A New Chapel in Rural Bolivia 

The Parish of Saint Francis Xavier is situated in a rural region of the Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco in the tropical eastern part of Bolivia. The people here live mainly on traditional subsistence farming; the region is largely undeveloped and they are very poor.  

Juancito is one of the parish outstations. It is a community of about 500 souls and only accessible on unmade roads. Juancito is also the center to which, on feast days, the other Catholic faithful come from the surrounding smaller settlements. 

Until recently, there was only an old chapel here, already too small for the number of worshipers. It was in extremely derelict condition and also had little ventilation, so that it was suffocatingly hot inside. Over time, it had also become a shelter for bats, which were difficult to get rid of. And finally, it was badly sited and not easy to get to. What they needed was a considerably larger chapel on a site that was also more easily accessible.  

The local faithful play an active part in the life of the Church and practice their faith ardently. They have sacrificed their own time and money for this dream of a “proper” church and have gathered local building materials, such as wood and mud, and invested all their skills and hard work. But their financial resources were still not enough. And so, thanks to $15,205 given by our donors, we were able to help them fulfill their dream. There is now great rejoicing in Juancito! Our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your generosity! 

211-01-19