By Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, OP
The Springfield Dominican Sisters are celebrating 60 years of service to the Peruvian people. In response to a call from Pope John XXIII to send sisters to South America, four sisters volunteered in 1965. Today, native Peruvian Springfield Dominican Sisters serve in Lima and in Jarpa, a rural agricultural area. In late March seven of us travelled to Peru for the anniversary celebration in Jarpa where we have served for 25 years.
I was privileged to be included in the trip along with the other six sisters who had ministered in Peru. Through my years in the community, I’ve heard many stories of Peru, but they all fell short of the experience of being there, in a beautiful country among warm and welcoming people and a culture rich in tradition.
Jarpa is tucked high in the Andes Mountains. Though the comforts of modernization are scarce, it is a strong, cohesive community. Celebrations include dancing and food. If a house needs to be built or repaired, help is readily available from neighbors.
Our anniversary celebration included an Evening Prayer service at San Juan Bautista Church, which often doubles as the parish hall. After the prayer the pews were pushed to the sides and we enjoyed watching the youth perform traditional dances. Soup was served to those of us watching from the pews. It was an unfamiliar experience for me, but it demonstrated clearly what it means to be “Church” in Jarpa.
I treasured learning more deeply about the service of our sisters in Peru. Whether they are part of a traveling health clinic in Lima, or teaching or being available to parishioners and youth, they respond with enthusiasm and the warmth of God’s compassion and love. The needs are different every day, and the sisters are there ready to help!
Thank you for the support you have given our Peruvian Missions through the years! Having experienced it recently, I can assure you your generosity is bearing fruit for the Peruvian people.
Sister Kathleen Anne is the director of development for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield.
