BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Among the group of 30 travelers, some had only ever experienced Puerto Rico as tourists, while others were born there or could trace their family roots back generations.
Yet no matter their background, residents of the Christmas City said they were welcomed with open arms — and immersed in tradiciones navideñas — during their recent visit to Patillas, Bethlehem’s sixth sister city.
And while the holiday spirit created lasting memories, the six-day trip Dec. 2 through Dec. 8 marked the beginning of a deeper partnership — one aimed at strengthening economic development, education, and tourism between Bethlehem and Patillas.
An exchange of culture
The trip was organized and led by Bethlehem–Patillas Sister City Committee co-chairs Aurea Ortiz and Donna Taggart, who started the committee in 2022 to honor the Puerto Rican families from Patillas and Corozal who came to Bethlehem in the 1940s and 1950s.
The delegation announced plans to visit Patillas in September, during the first anniversary celebration of the Sister City partnership.
That partnership — established in 2024 — was marked by a visit from several Patillas leaders, including Dr. Ruth Reyes Ramos, founder of Los Buenos de Patillas; Daly Reyes Hernández, Patillas’ director of human resources; and Sheila Colón Rodríguez, director of culture and tourism.
“We wanted it to be more structured, so we could do real social work through both cities — to exchange culture, education, everything.”Aurea Ortiz, co-chair of the Bethlehem/Patillas Committee
Bethlehem's other sister cities include Tondabayashi, Japan; Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany; Foiano di Val Fortore, Italy; Murska Sobota, Slovenia; and Corfu, Greece.
For Ortiz, establishing a sister-city relationship with Patillas carried a significance unlike any of Bethlehem’s previous partnerships.
“We had five different sister cities, but never a Puerto Rican sister city,” Ortiz said. “To finally have one was something big.”
Ortiz, the host of WDIY 88.1's "Charla Communitaria," explained that the Bethlehem–Patillas partnership was intentionally built with a deeper purpose.
“Our sister city became a little different,” she said.
“We wanted it to be more structured, so we could do real social work through both cities — to exchange culture, education, everything.”
"Every committee member, she added, represents a key part of that mission. “Donna [Taggart] represents economic development. Others come from Lehigh University, Northampton Community College, Moravian… This isn’t one organization or one person. We’re connectors, bringing people together.”
Bethlehem leaders and Sister City committee members who traveled to the Isla del Encanto this month were Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds, Janine Santoro, Bethlehem's director of equity and inclusion, and a wide delegation of Sister City committee members: Raymond Santiago, executive director of the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley; Toni Fernandez, community outreach specialist at Northampton Community College; Robert and Flor Vélez of Puertorrican Culture Preservation; Rosa Carides-Hof, community school coordinator at Donegan Elementary School; Eric Fontanez, supervisor of equity initiatives for the Bethlehem Area School District; Joanne Garcia, manager of education and PCA programs at ArtsQuest; Kate Rymon, manager of education and public programming at the National Museum of Industrial History, and her husband, Bethlehem Police Lt. Josh Rymon.
Also part of the delegation were Maritza Gonzalez, bilingual multicultural enrollment counselor at Moravian University; Adam Lazarchak, executive director of the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School; Brian Moser, house project coordinator at BAVTS; Realtor Dana Huber, representing the Bethlehem Rotary Club; Emma Ortiz, communications and fundraising manager for The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties; and Anais Martinez, community school coordinator at Lehigh University.
While the focus centered on its partnership with Patillas — including participating in talks with Reyes Ramos and Mayor Maritza Sánchez Neris — the group also met with leaders from neighboring municipalities such as Guayama, Arroyo, Maunabo, Yabucoa and Corozal, all of whom participate in similar community initiatives.
Rebuilding after Maria
Janine Santoro said the trip was filled with moments that felt almost “spiritual” in their timing and connection.
One moment that stayed with her unfolded during a school visit, when Carides-Hoft encountered a former Bethlehem student whose family had moved to the district after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017.
After the hurricane, Bethlehem Area School District received more than 100 students and families from the island.
“That student recognized her,” Santoro said of Carides-Hoft. “They came up to her and said, 'Thank you for everything you did for my family.’ I almost wanted to cry just thinking about it.”
Later, during a celebration in Patillas, she watched another unexpected reunion when a local man approached Mayor Reynolds — he turned out to be the father of a member of the city's staff.
“These moments were happening all the time,” Santoro said.
“People who had lived in Bethlehem and returned to Patillas, or people asking if we knew someone they knew. It felt like home away from home, and that’s the meaningful part of this sister city relationship. Yes, there are initiatives, but there’s also this idea that we are each other’s homes. It’s very mutual — almost spiritual — the way these connections keep showing up.”
The visit allowed the delegation to tour local schools, including Rafaelina Lebrón Flores High School in Patillas, where they identified structural needs and discussed ways to support “low-cost” initiatives, such as enhancing playgrounds, providing educational resources to students, and sharing vocational and technical expertise.
There were also conversations with mayors from nearby pueblos, Ortiz said, including Yabucoa, where Hurricane Maria made landfall at 185 mph.
“Most of their structures are back, but the communities are still in the process of recovering," Ortiz said. "One of the things they’re doing is reinventing themselves. Many municipalities are returning to agriculture — traditionally sugar cane — but now they’re shifting toward producing ingredients for rum instead of sugar."
“They’re also investing in solar panels to generate energy, since their electrical grid remains unreliable. Working in these areas, including the schools, is about finding ways to share and exchange culture. But this particular effort was focused more on business and exploring how we could support them in rebuilding and strengthening local structures.”
“Even after difficult times, the strength and unity they show is inspiring — it’s the kind of thing that stays with you forever.”<br/><br/><br/>Bethlehem Mayor Willie J. Reynolds on meeting residents of Patillas
Reynolds said his visit to Puerto Rico left him with a deep sense of admiration for the people he met.
Throughout the trip, he listened to residents and community leaders describe the challenges their towns have faced in recent years — from Hurricane Maria to ongoing economic pressures — and how they continue to rebuild with determination.
He was especially moved by their commitment to investing in their neighborhoods.
“There’s an incredible sense of community there,” Reynolds said, noting that it’s something people on the mainland can learn from.
“Even after difficult times, the strength and unity they show is inspiring — it’s the kind of thing that stays with you forever.”
Heartbeat of the community
For Taggart, who was born in Bethlehem, the visit to Patillas was a true cultural awakening — especially during Navidad, one of the most festive times of the year.
“It was so spirited and so welcoming,” she said, recalling the children singing and dancing everywhere they went, the abundant food, and the warmth of the local people.
While she had visited Puerto Rico before as a tourist, “I just sat on the beach, and I’m not Spanish-speaking, so that was a little challenging,” she said.
This time, however, she said she witnessed the "heartbeat of the community."
“If you’re blessed, you have a responsibility to bless others — and that’s exactly what we aim to do with this partnership."Aurea Ortiz, co-chair of the Bethlehem/Patillas Committee
The group attended tree lightings, parrandas (Puerto Rico's version of Christmas caroling), and a parade that led up to a tree lighting in Patillas.
“Every pueblo had a plaza decorated like crazy,” she said.
She was particularly touched by seeing her Puerto Rican granddaughter, adopted at 10, excitedly learning about her heritage — like discovering what a coquí really is.
“It was really special to share that with her,” she said. "It was truly a home-away-from-home experience."
Ortiz emphasized the sister city's long-term commitment.
“It’s about building relationships that touch lives, connecting institutions, and ensuring that every action has substance and purpose.”
Moving forward, the committee plans to focus on educational partnerships first, aligning needs in Patillas’ schools with resources and expertise in Bethlehem.
Future efforts will expand into workforce development, cultural exchange, tourism, and community programs.
“If you’re blessed, you have a responsibility to bless others — and that’s exactly what we aim to do with this partnership," Ortiz said.
