Last call for Guatemala

Good afternoon,

I want to give you an update on our plans for going to Guatemala in 2008 and alert you to the need to act if you are planning to join us.

We have identified February 18-25 for traveling to meet with our sisters and brothers in Nebaj, Guatemala.  We are anticipating a cost of approximately $400-$500  per person plus air fare.  The main feature of the trip would be travel to the Guatemalan Highlands:  the location of our Sister Parish.  We would also visit some programs and attractions of Guatemala along our way.

While in Nebaj, we will focus on furthering our relationship with the people of Santa Maria parish.  This will include meeting with the parish staff and reviewing some of the outcomes of programs we have supported.

If you are planning to participate in this trip, you will want to check your passport immediately.  It takes 6-8 weeks to process a passport request.  If you need to obtain a passport, you will want to submit your application materials by the end of this week (12/21).  Further information on obtaining a passport can be found through our St. Pius Sister Parish Blog:

<http://stpiusx-sp.blogspot.com/>

If you are intending to participate in the trip, we ask you respond to this message, by Friday, December 21, with the following information:

1.  Names of all persons who will be participating.
2.  Name, address and phone of the primary contact person  for your family unit.
3.  The status of your passport:  I have an up-to-date passport or I submitted  the passport application on mm/dd/yyyy.

If you have specific questions we can help answer, please contact Helen or Dan Lococo at 257-9596 or at <dlococo@wi.rr.com>.

We hope to hear from you very soon,

Helen and Dan Lococo
St. Pius X Faith Community

Update meeting 12/13

This message is in response to the interest you expressed in joining St.
Pius parishioners as they travel to visit their sisters and brothers of
Santa Maria parish in Nebaj, Guatemala.

We have had to reschedule our Guatemala trip to the end of February,
2008. This will allow us to make the trip more affordable for all.

This trip is open to all members of our Tri-Parish Collaborative.

Please plan to attend our next informational meeting on Thursday, December
13th at 7:00 PM at St. Pius Parish room 105 For more information, please
contact Helen or Dan Lococo at 257-9596 or <dlococo@wi.rr.com.

The Day of the Dead

Last week marked celebrations of All Saints Day, All souls Day, and
the Day of the Dead in Central America. As we prepare to travel to
Guatemala in March, 2008 I am reminded of a visit to a Guatemalan cemetery
in January, 2004.

The cemetery in chichi Castenango was a mix of Mayan and Christian graves.
The Mayan grave sites are unique because they include an opening for the
soul of the departed to come and go. On the Day of the Dead, families come
to celebrate with their ancestors with special foods and ceremonies. This
seemed like a quaint tradition until we came upon a Mayan couple preparing
for marriage. The couple were participating in a religious ceremony
designed to bring the ancestors into the new marriage. We kept a respectful
distance.

IN June of each year, our sisters and brothers of Santa Maria remember the
martyrs who died in Guatemala's 36 year civil war. Some families have never
found the loved ones who were disappeared during the war. It isn't until we
see the connection Mayan's maintain between the living and the dead that we
can begin to appreciate the loss the Mayan people have suffered.

The link below leads to pictures and information on Chichi Castenango. No
endorsement of the site is made or implied.

http://www.eveandersson.com/guatemala/chichicastenango

Trip Overview Information

Below are notes from the October 30 "Easter in Guatemala Information"
meeting

1) Tentative itinerary
a) Mar. 19: Travel to Guatemala
b) Mar 22: Travel to Nebaj
c) Mar 23: Easter in Guatemala
d) Mar 25: Leave Nebaj
e) Mar 28: Return to U.S.A.

2) Significant activities/dates
a) Passport application - Mid-December
b) Commitment to participate - December 31
c) Consensus on travel plans - Mid-February
3) Costs
a) We are working with the GATE program to finalize costs for the trip.
We are working on a package including all ground transportation, meals,
lodging and gratuities.
b) We will provide more information as it becomes available

Passport info:
. Passports are obtained through Post Offices. The web site below
provides detailed info on getting a passport. The site indicates it takes
6-8 weeks to process a passport application. We recommend you allow 10-12
weeks.
. Adult passports cost $67 plus a $30 processing fee. Children under
16 are charged $52 plus the $30 processing fee.
. For more information: Call: 800 275 8777
<http://www.usps.com/passport/>

GATE Program:
. The GATE (Global Awareness Through Experience) Program will be
coordinating our trip. GATE is an organization dedicated to bringing people
together to share cultural experience. GATE has been in existence for
twenty-five years. You can (and should) learn more about GATE at their web
site.:

<http://www.gate-travel.org/>

<dlococo@wi.rr.com>

Easter In Guatemala

You are invited to join St. Pius parishioners as they travel to visit their sisters and brothers of Santa Maria parish in Nebaj, Guatemala. The trip is scheduled for March19-28, 2008. We will spend time learning of the culture and people of Guatemala, including celebrating Easter in Nebaj. We will also spend time in other parts of Guatemala as a part of our journey.

All members of our Tri-Parish Collaborative are welcome to join us. An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 30, at 7:00 PM in the St. Pius Parish Living room. For more information, please contact Helen or Dan Lococo at <dlococo@wi.rr.com>.

Welcome to our blog

This is the first entry in the St. Pius X Sister Parish blog. We are located in Wawatosa, Wisconsin and have a sister parish relationship with the people of Santa Maria parish in Nebaj, guatemala. This blog will be used to keep our Parishioners, and others, informed of activities associated with our sister parish relationship.

One of the main reasons for starting the blog is to have a record of our plans to visit our sisters and brothers in Guatemala in March of 2008.

More to come soon!!