Body of Christ

  • Rosemary Reyes Cuevas is a member of the Ss. Peter and Paul Parish twinning committee that guides a 35-year partnership with San Ildefonso Parish in Chiapas, Mexico. She also is a board member of the local World Mission Ministries and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
  • Other parish service by Cuevas includes being a FOCCUS marriage preparation facilitator with her husband, a lector and serving as part of the parish team at St. Ben’s Meal Program. She also is a member of the Archdiocese Order of Catechists.
  • Cuevas, a retired assistant state public defender, has been married to Michael Reyes for 31 years, and they have one son, Michael Francisco (Paco) Reyes.
  • Cuevas attended a Catholic high school in her hometown of Chicago and received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison after she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminal justice from Northern Illinois University.

 

Tell us about your relationship with Jesus.

My relationship with Jesus can be summarized in one word: “Love.” I strive to grow in this love through the sacraments of the Church, prayer and sharing his love with others.

How did you become interested in missions?

As a young child, I recall telling my mother that I wanted to be a missionary. As an adult, my interest in missions was rekindled during the prayers of the faithful, when we prayed for our sister parish of San Ildefonso in Chiapas, Mexico. The priest from San Ildefonso visited Ss. Peter and Paul for the annual mission appeal and spoke about life in our sister parish. As the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, the people and country of Mexico have always interested me.

How do you explain what is meant by missions?

I think people may have the misconception that missions are for priests, nuns and young people who are being confirmed.  As Catholics, we are all called to be missionary disciples. Pope Francis in his encyclical, “Joy of the Gospel,” exhorts us to “always be prepared to bring the love of Jesus to others.” It is through our faith and actions that we can answer the call to be missionary disciples.

In 1989, your parish began a sister parish relationship with San Ildefonso Parish in Chiapas, Mexico. Can you tell us about the parish?

There is a church in San Ildefonso with two priests, two religious sisters and approximately 60 permanent deacons. There are about 40,000 parishioners and many attend one of the 50 “hermitas” (chapel churches) built in the central mountain range of Chiapas. The hermitas are built by the parishioners through their daily labor and monetary contributions. Most of our sister parishioners are subsistence farmers, where they grow beans and corn, but some have formed an organic coffee co-op and sell coffee they grow to Collectivo Coffee Roasters in Milwaukee under the brand name of Kulaktik coffee. They live humbly in one-room homes that do not have running water, indoor plumbing or cooking facilities. While they are poor in material goods, they are rich in faith.

Have you been on an international mission trip?

Yes.  I have traveled twice to our sister parish.  I grew to appreciate the universality of our Catholic faith. All the parishioners in our sister parish are indigenous Mayan. What most impressed me was their great faith. They traveled up to nine hours on foot, walking through rugged mountain terrain on unpaved roads to attend Mass. There was no shelter from the hot sun or a place to sit for the 10,000 parishioners in attendance. The Mass lasted for hours, and many sacraments were administered, including Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations and Marriages. It was a beautiful experience to worship with our brothers and sisters.

How does your parish support this sister parish relationship?

We support our sister parish by selling Kulaktik coffee once a month after all the Masses. Profits have helped build a two-story parish center where religious formation and all church activities occur. In the past, we have helped the coffee growers buy a truck to transport the coffee to the co-op. We also purchased a Jeep for the pastor to travel to the many mountainside communities in the parish. During the prayers of the faithful, we pray for our sister parish. Parishioners from Ss. Peter and Paul travel to Chiapas where we visit the sick, pray, attend Mass, dance and break bread with our brothers and sisters. Padre Antonio from Chiapas has come to Milwaukee during our mission appeal and has talked to us about the current state of parish life. During this time, parish families host Padre Antonio for meals and fellowship at parishioners’ homes.

What is the best advice you’ve received or that you give?

The time we spend with family, friends and neighbors is the greatest gift we can give one another. Material wealth is not as important as the loving relationships that we nurture.