Our Story
in Peru
The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word work in a variety of settings in Peru to provide services to persons who are economically poor. Living and working side by side with the people, they foster respect for plurality and cultural diversity. The Sisters evangelize the poor and are evangelized by them. They raise awareness of ecological problems in some sectors of the population. They work in solidarity with organizations that help people in times of disaster. They assist women in their search for equality and work toward creating a society committed to honoring women’s needs.
Pastoral Ministries in Parishes:
*Youth Ministry: Sisters work as consultants among youth in parishes as well as in the diocese. Through offering annual retreats and organizing formation and leadership programs, they help youth form communities and discover God as a friend.
*Health Ministry: Sisters are a compassionate presence of the Incarnate Word for the sick at the parish and diocesan level. They also give support to those making pastoral visits to homes and hospitals.
*Jail Ministry: Sisters visit the prisons. They bring the Eucharist and provide spiritual formation using the Bible. They participate in judicial processes to ensure that the poor are treated justly.
*Ministry to Handicapped Persons: Sisters facilitate opportunities for health education and spiritual formation for persons with disabilities so that they may be more fully incorporated into the life of the parish.
*Faith Formation Ministry: Sisters serve as consultants and catechists in sacramental preparation programs, and offer retreats which prepare parishioners for receiving sacraments.
*Children’s Choir: Sisters work with children who wish to sing and bring greater vitality to liturgical celebrations.
*Ministry to Infants: Sisters gather children between the ages of 6 and 12 years and help them form groups that cultivate awareness of the missionary Church. They also counsel the youth who accompany the children in these groups.
*Ministry to Altar Boys/Girls: Sisters provide spiritual formation to boys and girls who feel called to serve at the altar during the Eucharist.
*Liturgical Ministry: Sisters prepare Ministers of the Word and the Eucharist at the parish level by offering them formation in Liturgy and in their mission as committed lay persons.
Educational Ministries:
Sisters assist the Office of Catholic Education in preparing and supporting teachers of Religious Education.
Social Ministries:
Sisters work with social organizations whose objective is to support the welfare of the poor. They accompany groups involved with soup kitchens, human rights issues, women’s leadership, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Board struggling against poverty.
Institutional Ministries:
*Santa Clara Clinic: This clinic, founded by the Sisters, has been serving the poor in Chimbote for the last 42 years. Its mission is “to actualize the saving and healing love of the Incarnate Word by promoting human dignity today,” from the reality of the sick.
*Hospice in Santiago Apostol: This mission of the Sisters cares for and supports persons who are suffering from a terminal illness, and are in transition to a new life by accompanying them, promoting dignity, and alleviating pain and suffering, until the end of their earthly lives.