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Having a Heart for Peruvian Children

The 2008 Heart-to-Heart Project, which concluded on Good Friday, March 21, 2008, brought in $5031 and 1884 hearts, the main sponsor, the Rockford (Illinois) Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, reported. As a result, hundreds of poor Peruvian children will have the required materials that allow them to stay in school. Please plan to take part in the Lent 2009 Heart-to-Heart Project, an excellent activity for your religious education class or church youth program. Check back in early 2009 for details.

Heart-to-Heart Project
Unites Children in US, Peru

Children in the towns and villages of the Catholic Diocese of Chulucanas, Peru discovered that children of the United States have lots of heart.

It all started when Rita Prunuske, then President of the Rockford Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, had an idea. She wanted to involve children in the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, Illinois in a project that would help the children of northern Peru.

She asked the Catholic newspaper to print large hearts. Children then cut out the hearts, decorated them and added their personal messages.

Once the hearts were completed, they were mailed to the newspaper along with a $2 donation. During the eight years of its existence, the project has sent 12,672 hearts and $33,857 to help poor children in Peru.

The hearts and the money were sent to the Catholic Diocese of Chulucanas, Peru, where an Augustinian, Daniel Turley, O.S.A., is Bishop and where several other Augustinians minister.

The Church distributed the hearts to the children and used the money to buy the required type of school noteboooks plus other needed school supplies.

When the Peruvian children received their decorated hearts, they were able to exchange them at their local parish church for the required supplies.

The notebooks and supplies are truly a ticket to opportunity in Peru. Children are not allowed in school if they don't have the required materials.

Many families are too poor to buy the notebooks for their children. Consequently, many children are not able to go to school.

Bishop Turley's area is one of the poorest in Peru. Most people are farmers who try to eke out a living on tiny farms of three to four acres. Weather (droughts or excessive rains), government corruption and the crushing foreign debt of Perú all have contributed to the people's poverty.

"These hearts were sent by other children just like (our Peruvian children)," Bishop Turley said. "They also have many needs, but are filled with all sorts of love. They wanted to share the friendship and love with someone in Peru, who are now the recipients of friendship from the many beautiful children in the Rockford Diocese."

Learn More about the Augustinian Missions in Peru

• The Church at Work in Northern Peru

         » Making Much with Little
               Grassroots Pastoral Plan in the Catholic Diocese of Chulucanas, Peru

         » Social and Economic Development
               Helping the poor to help themselves in Northern Peru

         » The Bishop Visits
               Pastoral visits in Peru are a time of special blessing

         » Pastoral Journeys in Pacaipampa
               Travelling to remote Peruvian mountain villages to bring Christ to the people

         » Augustinians Return to San José Obrero
               Friars resume ministry in Chulucanas parish after five-year absence

• Children of Peru

         » Children of Peru: The Working Child
               Peruvian children must work to help their family make ends meet

         » Children of Peru: The Child at School
               The life of a young student in the mountains of Peru