CLINTON — Bishop Daniel Turley of the Diocese of Chulucanas, Peru, visited Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton June 17 for the second time. His first visit was in 2004 to Prince of Peace, which is a sister parish to a newly formed parish in the Diocese of Chulucanas, La Virgen Pura y Limpia in Sapillica.
More than 50 people attended a potluck supper and heard Bishop Turley speak of the value of the sister relationship. “It’s not about sending money,” he said, even though his diocese is one of the poorest in Latin America. “It’s about our relationship and building community, the community of God, small communities who know each other and are caring for each other. I commend your parish for reaching out, even as you struggled through merging five parishes and building a new church. You reach out to the poor.”
Bishop Turley, the second bishop of Chulucanas, explained the highly regarded pastor plan of his diocese that was developed by the founding bishop, Most Rev. John McNaab, when he returned from Vatican II.
“We recognize that the hierarchy — the bishops and the clergy — are servants of the Church. We are all servants, ministering to one another. We are a servant Church, caring for all of creation and for all God’s people.”
In Bishop Turley’s diocese, where most towns are visited by a priest only once or twice a year, the lay people are highly organized, even in the most remote villages, and they serve each other. Bishop Turley commended the work of Clinton Franciscan Sister Phyllis Morris who has served the diocese for 45 years. She currently directs the office of finance and of catechetics and is responsible for preparing and printing the annual liturgy book and distributing it to all of the 1,500 towns that comprise the diocese, as well as training the village liturgists.
Before leaving Clinton Saturday to return to Peru, Bishop Turley celebrated Mass at The Canticle, home of the Clinton Franciscan Sisters, and visited the new Prince of Peace Church with Father Ken Kuntz, pastor, and members of the Peru Task Force.
