St. Thomas the Apostle Parish at 1449 Wilcox Park Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 US - Esperanca

Hope. In Portuguese, “esperanca.” A hope which has saved thousands of lives. The legacy of Father Luke Tupper, a Franciscan priest and physician, has grown mightily in 35 years. And because of its faithful contributions, St. Thomas can rightly celebrate its part in that legacy. Most parishioners know the humble beginnings of this life-saving organization. Suffering mothers in remote villages along the Amazon River watched their little ones die because there was no one to give them inoculations costing less than ten cents. A one-man team arrived in 1970 to undertake the massive and dangerous challenge of reaching these children. Others later joined the crusade. A flat-bottomed ferryboat was turned into a hospital in order to travel where no hospital existed. Now it has branched into a multi-national health organization serving the sick and poor in six different countries. Originally based in Brazil, Esperanca now has outreaches in Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, Mozambique, and Liberia, Africa. Volunteer surgeons, dentists, and other health-care professionals make regular trips to these countries often seeing over 100 patients per day. Public health and safety clinics are also given to the villagers, often with a focus on child survival strategies. Esperanca has also developed programs to train resident health workers and other personnel in order to provide ongoing care and instruction. Thus, Esperanca is able to multiply the benefit of its activities and deliver culturally appropriate services to families and communities. Esperanca is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. 90% of all monies donated to the organization go directly to medical services and supplies, with only 10% used for overhead. This summer Esperanca’s Executive Director, Raul Espericueta, plans to visit St. Thomas and thank us for our continued commitment to aid our neighbors abroad.

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