As many of you know, and may have even experienced this summer, a portion of COAR’s funding is raised through the Mission Cooperative Plan or “mission appeal” at various churches around North America. Our speakers often enjoy meeting new supporters, connecting with people about El Salvador or our mission, and even occasionally running into donors who are already familiar with COAR.
But this year, one of our speakers ran into someone who might know COAR even better than she does! Our Programs Director, Susan Barnish, is the one who does most of the arrangements for our speakers, so you can imagine her surprise when the pastor of St. Timothy in San Antonio responded to her introduction of COAR by saying, “Why yes, of course I know COAR, I graduated from high school there!”
Meeting Fr. Juan Carlos Morales Tejada was really something special. It is so rare for us to encounter a COAR graduate as an adult. We know we’re doing all we can to send them out into the world prepared to be good community members, with an excellent education based in Catholic values, but like all good parents, we set them free, and so we don’t often see the fruits of our labors. Father JC (as his parishioners call him) was able to share in a special way about the impact COAR can have on a child’s life, and about the scholarship his sponsor provided for him, giving him access to different workshops, sports teams, and opportunities he might not otherwise have had. You can read more about Father JC’s story here!
