For the September 2017 Guatemala representatives meeting, we had the opportunity to travel to visit the Catholic Community of Santo Domingo Guzman in Chichipate, El Estor, Izabal (see photos of the weekend).  For many, this was the first time they had visited this part of the country.

Representatives from TN1, TN2, UPAVIM, las Margaritas 2, San Andres Itzapa, Chichipate and Chontala gather for the Solidarity Walk in Chichipate.

The Chichipate community was excited to receive brothers and sisters representing various Sister Parish communities.

As part of the visit, representatives visited a nearby comunity to hear about their struggle to defend land rights affected by mining.  We listened to the community members tell their story of how they formed their community and gained formal recognition in the face of many challenges.

Representatives also participated in the annual Solidarity Walk with the theme this year of “Embracing our Neighbors”.   We walked through the community of Chichipate to a place where we could stop to reflect on Bible readings about solidarity.

Read more about the representatives meeting in the report (pdf).