About Sister Parish Ministry
The long-term goal of Sister Parish Ministry is to be a permanent, mutually beneficial partnership between the Diocese of St. Augustine and the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo serving San Antonio de Guerra, DR. The partnership's activities include missions for medical treatment (includes inner city Santo Domingo), for family and motherhood education and support, for housing and community improvements, and for sustainable economic development.
A priority for every trip will be deepening personal relationships between and among the missionaries from Florida and the residents of the communities and surrounding Santo Domingo and Guerra. Another priority of the Ministry is to build several institutional relationships with various organizations in the Dominican Republic, including governmental entities, medical and dental practices, foreign assistance organizations, religious groups and businesses.
God loved us, he loved us with such great love. I am thinking of what St. Ignatius told us... He pointed out two criteria on love. The first: Love is expressed more clearly in actions than in words. The second: There is greater love in giving than in receiving.
"
"
— Pope Francis
Our Goals
Deepen Relationships
A priority for every trip will be deepening the personal relationships between and among the missionaries from Florida and the residents of the communities we serve.
Build Partnerships
Another priority is to build several institutional relationships with various organizations in the Dominican Republic.
​
Mission Trips
For the foreseeable future, our plan includes sponsoring and supporting recurring mission trips to undertake organizational initiatives.
Meet Our Ministry Founders
Our ministry co-founders are dedicated visionaries committed to guiding our mission, fostering community growth, and making a lasting impact through leadership and service.
Don Barnhorst
Co-Founder
_JPG.jpg)
Bob Hart
Co-Founder
Sister Parish Ministry was originally established in 2013 by Dr. Donald “Don” Barnhorst and Robert “Bob” Hart as a parish ministry of Our Lady Star of the Sea. Combining Don’s background as an accomplished physician and Bob’s background as a successful businessman, these two courageous and faithful men set out to develop an organization that would bring missionaries to the Dominican Republic’s most impoverished areas. The framework would involve creating teams of medical, family and school missions to help as many people as possible. Today, Sister Parish Ministry continues its work of providing support to communities in the Dominican Republic that lack basic services. Included in the objective of Sister Parish Ministry is to evangelize and witness Catholic values while also providing lifesaving and life-improving support to those communities. Support consists of medical, pharmaceutical, dental care, nutritional support for the elderly, education for pre-school aged children, training for young mothers to build work opportunities, and support community and infrastructure improvements.
Since its inception, Sister Parish Ministry has organized and supported over 30 medical missions to the Dominican Republic. Our teams consist of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and many professional and non-professional roles. The medical care provided during and in between these missions is vital to these at-risk communities. The dental team provides basic dental care and hundreds of fluoride treatments to adults and children.
Sister Parish Ministry’s family and school missions are organized to allow groups of adults and children to experience service in action as well. These missions can include building projects, visiting, and serving food to the elderly, and serving the needs of mothers and children through various projects.
Even when Sister Parish Ministry’s missionaries are not “on the ground”, work continues with a supply of daily meals to the elderly, transportation to hospitals, healthcare visits and ongoing lifesaving medications for those in need.
Sister Parish Ministry continues to exemplify faith in action through its various missionary initiatives. It’s goal is unite people through a desire to serve and make a difference in the world.
Public Information: 501(c)(3) Form 990 Filings
SPM is committed to transparency. Below are our most recent IRS Form 990 filings, which provide detailed information about our finances and operations.
These documents are publicly available and provide insight into how we manage donations and support our mission.