Volume VIII, Number 2: Summer 2000
PAB's meeting time is changing to the 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7:00-8:30 PM. The regular meetings will continue to take place at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 305 N. 7th Ave., St Cloud. We hope to see you there: June 21, 7 PM.
Jose Artiga, Executive Director of the SHARE Foundation, is in town for a workshop and will come to PAB's June meeting. We will have some important business but will also hear from Jose. The SHARE Foundation facilitates the sistering of PAB with Tenancingo and is our eyes and ears (and voice and legs, etc.) in the country. It was formed in 1981 in response to an appeal directly from the Archdiocese of San Salvador. At a time when US government money was funding oppression the, SHARE gave conscientious Americans a way to stand in solidarity with the Salvadoran people. This year they celebrate their 20th anniversary. Please come and help welcome Jose to Minnesota.
At the June meeting, PAB will consider an amend-ment to its bylaws, to allow more funding to be used to support the delgations to El Salvador. Other sistering communities do this regularly. "Presence" is one of the three pillars of our accompaniment, and it takes funding to accomplish that presence, especially for return delegates. Please come to the meeting and share your thoughts.
The PAB delegation, though slightly smaller, is preparing for its July 10-21 visit to El Salvador. This year's delegates include veterans Judy Alessio, Sister Anne Malerich, Dennis Beach, as well as Dawn Schroeder, a teacher at the Mille Lacs Native American school, and Katie Kamakahi, coordinator of the colleges' Clemens & Myers Chair programs.
Delegate Blessing and Send-off: Sunday, July 9, 1:00 PM, Diocesan Pastoral Center. Please come and send your prayers and good wishes with delegates to El Salvador!
With determination that
would not let governmental neglect cheat their children out of education, Tenancingo is
preparing to move into a new high school building, now under construction. It's not that
the government was finally won over or provided construction funds. Instead, the Municipal
Council of Mayor Amado Lopez (re-elected in March) agreed to dedicate the town's full
quota of federal funding to the school's construction.
The St. John's and St. Ben's delegation that visited briefly in March visited the site. (See picture). What is clear is that this is not the end of the battle. Funds will be needed to help outfit the school. And we will continue to lobby the Ministry of Education to increase the number of faculty positions they support (currently only 3 of 5 faculty are supported by government funds and only one-the director, Don Tito-has a secure contract.
If you can help with a contribution that will go toward equipping the new school and facilitating the transition, please send your donation to PAB. Your contribution will make a difference! See the "My Response" contribution form below.
Dave Johnson, a 1999 PAB delegate and Spring 2000 Romero delegation member, is leaving his jobs as Associate Campus Minister at St. John's University and Assistant Soccer Coach at the College of St. Benedict to take a two-year stipended volunteer position as the Grassroots and Sistering Program Coordinator for SHARE on site in El Salvador. By the time the 2001 delegation is making plans, Dave will be the person they'll be planning with. If anyone is interested in helping support Dave financially in this endeavor, please contact Br. Dennis Beach at 363-2997.
Wish List! - Good and Donations for El Salvador - Wish List! The PAB delegation going to El Salvador in July is collecting the following items to bring to Tenancingo. Since the delegation is smaller this summer, we will be taking a little less. Please bring contributions to : Judy Alessio, 913 S. 13th Avenue, St. Cloud (252-9520).
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MY RESPONSE: Here's what I'll
do to accompany the people of Tenancingo! The quotation at the head of this newsletter says that our choice, if we want to help determine whether there will be a future or no future at all is "ourselves or nothing." Choose to make a difference yourself by supporting PAB and our Salvadoran brothers and sisters in Tenancingo financially in one of the following ways. I, __________________________________________ wish to contribute: $____________ for: ______ Funds for equipping the new high school and school supplies ______ Health Care and Medicine Fund ______ Community Leadership Training and Organizing ______ Community-based projects ______ Helping delegates travel to Tenancingo ______ Wherever need is greatest Make checks payable to: For information contact: DONATIONS TO PAB ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE! |