The Mission of the El Salvador Ministry is to promote solidarity and exchange between the St. Elizabeth Parish community and our sister communities in El Salvador, Romero Community and Palo Grand/Suchitoto.
CONGRATULATIONS, ERNESTO AND GREGORIA!
Ernesto Estrada graduated on November 17, 2023 from the University of Alberto Masferrer in San Salvador, El Salvador with a degree in Nursing. Ellen and Kerm Fendler, St. Elizabeth’s parishioners, had the honor of attending Ernesto’s graduation ceremony in San Salvador and his graduation party in his hometown of Agua Caliente.
Ernesto is one of almost 100 young people that St. Elizabeth’s parishioners, along with friends and acquaintances, have supported with scholarships for their primary, secondary and post-secondary education. Since these students are from extremely impoverished areas in El Salvador, they have little chance of completing high school, much less college, without financial assistance.
Ernesto started in the scholarship program in 2017. Like many young people in El Salvador, his journey through school was difficult...click here to read more of Ernesto's story
Gregoria Acevedo is a member of the Romero Community and the daughter of Leonora and Raul Acevedo. With the help of a scholarship funded by St. Elizabeth, Gregoria was able to attend the University of El Salvador. She graduated in November 2023 with a degree in social work, the fruit of her hard work and the generosity of St. Elizabeth parishioners.
Gregoria visited Kansas City in 2016 and spoke at St. Elizabeth Masses and at other events around town. She left a lasting impression on people who heard her speak and who met her.
Gregoria is a social activist and a leader in her community and beyond. She is a brave young woman who has challenged public officials and others to improve living and working conditions in her neighborhood. She organizes efforts to help local communities be more self-sufficient. Much like her parents, Gregoria is a “change agent”.
What's Happening in Our Ministry?
- The next Adult Trip to El Salvador is February 15 - 22, 2024. It is completely full
- The next Youth Trip to El Salvador is March 6 - 13, 2024. There are still open slots. Contact Jackie O’Brien (816-547-5306) or Anne Ira (816-914-4030) for more information
ADULT MISSION TRIP TO EL SALVADOR
El Salvador Trip February 1 – 8, 2023: This photo was taken after Mass at the Chapel of the Divine Providence Hospital where St. Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass on March 24, 1980. This was one of the many highlights from our trip to El Salvador this year. The travelers included people from St. Elizabeth’s, Holy Spirit, and Keystone Methodist Churches. If you are interested in traveling to El Salvador, contact Kerm Fendler at (913) 488-7790.
YOUTH MISSION TRIP TO EL SALVADOR
- St. Elizabeth’s sponsored its first youth trip to El Salvador in 2023. Six junior high students, along with parents and grandparents, two organizers and the school’s Spanish teacher toured the country from March 9 to 15. Activities included: visiting both the Romero Community and Suchitoto/Palo Grande, which are St. Elizabeth’s sister communities; playing a soccer game with Salvadoran students; hiking the San Salvador volcano; painting a mural on the Romero Community technology center; participating in a fiesta; visiting historic and religious sites; and attending Mass. It was a powerful journey. Thank you for your courage and openness to be transformed and travel to a new place!
Youth Trip Update: On the STE youth trip to El Salvador in March, our students visited the Palo Grande grade school. It sits on top of a high hill overlooking a beautiful valley. Inside the building, they found classrooms full of students but lacking the basic educational supplies needed to teach. It was not anything like the STE classrooms back home. The Salvadoran teachers explained that the lack of teaching supplies is always a problem, but a recent robbery at the school had compounded the problem.
The STE students felt compelled to do something about this. When they returned to KC, they organized a campaign to raise funds to purchase art supplies and whatever else the Salvadoran teachers needed to help their students. They raised over $1,300. The money was sent to CIS who, in turn, directed it to the Palo Grande school. Special thanks to the adults and students who traveled to El Salvador and to those who generously supported this call to help those in need!
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING EFFORT!
We had a strong finish to our 2021 fundraising efforts, bringing the total amount collected in
2021 to $62,212. That provides more than enough dollars to fund 107 scholarships for the
2022 school year, including 59 scholarships for Catholic grade school, 30 for high school, and 18
for university. We also received a matching grant of $20,000, which has been booked as
revenue in the 2022 calendar year. Thank you!!! Your contributions are helping educate young
people in El Salvador and transform their lives, giving them a viable alternative to gang
violence, teen pregnancy and migration to the U.S. It is also transforming communities, as
parents now have hope for a brighter, more just world for their children.
We hope to fund even more scholarships in the future because the demand for scholarships
continues to exceed their availability.