St. Mary's Church -
Adopt a Village in Cucuyagua, Honduras
With your help, we can build a community in Honduras that changes lives forever.
Our Story
A seemingly impossible dream for 53 families near Cucuyagua, Copan, Honduras, has become a reality through the mission of a parish in Greensburg, Indiana, USA, and it is described as nothing short of a miracle.
It began when the words of Fr. Carlton Beever, clergy speaker for Food For The Poor visited St. Mary parish several years ago. His words of extreme poverty and hunger in Latin America spoke into the ear of Tom Ricke, sitting in the pew.
Tom approached Fr. Carlton immediately after mass and asked what he could do. There was not much progress through the pandemic, but in January 2023, the door was opened. There were plans in place for Sustained Community Developments in Honduras, and money was needed.
Fr. Carlton and Fr. Bob White of Food For The Poor met with Fr. John Meyer of St. Mary, Greensburg, and discussed having Tom Ricke take on the daunting task of leading the fundraising of $1M to fund the $1.8M project that Food For The Poor, along with CEPUDO had ready and waiting for funds to begin to build.
Tom was in the final stage of discernment for the diaconate and fully committed to his faith. Tom felt the call - but it turned out not to be a call to be a deacon, it was the call to help the poorest of the poor in Honduras.
Traveling to Honduras
Tom and Linda Weigel, Stewardship Chairman from St. Mary, Greensburg, IN, visited Cucuyagua in May 2023 and instantly felt this was the place to begin. There were 50 families living in makeshift shelters after being displaced by hurricanes. Even though life was very hard, these people were joyful and faithful.
Here, Tom and Linda found the poorest of the poor, the starving, the spiritually thirsty men, women, and children of God. Tom and Linda felt the full force of God’s call and began the process by burying a rosary near a lone tree on the site to manifest the spirit of the Blessed Mother.
Miracles Began to Happen
Upon their return to Indiana and St. Mary, they began the daunting task of raising $1M in the parish and the surrounding parishes in Southeastern Indiana. At first, it was slow, but the fundraising seemed to take on a life of its own, and miracles began to happen. By the end of 2024, just 18 months later, the goal, $1M, had been met.
Building began in March 2024 with a Community Center and water purification system. Each house would have running clean water, a flushing toilet, and an outdoor cooking area. The community would have an air-conditioned center named Santa Maria for coming together. This sustained community development will bring these families out of generational poverty.
2025 Update
But St. Mary was not finished. In May 2025, Batesville Tool and Die donated a semi-truck and transportation costs to Coconut Creek, Florida. Generous St. Mary parishioners donated from their hearts. That trailer was stuffed full of 72 bicycles and parts, sanitary diapers for babies and adults, a bale of shirts from St. Vincent DePaul, toys, clothes and more. These were shipped to be delivered to the new community in Cucuyaqua.
Celebrating St. Mary's: Our Feature in FFTP’s Press Releases
Faith in Action: Indiana Church Reaches $1 Million Goal to Build New Community in Honduras
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 16, 2025) – Thanks to the unwavering dedication of parishioners at St. Mary’s Church in Greensburg, Ind., and the generosity of their partners, a once-distant dream is becoming a reality for families in Cucuyagua, Honduras.
Food For The Poor (FFTP) is celebrating the fully funded construction of a new community – 53 phase one homes, a community center and a feeding center – made possible by the church’s commitment to raise $1 million over the past 18 months. That goal has been met, and generous support continues to grow.
Phase 1: Adopt a Village project in Cucuyagua, Honduras
From Indiana to Honduras: A Million Dollar Miracle
This powerful story reminds us that when hearts break open for others, churches, families and even local students can create extraordinary change. Join us to discover how two communities separated by distance, language, and circumstances found common ground in compassion and created a miracle that continues to grow.
Donating online is fast, easy, and totally secure.
However, if you would prefer to send a check please mail it to:
Food For The Poor Inc. - SC #166925
Attn: Barb Burns, Institutional Philanthropy
6401 Lyons Road
Coconut Creek, FL 33073
Write on the check's memo line SC 166925 to ensure proper tracking.
Donations are also accepted through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), gifts of stock, or IRA/PPA, please contact Barb Burns at burns.barbara@foodforthepoor.org or (954) 319-0617 for more information.
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