Fr. Francesco Cucchi, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish is heading up a project started this past Lent to help a tiny diocese in Peru at 4,800m above sea level, in the very rural region of Juli. The new bishop, His Excellency Ciro Quispe López was his classmate at the Gregorian University in Rome. He has been charged with building a new diocese in the prelature of Juli. He has 12 poor parishes. St. Anthony’s has committed to buying 12 sets of chasubles. The downtown Hamilton parish has put out a call for a dozen chalices, suggesting that some of the many chalices given as gifts by councils of the Knights of Columbus could be available.
Checking through our sacristy cupboards, one such chalice and paten set was found. After consulting with our local grand knight, Tom Muldoon, Father Whitfield contacted Father Cucchi to offer the set to the South American missionary diocese. It was gladly accepted and is now being readied along with other liturgical supplies for shipment to the Andes Mountains!
