Twinning – Local – Prince of Peace (POP)

Background

August 1997 was the beginning of twinning between Saint John Vianney and Prince of Peace (then Saint Lawrence) Parishes. A Working Group on Parish Twinning consisting of 17 people assisted the pastor Father Dennis Andrews in making the decision to begin the relationship.

Goals

The goals for this relationship were as follows:

1. Develop a partnering journey with mutually enriching exchanges between culturally diverse parishes.
2. Recognize and understand the unique resources of both parishes that can help us become better Catholics.
3. Share parish life and interchanges ideas at the child, youth, and adult levels.
4. Mutual understanding of each other’s realities including inter-parish and inter-cultural experiences.
5. Develop personal relationships beyond the traditional material gifts.

Since that time Prince of Peace/Principe De Paz, a merger of the former Saint Matthew and Saint Lawrence Parishes, has a staff which serves three parishes—Prince of Peace, Saint Hyacinth, and Saint Vincent de Paul. The pastor is Father Hugo Londono and the associate is Father Josegerman Zapata. The deacon is Gogelio Macias. The pastoral Associate and DRE is Sister Carmelita De Anda and the Director of Administrative Services is William Doepke. Grades K4, K5, and 6-8 are housed on 22nd Street with Patty Finger as campus administrator and grades 1-5 are housed on 25th street with Patti Blaszczyk as campus administrator. The principal is Judy Birlem. Each year Prince of Peace receives 1% of our parish stewardship dollars as part of our outreach.

Additional Events and Activities

Over the years there have been many events and activities:

• Remodeling of Prince of Peace church hall kitchen and bathrooms by our Habitat crew.
• Painting and updating of classrooms and church hall by our Habitat crew.
• Creating an assistant principal’s office by the Habitat crew.
• Donating perennial plants and establishing a garden.
• Designing and building picnic tables.
• Hosting mini-work camps with the teens.
• Revamping and equipping the computer lab at POP.
• Sharing a joint pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
• Coordinating pulpit exchanges between the parishes.
• Assistance with ESL classes with both people and funds.
• Visiting grandmothers (Abuelas) attended kindergarten each week for years.
• Visiting schools between certain grades each year, including attendance at daytime Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at POP and POP attending the SJV school play.
• Consultation on large projects pending, including heating system at POP/
• Participation in our Justice Market by selling crafts from parishioners at POP
• Helping in the food pantry and with rummage sale at POP
• Performing Our Lady of Guadalupe play and talk at SJV by children and staff member.
• Gathering parish staffs meet on a regular basis to share ideas and form relationships.
• POP participation in Mexican food booth at our SJV parish festival in 2012 and 2013.
• Twinning committees at each parish meet separately and then together to plan events each year.

How You Can Help

Throughout the year, different events are posted in the bulletin. Watch for ways that you can be involved, or contact the Director of Human Concerns.