DDG Companion News | July 25, 2017 

Click this image for the La Paloma campaign video.


"Sixteen years ago, I became convinced...."

Veteran Dominican Republic missioner John Gruetzmacher on the La Paloma campaign: 

Sixteen years ago, I became convinced that this was a diocese that had not only the spirituality, but also the effective management to use our skills and money very effectively.

The La Paloma campaign is focused on increasing the endowment of the Diocese of the Dominican Republic so that the annual budget of the diocese can be maintained at its current level when financial support from the General Convention of The Episcopal Church ceases. The campaign video features John's statement along with those of other veteran missioners, and is available at this  link.

The La Paloma website has more information on the campaign, including resource materials and an online link for secure donations. For that campaign website, click here.

The playground at the Episcopal school in Jimaní. To see the map location of this facility, click this image.

Fall 2017 Exploration Trip

The DDG will sponsor another exploration trip from October 26 to November 1 for mission team leaders and others interested in learning more about the churches, schools and other facilities of the Diocese of the Dominican Republic. This trip will visit sites along the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, from Barahona on the west to La Romana on the east. One notable inland visit will be an overnight stay near the Haitian border in the town of Jimaní, where the diocese has established a church, school, medical clinic, and a dormitory and meal facilities for mission teams. The cost of the trip will be $US800 (excluding airfare). For more information about this trip, contact DDG Executive Director Bill Kunkle: (813) 400-2722,  [email protected].

Click this image for an interactive map of the
Episcopal churches in the Dominican Republic.

DR Clergy Transfers Announced

The Diocese of the Dominican Republic has announced the following clergy transfers, effective in August 2017:

Padre Francisco Alfredo Romero, from San Esteban and Buen Pastor in San Pedro de Macorís to Santísima Trinidad and Santa Ana in Santo Domingo;

Padre Jesús Mosquea, from San Pablo Apóstol, San Tito, and San Ignacio in Jimaní to Espíritu Consolador and Verbo Divino in Dajabon;

Padre Ramón Canela, from Espíritu Consolador and Verbo Divino in Dajabon to Monte de la Transfiguración in Jarabacoa;

Padre Daniel Samuel, from Monte de la Transfiguración in Jarabacoa to San Pablo Apóstol, San Tito, and San Ignacio in Jimaní. 

Padre José Roberts, previously stationed at Santísima Trinidad and Santa Ana in Santo Domingo, has returned to the United States. 

The original notice of these transfers plus a list of ordinands scheduled for  September 16, 2017,   is available online here (in Spanish) .

Click this image for the June 2017 issue.
June 2017 Compañeros Dominicanos Posted Online

The June 2017 issue of  Compañeros Dominicanos, the bilingual quarterly newsmagazine of the Dominican Development Group, is now available online at this link. Contents include articles about the  La Paloma campaign to strengthen the DR diocesan endowment fund, a new DDG-sponsored soap-making operation based in an Episcopal church near Puerto Plata on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, the most recent phase of a fifteen-year project of an Episcopal church in Delaware to support a community education center in Jalonga, and photographs of all of the mission teams working in the Diocese of the Dominican Republic in April - June, 2017.  These mission team photographs are available separately in  an "All 2017 Teams" online album here

Click this image for the draft minutes and other documents
from the 02/13/2017 DDG board meeting.

DDG Board Meeting on November 6, 2017

The next meeting of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Development Group will be at the DR Diocesan Office in Santo Domingo on Monday, November 6. This meeting follows the retirement of the Rt. Rev. Julio C. Holguín on November 1 and the formal seating of the Rt. Rev. Moisés Quezada as Bishop Diocesan on November 4 in Epiphany Cathedral. Bishop Quezada has been serving as Bishop Coadjutor since February, 2016. When detailed information about this meeting is available, it will be emailed to board members and posted on the DDG website here.

Links to online copies of recent issues of the DDG Companion News:
For earlier issues on the Publications page of the DDG website, click here.

Contact the DDG:
Office: (813) 400-2722 | Fax: (813) 983-5082
Executive Director: Bill Kunkle | [email protected]
PO Box 272261 | Tampa Florida 33688-2261

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