Following the call of Renewal of Evangelism in the Second Vatican Council’s document on foreign missions, the Claretian Eastern Province of the United States began to search for a site to sponsor a mission. In 1966, they were invited to the department of Izabal, Guatemala by Bishop Gerardo Humberto Flores Reyes, the Apostolic Administrator of Izabal. Fathers Anthony Briskey, Roger Bartlett, and Gregory Zimmerman were sent to Livingston, Izabal to serve as the first Claretian missionaries. The Claretians soon fostered a positive relationship to the local community and Bishop Reyes and were soon able to send more missionaries to work with the Mayan Q’eqchi’ communities of El Estor and Matías de Gálvez (which is still colloquially known by its previous name, Santo Tomás de Castilla).
The Eastern Province of the United States began to send Claretian Lay Missionaries to assist and also partnered with Rotary International and the FOCUS (Foreign Ophthalmological Care from the United States) Eye Clinic to provide medical care as well as spiritual care. After nearly 30 years, the mission in Guatemala was elevated to join the Claretian Central American Province.
Many of the photographs in this collection were taken by U.S. Catholic photographer Edward Lettau. This collection is organized by city or town.