Happy New Year, everyone! May we have another blessed year for the Artesanias Pachamama!

Since it has been a few months since I’ve posted any new articles, I would like to take this opportunity to recap a few events.

To bring you up to date, the total sales for 2007 exceeded $60,000.00 in revenue for the Ladies, making 2007 the best year ever! This success is entirely due to you, the people of the participating parishes, your friends, and of course the Holy Spirit.

Greensboro’s St. Pius X led the sales and had a terrific turnout of volunteers! There was never a moment that someone wasn’t being helped or attended to; not a table left unmanned. I have to thank Bob Costello for all of his help in organizing and calling the individuals who gave generously of their time. It was a lot of fun for me to have the opportunity to meet and get to know the people of St. Pius; they really take their responsibility to the Artesania very seriously and the “love” shows. The only thing missing in Greensboro was the presence of Sister Barbara, who for orthopedic reasons was unable to attend this year. Let’s pray that next year, after a knee replacement, she will be among us once again!

Holy Family, Clemmons, had its first taste of the Artesania Pachamama the first weekend of December. There was much “wondering” at the outset of the Saturday sale, several people purchased a sweater or some crafts and on Sunday, some came back to purchase more! Even though the sale on Sunday was supposed to end at 2pm we were still making sales at 4pm and finally packing up at 6pm! Father Michael has requested that we come back in 2008 with “Clemmons Only” stock! So, the 2008 order has been designed to have allocations for Greensboro, Boone and now, Clemmons, to ensure that all three parishes have “new” product!

Francisca DelgadoAll of this is good news, but unfortunately, there is a bit of sad news as well. December marked the passing of one of the most experienced and beloved ladies of the Artesania. Francisca Delgado succumbed to cancer after a short battle; we believe she was in her late forties or early fifties. Francisca began her involvement with Artesania Pachamama in the late eighties as part of the first wave and continued to learn and grow, maturing into one of the most prolific and expert members of the cooperative. She was known to be a woman who was always available for whatever need presented itself in the community and was mother to several children, some of whom are in secondary education. Francisca will be sorely missed by many of us and her passing adds value to the products that she produced. I happen to be fortunate to have purchased a “Sarah” that she made and I kept the tag, hence the photo. Please remember Francisca and her family in your prayers, and if anyone would be interested in making a donation to the family please email or call me and I will tell you how to go about it.

I’ll close here and finish by saying that as good as 2007 was we hope and pray that 2008 will be even more blest. May God continue to endorse our mission in Peru and may there be peace on Earth.

Pam Rohlman
Director of Operations
Artesania Pachamama
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