For over five years St. Peter's Church has maintained a very special relationship with five small congregations in the Northeast area of Guatemala:

San Matias (Saint Matthew's) in Morales

San Miguel y Todos los Angeles (St. Michael and All Angels) in Bananera

San Timeteo (St. Timothy's) in Cruce de Virginia

San Miguel, Archangel, (Saint Michael the Archangel) in Campo Dos

San Jose in Campo Tres.

Linda and Frank Toia visit our companion parishes at least once a year and frequently twice in the same year. On one occasion a group of five members of St. Peter's made the pilgrimage together and it is hoped that other members of St. Peter's will be able to visit our companion parishes in the future. Several years ago a delegation of representatives from our companion parishes spent a week as our guests here in Pennsylvania. Plans are underway to invite others to visit us within the next year or so.

In 2008 The Rev. Keith Marsh, Rector of the Church of the Messiah in Gwynedd, traveled to Guatemala with the Toias, inaugurating a cooperative program between our two parishes in companionship with the five Guatemalan congregations. They are traveling together again in January 2009, joined by Fr. Marsh's adult daughter, Lauren, who will be spending six months as a volunteer in a woman's cooperative project in Guatemala City.

In addition to visits and other forms of communication, the companion relationship involves the following aspects:

A scholarship program in which approximately fifty children receive partial scholarships making it possible for their families to keep them in school.

A Medical Emergency Fund provided to the clergy in our companion parishes to use at their discretion to help parishioners who have no medical insurance and serious medical needs.

A Guatemalan Craft sale several times a year which helps UPAVIM, the women's cooperative, support itself and provides some income to the St. Peter's Companion Parish Committee for special needs. The most recent craft sale provided money to purchase Christmas gifts for children of our companion parishes.

Our relationship with our Guatemalan brothers and sisters is knit together in a web of regular prayer and mutual concern for one another.

Current members of the Companion Parish Committee are Elizabeth Miller, Shirley and Fred Smith, Virginia Trimble, Pat Duffy, Linda Toia and Frank Toia.

For the Diversity of Races and Cultures
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, page 840)