As a Missionary Priest in Peru, each day I learn new things about these people. I am in the Selva, before building the brick church I have to build the people Church. They have been without a priest for 25 years. Their knowledge about God is nearly zero.

I am using my personal money to pay for three teachers to teach Catechism to nearly 2000 children. Many are not baptized. The Church requires a godparent to be baptized and tradition here requires that the god parent buys a gift, and much more so it is hard to find a godparent and people remain un-baptized because of this.

I have spoken to some people and they told me “Father if you get us godparents, you will be doing the greatest thing that ever happened in our church” One explained to me that it is their custom in the Selva that to lure the person to accept to be your godparent you have to present him with a kilo of meat or chicken.

I spoke with my Bishop and he agreed that I could have a proxy to stand in for a foreign godparent. This means that any one of you might become a godparent to a child in my Santa Rosa parish. The child will have your address and you can keep in contact with him/her all your life. All it will cost you is €50 just one time with which I would buy the person a gift and help with the food for the party.

Each year on the date of the baptism you could if you like send some money and I will make sure they will get a gift. That is all. I will of-course send you a photograph of the child.

All you have to do is deposit the €50 in our Account - Ohloq Dinja Ahjar HSBC Bank 056-165954-050 Fr Anthony Zammit - and ask the bank teller to write “Baptism - girl or boy (if you have a preference) and your name and surname, and telephone number” I will then be able to have someone contact you.

I hope for and expect a good response, please help me Baptize these people.

Thank you,

Fr Anthony Zammit
32456(G)
Santa Rosa
Ayacucho