A Formation House for the Sisters of the Congregation of Martha and Mary in Guatemala
Monday, July 25, 2016

In order to cope with new vocations and provide the young women with an appropriate formation and preparation for the religious life, the congregation needs to build a two-story formation house, with an attached chapel, dormitories and classrooms. Can you help?

The Congregation of the Sisters of Martha and Mary work in a struggling region of Guatemala. It is very poor, and there is a great shortage of priests. At the same time, there is a proliferation of religious sects.

The congregation was founded in the Diocese of Jalapa in 1979, and the Sisters combine the contemplative life of prayer with an active life of fraternal charity while supporting the work of the small number of priests. They care for handicapped children, orphans, the lonely and elderly and the victims of drug addiction, and they also teach in some of the poorest and most neglected areas.

This young congregation rejoices in having numerous vocations, and it is expanding steadily. It now has 700 Sisters altogether, who work in Latin America, Africa and Europe – and more and more young women are eager to join the congregation.

In Jalapa, no fewer than 200 young novices are currently undergoing formation. But the congregation is poor and does not have the appropriate buildings or facilities for training so many young Sisters. So far they have been using rented premises which in reality are unsuited for their purpose: the young women have to sleep 24 to a single dormitory and there is a shortage of basic necessities.

In order to cope with these new vocations and provide the young women with an appropriate formation and preparation for the religious life, the congregation is now building a two-story formation house, with an attached chapel, dormitories and classrooms.

They have appealed to ACN for help to build one wing containing three of these classrooms, and we have promised a contribution of $30,600.

Will you join us in supporting these Sisters as they work to build a formation house in this poor and struggling region of Guatemala?

We are sure they will remember you in their grateful prayers.

Progress: 2% Raised: $ 489     Goal: $ 30600

Code: 219-05-19

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