Mundelein Seminary’s Pre-theologians in Piura, Peru

Mundelein Seminary’s pre-theologians, as well as three members of the faculty, are on an immersion experience at Santisimo Sacramento Mission in Piura, Peru. Piura is a poor desert area approximately 600 miles north of Lima and 35 miles from the Pacific Ocean. A majority of the people of Piura live in poverty, and many live in extreme poverty. Santísimo Sacramento has over 50,000 parishioners and offers many social services in the area, including a medical clinic, an orphanage, a very large school, a trade school, a hospice center, a woman’s shelter, a homeless shelter, a rehabilitation center for those recovering from addictions, and much more.

The pre-theologians and faculty are building bamboo homes in a day; visiting schools, hospitals, and orphanages; delivering food and clothing packages to those living in extreme poverty in villages around the parish, and spending time in meaningful encounters with the beautiful people of Piura. Powerful conversations with migrants and refugees, as well as with those recovering from addictions to drugs and alcohol, have also been essential parts of the immersion experience.

The seminarians and faculty are journeying in Piura with giving hearts, faith-filled spirits and open hands to receive the goodness of the people who have so little materially speaking but are rich in innumerable ways. ¡Dios está aquí!

Sister Kathleen (Katie) M. Mitchell, FSPA