Sister Parish: Honduras

MIssion Appeal 2023

“San Ignatio” Parish in Honduras

On occasion of the mission appeal in August, here I again submit some new photos and information about the Jesuits working in Honduras. Our goal is to bring the message of Christ into the lives of our parishioners through the sacraments and our parish pastoral program.

Parish Ministry

The Jesuits in Honduras arrived some 80 years ago at the behest of the Bishops of Honduras. The Jesuits arrived from the neighboring country of Belize which was at that time a mission of the Missouri Jesuits of the United States. Since then we have served the mountain and costal regions of northern Honduras and today are present in three parishes: Yoro, El Progreso and Tocoa. Our San Ignacio Loyola parish in El Progreso is the “Sister Parish” of Saint Ignatius Loyola here in Sacramento.

Education, Communication, & Spirituality

Especially in El Progreso the Jesuits have distinguished themselves in education at all levels. Our traditional Jesuit High School is called “San Jose” with its accompanying grammar school. Also of note is our educational program for poorer students of classes on the weekends. “Instituto Loyola” is another educational program which offers a technological preparation for youth interested in learning a trade. St. Ignatius parishioners have also helped sponsor a secondary education level school in the mountain areas of our parish for the rural students who can not come to the city to continue their studies.

The Jesuit radio station, Radio Progreso, after some 50 years continues to be a beacon of truth in an impoverished country. The Jesuits publish their sociological studies through ERIC, a human rights branch of this Jesuit institution dedicated to justice and peace. On the internet you can listen to “Radio Progreso Honduras” in the Spanish language.

Our Center of Spirituality is a retreat center located in the foothills of the mountain offering the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in its varied presentations. Retreats are given to both the laity, religious orders and parish groups.

The Jesuits of our community, conscious of the need for future workers in the Jesuit vineyard, have opened their doors to candidates interested in the Jesuit way of life. The experience has been positive in that a number of young men have entered the seminary. This year one Jesuit Deacon has been ordained to the priesthood and come November three Deacons will be ordained to the diocesan priesthood.

Our Sister Parish: San Ignacio Parish

Our huge Jesuit parish boasts of 23 churches including some 35 “comunidades de base” which celebrate Mass each month. We have 80 men and women who celebrate the Word each Sunday in their community. Over a hundred more are Catechists and some 80 are Ministers of the Communion. We have only two priests and one full time employee. The two Jesuits and three women religious are responsible for the pastoral needs of the parish. Our Sister Parish here in Sacramento over the years has contributed greatly to our ministry in Honduras.

Project “Faustino Boado” for the poorest of the children

The most successful program of our San Ignacio Parish is for children at risk. Our Jesuit parish is especially committed to the poorest of the poor. One of the most important projects of our parish is the attention given to the families living on the fringes of our parish, along the arroyos, oftentimes without water or sanitary facilities. These families often live amid the violence of gangs and drugs.

The goal of this program is to attend to some 300 children so they can attend school and through events and workshops receive formation and motivation to continue their primary school studies. The parents or single mothers also participate in the activities especially volunteering their services in the events of the day. The children receive school uniforms, shoes, book packs, and school supplies. The program offers workshops in theater, music and arts and craft. We distribute food to the poorest families. We try to involve their parents in these activities. And, of course, is a motivating factor on these occasions.

Program “San Alberto Hurtado” (Scholarships for the Youth of our San Ignacio parish)

Over the past 10 years our parish has been investing in our youth, not only on the elementary level, but also on the high school level. Those selected for a scholarship are first interviewed by members the committee and then admitted into the program.

The scholarship consists of a stipend of $30 a month to help cover their needs such as tuition, transportation and incidental expenses. In turn the recipients participate in a monthly meeting for coordination, information and Christian formation. Each of the youth must participate in some social activity in his or her neighborhood and participate actively in their local church. The results of the program are noteworthy. The parish is alive with young people, many of the volunteers of the parish have been participants in the scholarship program and many have continued at the university in their professional studies.

We have no fixed financing and the program subsists on minimal local contributions but especially on the generosity of the parishioners of St. Ignatius parish here in Sacramento.

School in the Mountain Sector of the Parish

Our San Ignacio parish in Honduras boasts of 5 sectors: four in the urban area mainly of struggling families of El Progreso, and one in the mountain sector of the parish aptly named “Fe y Esperanza”. It is an area of difficult access (especially in times of bad weather). The children have to walk hours to reach the nearest school house in the neighboring community. Most children never finish grammar school for obvious reasons such as puberty, marriage or work at home or in the fields.

So we acquired a small parcel of land and built a rustic one-room school house. The schooling is for students who could not finish grammar school and for those who want to continue their secondary education. The classes are on weekends and the parish pays the three teachers for their services. The students are able to work during the week and receive classes on the weekend.