August 2008 News:
Fr Frank and Miguel return home after WYD
After a wonderful time in Australia for Constantine's Ordination and World Youth Day, Fr Frank and Miguel have returned safely to San Francisco.
Watch this space for more photos and information from thier trip soon!
JULY 2008 News:
Primary School opens in San Francisco
Thanks to the generosity of the Canberra community and in particular our Club Cientos members, the first three grades of the primary school have started in thier new classrooms.
Fr Frank tells us:
"The school – the name Corazon de Maria translating as ‘Heart of Mary’ in English – has begun with Kindergarten and Years 1 and 2. We plan to build classrooms each year to allow the classes to continue up to the end of primary school in Year 7. This will take two more years to achieve.
The school is in the competent hands of the Sisters Oblatas de Sanctisimous Corazones de Jesus y Maria. We are so fortunate to have three sisters in our community, Sisters Reina, Blanca and Marinella. They are great religious women who have achieved so much already. On the first Sunday of June we celebrated mass in the morning for the families of all the children in our school. It was followed by games and singing and dancing and ended with a communal lunch. The school has given us a tremendous sense of community and joy".
St Clare's Fundraising Dinner
Once again St Clare's organised a terrific night of entertainment, food and fun at the Southern Cross Club. This year's event raised $20,000 to support the work that Fr Frank is doing in San Francisco. In particular the funds will be vital to the ongoing building of the new primary school. We will provide an update on the school's openning and progress soon!
The St Clare's dinner is part of the 'Adopt a School' program which see's the school partnering with a local business to provide vocational education options for students to engage with industry. For these dinners St Clare's partners with the Southern Cross Club so that students can get hands on experience in hospitality and pr/marketing.
Students from the music and photography departments were also involved this year, producing a stunning photographic exhibition, which was displayed on the night and providing beautiful entertainment.
Fr Frank and the Mission Committee would like to thank St Clare's, the Southern Cross Club and the Adopt a School program for once again supporting the work of the Mission in San Francisco. We also wish to thank our esteemed guests from Canberra's South American diplomatic community who joined us for the evening.
New Chuch consecrated by Guayaquil Bishop
On Sunday, 8th June we gathered with the Archbishop of Guayaquil, Antonio Arregui and five brother priests of the Society of St James, and a multitude of people from San Francisco and other communities of the mission, to consecrate our new church, Iglesia San Alberto Hurtado. In the same Mass we celebrated confirmation with 200 young people. The crowds were enormous and it was obvious - as the Archbishop said in his homily - that we need to build another church to accommodate our people. The enthusiasm of the people for their new church is so impressive.
Thank you to everyone for your support - especially the anonymous couple who so generously made the building of this church possible. We have achieved a significant goal in our missionary endeavours - creating a home for Christ in the sacrament and making it possible for his people to celebrate His presence: A House of God. The gate of heaven and grace for the poor, the church is surrounded by beautiful gardens and two shrines - one to Our Lady and one to Our Lord in Gethsemane.
Mission newsletters:
 Mission Newsletter July 2008
Mission Newsletter March 2008
Mission Newsletter September 2007
Mission Newsletter March 2007
Mission Newsletter December 2006
Mission Newsletter May 2006
Mission Newsletter April 2006
Mission Newsletter February 2006
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Frank and Miguel with friends in Sydney
More photos to come soon!
Fr Frank with two of the first students
of the new primary school. The sisters
have organised school uniforms for
every child.
The kids all love being in thier brand
new classrooms! The hope is to add one
or two extra rooms each year so that
these children can finish primary school
and even go on to high school. This year
there are classes for kindergarten, grade
one and grade two.
The whole community was so proud to be
part of the openning Mass and ceremony
for the new primary school.
200 young people celebrated thier confirmation
at the same time as the consecration of
Iglesia San Alberto Hurtado in San Francisco.
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