PROVIDENCE — As Sarah Perin-Monterroso prepared to embark on another mission trip to the Dominican Republic this week, she reflected on the path her mission work has taken her with El Catolico. She is currently leading a trip from Aug. 17 -26, with Father Joseph Brice, assistant pastor of St. Patrick and St. Michael parishes, and a group of young adults to help those in the poorest neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic.
In 2017 Perin-Monterroso had the opportunity to participate as one of the adult chaperones and missionaries who accompanied Father James Ruggieri, pastor of St. Patrick Parish, on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
On that occasion, they brought several St. Patrick Academy students and youth from the parish to a 10-day mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
“My heart fell completely in love with the poverty, simplicity, hope and the need of the communities that we visited,” Perin-Monterroso said.
“Among those with such a lack of material goods, I felt more loved than ever and I was able to find God’s love in each person, creature, and circumstance.”
Since then God placed in her heart a desire to return and serve, especially in the area of evangelization and also by helping to build a dining room and a mission house. Two months later she was already back on a second mission, more in love than before and with a heart ready to serve.
Upon returning to Rhode Island she shared with her family her experiences, trying to get her husband Sergio to follow her in their service, as a family of missionaries.
“It was not until February 2020 that by the grace of God my family accompanied me on another missionary trip to this place, this time my husband and my two little girls came with me,” she said.
“It was a wonderful experience, like me before, my husband felt called to the same service and fell in love in the same way I did. It was a sacrifice, but it does not hurt because in giving we find a receiving that goes beyond our understanding.”
She recounted that during all this time they worked closely with the Franciscan Poor Sisters of the Holy Sacrament, an order instituted by Fray José María Guerrero, a Franciscan friar.
“Last year, with a lot of effort, we were able to buy a piece of land adjacent to the convent and begin the project of building a dining room and evangelization school that will also serve as a missionary home in that community.”
This past April, Sarah and her husband Sergio, were blessed to organize another mission trip in which 17 missionaries participated.
“From Rhode Island, we were accompanied by one of our priests, Father Joseph Brice, and youth members of our parish St. Patrick. We also had the participation of missionaries from New Jersey, Nicaragua and Guatemala who also joined this mission, which we named: Jesus is Alive,” she said.
To prepare and meet the needs of this mission, they collected donations and were able to send 16 boxes of groceries and necessities. That was just the beginning.
The activities of their mission were countless. Among them, it is worth noting that they facilitated Life in the Spirit seminars for both young people and adults, a first in that community, located in a marginalized neighborhood, with people living in deplorable conditions where violence is a part of daily life.
“Our adult and young missionaries visited the sick, promoting love, praying for physical, mental and spiritual health, there was a renewal of marriage vows, activities with children, young people, and we distributed food to dozens of families.”
Regardless of the difficulties of the restrictions of the pandemic, among human beings, “we felt more united than ever, we sang, praised and glorified God as in the early church, and walked the streets, sending a message of love amid so much need,” she said. “They were clapping, with beautiful voices, tambourines and guitars sharing the gospel message, promoting a Jesus who is alive,” she added.
“We need more missionaries willing to say yes! To leave everything and go to take the gospel to every corner of the earth,” she concluded.
For more information about their mission work in the Dominican Republic, contact Sarah Perin-Monterroso via email at azadesarah@gmail.com or by calling (401) 207-3490.
