In the church Nuestro Patrono Cristo Negro de Esquipulas, Sololá- Chimaltenango.
Life testimonies to inspire faith
In the Diocese of Quiché in central Guatemala, a beatification process is currently under way for
believers with these testimonies and to strengthen their faith, ACN supports the publication of illustrated booklets about the lives, deaths and faith of these individuals. Each booklet is dedicated to different groups of people – including young people, catechists, women, families and priests.
129 witnesses to the faith who were murdered by left-wing guerrillas during the civil war in Guatemala between 1960 and 1996 because of their religious beliefs. In order to inspire other
» The Church in
Guatemala is young and evangelistic. «
Verónica Katz, ACN International
The Church in Guatemala is dependent on help from abroad, both to sustain its pastoral ministry and to address the specific needs of the people. These needs are great: many children are malnourished, they must be provided with a meal alongside catechesis. In addition, the shortage of church facilities and the limited Church presence enable sects to spread. However, where the Church is present, many people, especially young people, live their faith with joy and participate intensively in Church life. A further challenge is that the population is made up of different indigenous ethnic groups – a total of 25 different languages are spoken in the country. This must also be taken into account in the training of prospective priests in the country’s two seminaries. This means that training cannot be provided solely in Spanish,
but must also be offered in various indigenous languages. Nevertheless, there is an encouraging number of religious vocations, though they remain insufficient given the large Catholic population. In order to counteract the shortage of priests in the country, ACN, as nearly everywhere in Latin America, primarily promotes the training of prospective priests and catechists. In addition, priests are supported with Mass stipends and religious sisters with subsistence aid. Further funds are channelled into promoting Catholic media work, the construction of churches, rectories and other church buildings, as well as the purchase of vehicles for pastoral care.
Holy Mass in the Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Paquip.
ACN Activity Report 2024 | 41
Latin America – Guatemala |
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