Associate’s Impact in Guatemala

During a volunteer experience with Maryknoll in Guatemala, Kay Sweeney met Presentation Sister Tonia Orland, who had founded a religious community there for indigenous women. After returning home from the Maryknoll mission, Kay continued to feel drawn to the people of Guatemala and returned as a volunteer with Las Hermanas Misioneras de la Eucaristia, the community Sister Tonia had founded.

The North American religious working in Guatemala became Kay’s community, especially Presentation Sisters Kathleen Curtin and Joanna Bruno from San Francisco, Marge Healey and Rita Menart from Dubuque, and Evelyn Flanagan from Ireland. Sister Kathleen invited Kay to become an associate, and that is how she became a part of the San Francisco associates.

Kay was struck by the natural beauty of Guatemala, as well as the beauty of the fabric woven by the indigenous women. However, she learned that many of them had not attended school and did not speak Spanish, the national language. They longed for an education to learn new things and to earn money to provide a better life for themselves and their families.

This led Kay to establish a fund to accompany Guatemalan women as they worked to change their lives. The fund currently supports two programs – the Kateri Intern Fund and Mission: Guatemala.

Kay continues her work with the Kateri Fund as managing director, with the Guatemalan staff taking on more responsibility for the actual day-to-day working of programs. She is now looking forward to handing over the reins of the fund to a new managing director. Finding someone who is interested in the work is the job she and the board of directors – which includes long-time friend Sister Rita Menart – will be doing for the next two years. She asks you to keep them in your prayers.

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