Aid to the Church in Need: CHILE: Help to build a chapel in Miramar II

CHILE: Help to build a chapel in Miramar II

Posted by Project of the Week on 27/10/2008, 7:50 am
Board Administrator

CHILE: Help to build the chapel of Blessed Mother Rosa Gattorno in Miramar II

The diocese of Arica lies in northern Chile on the border with Bolivia and Peru. It has a population of some 186,000 souls of whom around 70% are Catholics. Most of these live in the town of Arica itself. Of the approximately 10,500 people who live in the quarter of Cerro La Cruz, on the outskirts of Arica, around 72% dwell in extreme poverty. And the suburb of Miramar II, which has sprung up only recently, is particularly marked by social destitution. The exceptionally high youth unemployment rate means that many young people end up with alcoholism and drug addiction. There are around 200 active Catholics here who regularly attend Sunday Mass and take part in a range of other pastoral activities. Up till now the parish of Blessed Mother Rosa Gattorno (Beata Madre Rosa Gattorno), which is in the care of the religious sisters, the Daughters of Saint Anne (Hijas de Santa Ana) and the local parish priest, has only had a tiny wooden hut to worship in. Thanks to their friendly contacts with the Catholic mayor of Arica, the parish has now been given a plot of land on which to build a church. But they cannot afford to pay for this from their own resources.

The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need has promised the parish a grant of $60,000. To help this cause please contact the Sydney office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

Priest and parishioners at Holy Mass

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org