This year’s diocesan Lent Appeal will be for our partner diocese of Peru, where they are asking for donations towards their Mission Church in the Amazon rainforest.
Bishop Jorge writes:
“Since its formation in 1977, the Diocese of Peru has mainly worked in urban areas, primarily the two biggest cities of Lima and Arequipa, with some missions in more remote parts of the Andean highlands. In 2023, however, the first work began in the Amazon rainforest, and on the feast of Christ the King in November last year the first formal mission church was established in that part of the country.
The Francis of Assisi Mission is based in Puerto Maldonado, the main settlement in the rainforest Madre de Dios region of Peru, near the border with Bolivia. It is led by the Revd Tomás Gallegos, who was trained as an Anglican priest in Arequipa and has a professional background in education and the media. He felt called to minister in this area, and that has led to the establishment of an itinerant community church with three main meeting points around Puerto Maldonado.
This area of Peru has temperatures regularly hitting 45 degrees Celsius, with heavy rainfall throughout much of the year. It was founded as a settlement during the rubber boom of the 1860s, when it became a river port, but has been home to indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The city itself has an airport with regular flights to Lima, and can be reached by road, but despite this is a remote place. Sparsely populated and far from Lima, the Amazon regions of Peru are not easy places to live. It is hard to make a living, which in part explains the logging and deforestation (often illegal) having such severe environmental effects. Although more of a problem near the northern borders with Colombia and Brazil, the narcotics trade and drug barons make parts of the jungle very dangerous. Both state and churches have shown little interest in the Amazon peoples, and the rainforest is not historically an area with a significant Christian presence. Many people here live in poverty and are looked upon with suspicion or condescension by urban elites.
The aim of the Francis of Assisi Mission is to change this, reaching out with the Christian message and pastoral care to people who have long been overlooked. Tomás seeks to bring the love of Christ into these communities. A growing Anglican community has already been established, and at its heart is the fifth mark of mission to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain the earth.
This new mission is challenged not only to care for the tropical forests, but also for all the fauna they shelter, starting with the “other”: the neighbour, the man and woman who are children of God.”
Please do consider making a contribution to this year’s Lent appeal.
Visit our online fundraising page
Or make an electronic payment to the following account (please ensure the correct reference number is used):
Account Name: Worcester Diocesan Board of Finance Limited
Bank: Lloyds Bank – The Cross
Sort Code: 30 – 99 – 90
Account number: 02974040
Reference: LentPeru
You can also send donations by cheque to the diocesan office, 16 Lowesmoor Wharf, Worcester. WR1 2RS. Please make cheques payable to “Diocese of Worcester”, and ensure the same reference (Lent - Peru) is included either on the back of the cheque or on a covering letter so the contribution can be allocated correctly.
