Latest News
Hands to Honduras, Holy Family Team, from Boston, MA
Honduran Mission Team of NH is here!
Santa Clara Students Celebrate the Virgin of Suyapa
Santa Clara Begins a New School Year!
GOD Parents Program is growing
News & Events
Latest News
Thank you volunteers - 2008Thursday, June 26, 2008
In Spanish " adios" signifies Hello as well as Goodbye. The hello part is always the easiest. However, it is regretably time to say GoodBye and thanks to those who shared their hearts and talents with us during 2007-2008. The staff and children of all the schools and projects, including the communities in Juticalpa and Jutiquile wish to say " Gracias" a Rob and Kristi Privete who have returned to Washington, to Stephanie who will return to Northeastern University in Boston and special needs, to Katherine who soons begins her medical studies at John Hopkins,to Sara who we hope will continue to drop by and see the children at Nazareth.
We still have Coleen for a few more week and Jesssica who will be here a bit longer along with Allison. Wonderful people, full of a desire to make God´s World a Better Place. We thank you for bring part of us and know you have taken a part of Olancho back with you. It might be the "pearl " of which Saint Matthew writes so please guard it well. Se vayan con Dios.
Adios a Rob y KristiThursday, June 26, 2008
June brings seasons of change as some couples marry, rob and kristi, others join the job market with Diploma in hand and others anxiously and nervously await the beginning for the college experience. This week we said “Adios” to Rob and Kristi Privette who have been with us since last September. We will miss their upbeat spirits and remain grateful for all the incredible work they have done.
Saying good bye to volunteers after a long term experience is always difficult but as people of faith we share the sadness of Jesus’ disciples when he left them at Ascension. Faith filled we hold on to Christ’s promise that “unless I return to the Father I cannot send the Holy Spirit”. We are that faith that as hard as it is, volunteers must get back to their lives so that others can be sent by God´s Holy Spirit. Vaya con Dios y muchas gracias para todo…
Hands to Honduras, Holy Family Team, from Boston, MAFriday, April 18, 2008
Olancho Aid extends a hardy welcome to the mission group from Holy Family Parish in Rockland, Massachusetts. The group is here in Juticalpa for the next ten days giving their time, talent and treasure to benefit the Olancho Aid projects and the people of Olancho.
After a long day spent traveling from Boston to Honduras the group spent the next day today visiting the various OAF projects. The first stop - Escuelita Nazareth, the special needs school, where the students welcomed the missionaries with songs and dancing. Then it was on to Centro Escolar Santa Clara the bilingual elementary school. The students in grades one through five greeted the visitors with traditional Spanish religious songs and then the fifth grade proudly displayed their progress in English with a rendition of Raffi’s “Down by the Bay”. When the students were finished it was the volunteers turn. They presented crucifixes to each classroom at Santa Clara and they also brought pen-pal letters from Holy Family School for the fourth and fifth grade students.
The trip ended with a stop at the Catholic University to visit the Organization’s founder, Padre Richard Donahue and see the beautiful student chapel located on the university campus. During the next several days the group has many projects planned including: a major painting job at Escuelita Nazareth, working on the expanding library at Santa Clara, developing plans to beautify the grounds at Santa Clara with a fountain and worship path, and delivering much needed educational supplies to the small villages in the countryside surrounding Juticalpa.
Honduran Mission Team of NH is here!Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Honduran Mission Team of New Hampshire, based out of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Salem, NH has arrived!
While they are here, they are helping to do many things. They have brought nurses to do small medical clinics in a few communities, they have brought a lot of educational supplies for the small school and toys for children of the community.
They are so happy to be here and are enjoying visiting some of their favorite places such as Jutiquile, Empalizada, Guarizama, San Francisco de la Paz, Patuca, Ojustal and San Francisco de Becerra.
Christmas in FebruaryTuesday, February 19, 2008
The joy of giving doesn’t always happen at Christmas. This year I witnessed the happiness of Christmas morning on a warm day in February in Juticalpa, Honduras.
Thanks to the generosity of the people of Saint Luke’s Parish in Temple, Texas the sixty-five students of Escuelita Nazareth who began their new school year this week, were treated to a shopping spree in the Mendel’s Department store. It was a treat to see the joy in the face of young boy as he searched a rack of new shirts, the twinkle in the eye of a 6 year old as she peeled off her pants to try on a new pair of jeans and the pride in the face of the young man lacing up a new pair of shoes.
Such were the sights I saw as the children explored every inch of the store for two hours. Thanks to the generosity of Mendel’s who closed the store to the general public for a private sale and the compassion of the donors back at Saint Luke’s, these youngsters were able to experience the light of Christ and the joy of Christmas. In the end every child proudly walked, skipped or ran out of the store with a bag of new clothes and a broad smile on their faces.
Santa Clara Students Celebrate the Virgin of SuyapaFriday, February 01, 2008
In Honduras, February 3rd has long been dedicated to the patron saint of Honduras, the Virgin of Suyapa. In honor of the little wooden statue that was found by a poor farmer more than two centuries ago and has since been the source of countless miracles, many Hondurans travel from long distances to Suyapa, a suburb of the capital city Tegucigalpa, where the statue is kept.
Santa Clara students similarly honored the patron saint with a religious celebration full of songs, flowers, and prayers dedicated to our mother Mary, the Virgin of Suyapa. They began with a procession from the entrance of the school property and continued with song and prayer until they reached the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary situated at the center of the school. There, the celebration ended with a decade of the rosary said in both English and Spanish and a presentation of flowers brought from students´ homes.
Santa Clara Begins a New School Year!Friday, November 02, 2007
After two months of vacation spent painting and building new classrooms, Centro Escolar Santa Clara has finally begun a new school year with over 190 students enrolled! There are currently ten classrooms from preschool through fifth grade as well as a new library and computer lab! Five new North American volunteers have joined the staff and Annie Cashore, in her second year of service with Olancho Aid, has taken on the role of "Directora General." Together, both Honduran and North American staff are making dramatic changes in the education and discipline at Santa Clara. In only one short month, the school has already celebrated its first montly mass as well as started its own school garden. The students are excited about the garden and are curious to observe their vegetables growing.
This school year is bound to be full of amazing surprises and we hope to keep you posted about the wonderful things constantly happening at Santa Clara.
GOD Parents Program is growingThursday, March 08, 2007
Generally the word God-Parent signifies Baptism. However, as we have learned it is not always the case. Take for example the parishioners of Saint Luke’s in Temple Texas, they have been “padrinos” (God Parents) to the children at Nazareth for many years. More recently some people have “adopted” grade school children at Santa Clara and pay their monthly tuition. Most recently my nephew’s wife Barbara suggested adopting a family and a few times a year will send clothes, toys and assorted items including pictures of each other’s family. Isn’t that great! Whether we call it God Parenting, Adopting or Sponsorship is not important. What is important is people “hear the cry of the poor” and reach out to help. If we believe that “in life and in death we belong to the Lord” then we are responsible for each other.
If sponsoring a special needs child or a student in the grade or high school or if families want to adopt and support other families please let us know. There is so much good that can be done by those who believe that Jesus Is Lord.
Olancho Aid relaunches its websiteWednesday, February 14, 2007
After many months of hard work, Olancho Aid is very proud to reveal our brand new website to the public. We hope you like it as much as we do! The website is an important tool for the Olancho Aid Foundation, which depends on volunteer and financial support to do its work. Now we can provide visitors with important information about our projects and announce upcoming events and the latest Foundation news. We also make it really easy for you to donate or learn more about volunteering with us.
Tania Lemus, Nazareth's first studentTuesday, February 13, 2007
While angels and Christians sang "Joy To The World" this past Christmas, the staff and special need students at Nazareth said goodbye to Tania Lemus, who died on Christmas Eve. Tania was the first Nazareth student to receive her primary school certificate, and is now the first Nazareth student to enter the Kingdom of God.
With some foundation support we hope to begin the development of a vocational education component at Nazareth and use some space to honor her memory.