Dear PTPA Friends,

I remain deeply grateful for the PTPA community, for each of you who continue to walk in faith and solidarity with your twinned parishes in Haiti and Latin America. Your unwavering commitment is a living testament to the Gospel in action.

Despite the challenges faced by our brothers and sisters, parish twinning continues to spark visible signs of hope. These everyday miracles are made possible through your dedication, compassion, and belief in the power of relationships.

To help nurture and promote these miracles, PTPA is doing all we can to support our twin parishes in their vital work. We’re excited to launch a pilot program designed to assist U.S. parishes that are currently unable to visit their twinned communities in Haiti. At the same time, we remain committed to forming new twinning relationships and expanding this mission of love and connection.

This month's newsletter includes the following highlights the following: 

Together, we are creating something truly beautiful and meaningful with our twinned parishes in Haiti and Latin America. Your commitment continues to strengthen the bonds of solidarity, compassion, and shared purpose that define our mission.

God Bless You,

Cassandra Bissainthe 
PTPA Executive Director

The Haiti Parish Visit Pilot Program

PTPA is launching the Haiti Parish Visit pilot program to support U.S. parishes that are currently unable to visit their twinned parishes in Haiti.

As part of this initiative, our Haiti-based team will conduct visits on your behalf to help maintain engagement, gather updates, and strengthen relationships. 

The first phase of this pilot will focus on the Northern departments of Haiti, with preliminary visits planned for 10 to 15 parishes. Future phases will expand to other regions, and timely notifications will be shared to allow interested parishes to register. 

Please note: Participation in this initiative requires approval from both the U.S. and Haitian parishes for an in-person visit by PTPA team members. If your parish is twinned with more than one Haitian parish, please complete a separate form for each.

Link to register: Haiti Parish Visit Pilot - Interest Form

The cost for this service is $500 which includes transportation (Vehicle rental, Fuel for rental, Airfare), food, accommodation and incidentals for PTPA Haiti members to conduct these visits.

As part of our ongoing “Hearts on Fire” theme, we invite all PTPA members to share stories and testimonials from your twinning experiences in Haiti and Latin America. Whether it's a moment that moved you, a lesson learned, or a connection that deepened your faith and engagement, your story matters. These reflections may be featured in upcoming newsletters, or, if you prefer, we can also organize some time for you to share them during one of our PTPA member Zoom calls.

This opportunity was highlighted as a top interest in our recent engagement survey, and we’re excited to learn from one another.

We also invite organizations with whom we collaborate and partner to share their ways to help as well.

If you’d like to participate, please fill out the form so we can plan accordingly and provide support as needed: PTPA - Share your story - Interest Form, and/or submit the story here.

Key Areas of Interest:

Brighten Haiti is excited to introduce Solar4All, a program designed to empower trusted local entrepreneurs, called “Ajan Solè Lokal,” to bring super affordable solar energy to their communities. Each Solar Agent receives solar systems, training, and support to power their own home and provide life-changing energy to dozens of families. These small businesses not only light homes but also create new opportunities—like neighbors charging phones, studying at night, and starting micro-enterprises. Together, we can help communities move from energy poverty to self-reliance, one Solar Agent at a time.

To learn more or partner with Brighten Haiti, please contact Kevin Keene at kevin.keene@brightenhaiti.org or call (503) 332-9029. Visit them at brightenhaiti.org.  or view their presentation at the 2025 PTPA National Conference by clicking here.

October marks the beginning of the school year for many around the world, including in Haiti and Latin America. For families in vulnerable communities, this season often brings difficult choices; between meals, basic necessities, or sending a child to school with the supplies they need.

As we enter this back-to-school period, we invite our sister parishes to continue sharing the importance of twinning and to encourage others to enter into twinning relationships. 

These partnerships in many cases play a vital role in helping children access education who might otherwise be left behind. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who remain committed to the spirit and mission of twinning; your support continues to make a lasting difference

As noted previously, more than 200 parishes in Haiti and Latin America have expressed a heartfelt interest and need in forming twinning relationships with U.S. parishes. While only a small percentage of U.S. parishes are currently engaged in twinning, we see a tremendous opportunity to build new connections; especially in these times when solidarity and shared mission are more meaningful than ever.

You Can Help Grow the Twinning Community.

As members of our vibrant parish twinning network, you are truly the heart and soul of this beautiful mission. Your experiences and relationships make you the most inspiring ambassadors for parish twinning.

We warmly encourage you to consider reaching out to at least one parish in your area that may not yet be involved in a twinning relationship. A simple conversation could be the beginning of a meaningful journey; one rooted in faith, solidarity, and shared purpose.

If you have ideas for how we might invite more parishes into this mission, we’d love to hear from you. And if you need support or resources to help start the conversation, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Click here to share ideas or become an ambassador.

New Fact Sheets on Haiti and Honduras are now available on our portal. The fact sheets offer a concise overview of key topics to support your engagement, from language and cultural context to the role of the Catholic Church, governance, travel logistics, and current security realities.

We hope these fact sheets serve as a helpful resource as you walk in solidarity with your twinned parish and the community.

Click here to view the Haiti Fact Sheet
Click here to view the Honduras Fact Sheet
Or view them in the PTPA Member Portal here.

We extend our deepest thanks to everyone who attended and actively participated in the PTPA member Zoom call on September 30th. Your presence, thoughtful engagement, and genuine interest continue to ignite the spirit of our community. And you will find all Zoom information about upcoming, most recent and past recordings on the PTPA website here, and the Zoom Gathering recordings on the PTPA YouTube channel here.

More details about our next Zoom gathering will be shared soon. We’re planning to welcome engaging presenters who will highlight the meaningful services they offer in Haiti. If you are a service provider or partner working in Haiti or Latin America and would be interested in presenting at one of our upcoming gatherings, we warmly invite you to reach out; we’d love to hear from you.

PTPA is a Catholic, non-profit organization. Our mission is to live the Gospel by seeking, promoting, and supporting the formation, growth and development of twinning relationships between Catholic parishes in the U.S. and Catholic parishes in Haiti and Latin America.

“I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40

Parish Twinning Program of the Americas
407 W. Smith Valley Road #1222
Greenwood, IN 46142
www.ptpausa.org
contact us: info@ptpausa.org