Chiapas Mission

The Chiapas Mission at Spiritus Christi is for anyone who wants to walk in solidarity with families and organizations that represent and strive for social and economic justice around the world. Many people in the Chiapas Mission have experienced the Corazón de Chiapas pilgrimage, but it is not required for participation. Our group meets each month to discuss the various programs we support that help the families and organizations in Chiapas, Mexico. Come learn about our special bond with the people and families in Mexico, and join us to help our efforts from right here in Rochester, or make a plan to visit Chiapas on an upcoming pilgrimage. Learn about our scholarship program, our relationship with coffee cooperatives in Chiapas, and more about our annual pilgrimage below.

Programs

Corazón de Chiapas Pilgrimage (“Heart of Chiapas”) a spiritual pilgrimage in Chiapas, Mexico “Walk with them…in their family lives.”

Since 1994, small groups from Spiritus Christi have traveled to Tuxtla-Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, to live and walk in solidarity with families in this economically challenged region of the world. What occurs in this very unique experience is a “meeting of the hearts.” Participants stay in the homes of host families who provide for our basic needs with warmth and generosity. Sharing stories of life’s struggles and experiencing their challenging environment reveals our common humanity as members of one family. Embarking on a Corazón de Chiapas pilgrimage is answering a unique call to discover the gift of God’s love within ourselves. If you are interested in joining us on a pilgrimage, please see our contact information below. Work-scholarships are available for those who find the cost of the pilgrimage prohibitive; a link to the application can be found below.

Programa de Becas (Scholarship Program) "Walk with them...in their education."

LAS BECAS is a scholarship program which is administered by a young woman from Tuxtla-Gutierrez, Nadxhieli, along with the help of parents from the community; they work to identify students who meet the financial and educational criteria of the program. Through this program, we provide financial support for dozens of children and young adults for tuition, needed school supplies, school uniforms, shoes, lunches and transportation to and from school. These scholarships are for children in the public school system of Tuxtla, Chiapas, many of whom are also children of host families, as well as young adults attending university.

Two named scholarships are awarded each academic year to students who meet their criteria.

• Gabi's Light Scholarship is awarded to a student who has recently lost their primary caregiver’s support from death or serious illness. It is given in the name of Gabriella (Gabi) Orozco Ortega, the youngest daughter of one of our original and long-time host families, José and Sara. Gabi died of ovarian cancer at 41 and left behind six children, three of whom are still quite young (Hania, Perla and Jelitza).


• The Ramerman Scholarship is awarded to an individual who shows a commitment to youth ministry and is given in honor of Rev. Mary Ramerman who started her long career as a youth minister.

We are so excited to be offering these opportunities to the youth of our Tuxtla community!

We congratulate Carlos Miguel Vázquez Pérez of Tuxtla-Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico, the 2023-24 scholar awarded the Mary Ramerman Scholarship. Carlos Miguel is a 22-year-old university student in his 8th semester of a Marine Biology degree who is preparing to become certified as a scientific diver. He loves nature and animals, especially marine animals. He has been involved in catechism since he was little and currently serves in the youth ministry at a chapel in his colonia, Shanka. Congratulations, Carlos Miguel, on receiving this award!

Cooperativas de Café “Walk with them…in their work”

For more than 20 years, we have fostered relationships with a variety of coffee cooperatives which are owned and operated by indigenous farmers from many small villages high in the mountains of southern Chiapas. Some of these cooperatives sell their coffee to Equal Exchange, a fair trade co-operative here in the U.S. and the supplier of some of the coffee we sell at Spiritus Christi.

In 2023, we began a relationship with the Maya Vinic cooperative which operates with a respect for local language and culture, and a reverence for Mother Earth and traditional forms of self-government. Its founding members come out of the base organization Las Abejas, a network of Liberation Theology catechists in the region. They offer producer members regular educational and capacity-building activities focused on sustainable farming techniques and the importance of a strong social economy.

Pilgrimage groups visit Maya Vinic’s central operations to meet member owners, and may travel higher into the mountains to villages where families grow and harvest the coffee (weather permitting).

Spiritus Christi also initiated a project, and was joined by Equal Exchange and other congregations around the country, to support the cost and construction of brick and cement stoves in the homes of indigenous families. The stoves provide a healthier way for families to cook and heat their living spaces, directing smoke and soot out through an exhaust chimney.

And Spiritus supported a Mushroom House Project that provided materials and training to coffee-growing communities for the construction and operation of small mushroom modules (huts or houses). The oyster mushrooms they grow provide their community with a high-protein source to enhance their diets.

As part of our walk with our brothers and sisters of Chiapas, Mexico, pilgrimage groups also visit the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Here they learn how the region's indigenous communities, the most economically challenged in Mexico, are thriving in a modern world while maintaining the richness of their Mayan heritage. 

coffee

Connect

For more info about the Chiapas Mission and how you can participate, contact Krista Vardabash.

Email Krista

SAVE THE DATE! HELP US CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF SISTERHOOD ON JUNE 2nd, 2024!

At the start of the 2023-24 school year, Spiritus Christi distributed over 40 scholarships totaling close to $19,000 directly to the families of children and young adults in our sister community in Chiapas, Mexico. These are the same families that host us in their homes when we make our pilgrimages. We will be celebrating 30 years of this beautiful Ministry, our connections, and our generous support to keep the ministry going. On Sunday, June 2nd , after the 9:30am Mass at Hochstein, please join us for our FIESTA FAMOSA: A pinata for the kids, shopping handmade items hand-carried back from our pilgrimage in November, coffee, treats, and an abundance of locally made empanadas.
And our annual quilt raffle is around the corner too! This year’s creation is magnificent and will appear on the altar in May! You can buy tickets the whole month of June after masses, but put June 2nd on your calendars and come help us celebrate at Hochstein after 9:30 Mass. Todos bienvenidos – all are welcome!

Other dates to note:

Sat Feb. 24 & Sun Feb 25: Coffee will be sold after each Mass

Tues Feb 27: Monthly Chiapas meeting

Sat Mar 23 & Sun Mar 24: Coffee will be sold after each Mass

• No upcoming events are scheduled

Links and Resources

For an application for a pilgrimage work-scholarship, click HERE.