A four-person contingent began the third decade of the solidarity partnership between the Diocese of Wilmington and the Diocese of San Marcos, Guatemala, with a trip to the country in August. Father John Hynes, who recently retired from active ministry, was joined by Tony Imhof, Marcela Caro and her son, Kyle.
“Our chief purpose was to establish bonds between Catholic schools in the Wilmington diocese and schools in San Marcos,” said Father Hynes, who has been involved with the partnership since its inception 20 years ago.
Among the schools they visited were Colegio Santa Maria and Colegio San Marcos. Marcela Caro, a social studies teacher at Saint Mark’s High School, “will work to establish bonds of communication between Saint Mark’s and the schools in San Marcos,” Father Hynes said.
The group also went to a parochial school, San Agustin, in San Rafael. There, they met students and teachers, “and we agreed that we would seek five Catholic schools in Wilmington who would each give a three-year scholarship to the junior high students who come in January,” Father Hynes said.
The schools they visited usually put on a littler performance, he added.
Father Hynes said he is encouraged by the growth of the partnership and how it has evolved. It started with water-purification and other efforts, and now has moved to helping individual parishes, schools and local health ministries. The original guiding purpose of establishing bonds of mutual help and prayer has not changed, and neither has the commitment from the bishops of each diocese as new ones have arrived.
The Wilmington committee is always seeking new members, he continued. Those interested in serving on the solidarity partnership committee should contact Father Hynes through Holy Cross Parish at (302) 674-5787.
