any containers with Family-to-Family sponsor donations and humanitarian aid for Santisimo’s parish community.
On the bright side many of our faithful here at St. Anthony’s stepped up to help with donations to cover oxygen, food, and other medical necessities for the good of the parish in general or their sponsored families.
This weekend would have been the time that Padre Joe and several staff members were to visit St. Anthony’s. In their absence, we are blessed that he was able to create a video to share during the homilies this Saturday & Sunday. If you were not able to attend Mass to witness this, you will be able to check it out on our parish website.
Having been the conduit between our two parishes for more than 20 years, I have had the blessing and pleasure of traveling with many of you and want to personally thank all who have been so generous with your time, talent, and treasures in making this sister parish relationship the success that it continues to be!
God’s Blessings,
Bendiciones de Dios,
Maureen Michaels, Peru Liason
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
