Photos provided by the Holy Cross Mission Center.
The Instituto de Pastoral de la Familia (INFAM), located within the Patrick Peyton Center in Lima, Peru, serves approximately 500 people each month. Rooted in the charism of the Congregation of Holy Cross, INFAM promotes the well-being and care of the whole person—mind, body, and soul—through counseling, social services, art workshops, and recreational activities for people of all ages.
Given the number of people served and the range of activities offered, INFAM faced challenges using its courtyard year-round. Rain and flooding often made the space unusable, while prolonged sun exposure during the summer created difficult conditions for workshop participants. To address these challenges, Rev. Jim Gutierrez, C.S.C., director of the Institute of Family Pastoral Care, submitted a project to the Holy Cross Mission Center (HCMC) to construct a covered structure over the courtyard. INFAM received a $92,927 grant from the HCMC in January 2025, and the project was completed in December 2025 and named the Br. Juan Benesh, C.S.C., Mini Coliseum.
Since its completion, the project has positively impacted the community. Mrs. Liliana Yanca, who has been involved with INFAM for nearly 10 years, shared, “Thanks to this project, the community with which we work will have a better space for sports workshops aimed at children, adolescents and young people. In these workshops they not only learn basketball or volleyball, but also to relate from the practice of values [such as] respect, solidarity, humility, empathy, leadership, [and] responsibility. They also learn to [practice these values] in their homes.”
The mini coliseum now provides families with a safe, suitable, and dignified space for physical and personal development, while also allowing sports, cultural, and social activities that were previously limited by inadequate infrastructure. As one of the few spaces of its kind in the district, it has expanded INFAM’s ability to serve the broader community and strengthened its mission.
Provided by Delila Baca, Holy Cross Mission Center Project Coordinator, September 2026
