In Miri, a Malaysian city in the province of Sarawak (in Malaysian Borneo), less than 100 meters away are the "Masjid An Naim" mosque and the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. There is mutual hospitality between the communities. On Fridays, the church opens its gate to allow Muslims to park their vehicles during prayer time, while on Sundays, the mosque does the same. Christian faithful of the church and the Muslim faithful of the mosque come together on special occasions for each other's religious holidays. […] 

As Fides learned, the religious communities of Miri today share spaces, facilities, events "and for them it is so natural that it is part of their daily way of life", explained the Archbishop of Kuching, Simon Poh Hoon Seng, noting that the people of Sarawak "show that they are truly a big family, not in slogans but in everyday life". […]  

It should not be forgotten, he continued, that "racial and religious intolerance continues to manifest itself from time to time in the country, with acts of hostility that create tensions and divisions within society," but precisely because of this, he noted, "there is a need for greater understanding and respect for the diversity that exists in our country and, to work for harmony". […] 

The Archbishop also presented the Message of the Vatican Dicastery for interreligious dialogue for the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, entitled "Christians and Muslims: extinguish the fire of war and light the candle of peace", inviting us to "look together at the Almighty as the God of peace, the source of peace, who loves all those who dedicate their lives to the service of peace in a special way". Monsignor Simon Poh said that faith in Christ is concretely expressed by loving God and being at the service to one's neighbor, contributing to the "common good" of society, wishing "brothers and sisters of other faiths peace, joy and hope, sharing in the work of making our nation and our world a better place for all". 

A large "interreligious Iftar" was also organized by the Muslim Council of Elders in Kuala Lumpur, with the participation of numerous Christian leaders, including Msgr. Julian Leow, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. Numerous Muslim personalities emphasized the importance of interreligious dialogue in the creation of peace and asked the faithful to make an effort to get to know people of other religions. The Christian faithful present appreciated the opportunity to come together with people from different backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of promoting understanding and cooperation between different faith communities. The Muslim Council of Elders stressed the vital importance of supporting peace and mutual acceptance within Malaysian society. In a world troubled by wars and discord, the end-of-Ramadan celebration "represents a poignant reminder of our common humanity, illustrating the profound capacity for unity and compassion among all individuals and peoples," the Council said.  Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  

     ​Adult baptisms are a blessing for the Cambodian Church and represent a sign of hope for the small Catholic community of about 20,000 people in a nation of 17 million inhabitants. At the Easter Vigil on March 30, 185 catechumens of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh will receive Baptism, along with the other sacraments of "Christian initiation" (Confirmation and Eucharist). As reported by Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, the catechumens come from a dozen districts in the territory of Phnom Penh and have completed an itinerary of knowledge, deepening and discernment about the Christian faith. 

     The fact that they are young adults is an added value for the community, said Schmitthaeusler, addressing the future baptized in one of the preparation meetings held during the Lenten season. The bishop highlighted three essential aspects to be "a Christian in everyday life": pray, love and serve. 

     Bishop Schmitthaeusler invited young people to "pray like Jesus, both in difficulties and in joy" and to "pray like Mary". It is important - he continued - to always keep the relationship with God and with the community alive, also by putting ourselves at service of pastoral needs, with the spirit of being "loving servants" of the community. The image that the Bishop proposed to the young catechumens was taken from the letters of Saint Paul, describing them as "living stones" of the Church "by living in our community with a spirit of compassion, in prayer and service,” he said. 

     During the "election" rite, the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh called each of the candidates by name before the altar, inviting them to register their names in the diocesan registry, laying his hand on them. During the rite, all candidates also received a purple scarf, as a sign of their preparation for baptism, which they must wear every time they go to church. 

     In 2023, the Cambodian Church baptized a total of 397 young people during the Easter Vigil (167 in Battambang Apostolic Prefecture, 126 in Kampong Cham Prefecture, 104 adults in Phnom Penh). The constant presence of young and adult catechumens, the Vicar said in conclusion, is a sign that "the work of God bears fruit in the Cambodian Church, which is alive and growing".  Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  

     … "Although Easter is not a national holiday in Bangladesh, a largely Islamic nation, offices and shops usually remain open. However, Christians have a special dispensation and can celebrate the holiday without having to go to work. This year "thanks to favorable weather conditions and a more stable political situation after the elections, the situation seems calm. We are preparing to celebrate Easter with serenity and under the grace of God," said to Fides Father Robert Hadima, priest of the diocese of Mymensingh.

     "During the rites of Holy Week, the churches are full of faithful he adds. People come to confess to receive God's mercy and embrace new life in Christ. In addition, interreligious participation is observed, with Muslim believers who, out of courtesy and spiritual closeness, attend the liturgy to celebrate the holiday and share greetings," says the priest. 

     There are many initiatives of testimony and evangelization: "For example, in Mymensingh," he reports, "after the Easter Vigil, young people walk the streets singing hymns and songs, along with the Easter hallelujah. Furthermore, in the villages, on Easter Day, families gather in large groups where they share the Easter meal and the joy of the resurrection". 

     This occurs, he explains, after having experienced a period of Lent marked by prayer and solidarity. Prodip Palma, a teacher at a school in Dhaka, testifies: "Lent is a special time, I have experienced a journey of conversion", he says. Together with his wife and three children, he participated in the Station of the Cross every Friday in the Catholic church of Tejgaon, inspiring his family to live fasting as a way of getting closer to Christ and his brothers. James Gomes, an NGO employee in the Diocese of Rajshahi, has been saving for more than a month to help a student in need. He says: "Every year during Lent, my wife and I give up eating meat and fish, and donate the money we would have spent to a poor student so that he can pay his exam fees." 

     Arpona Rozario, a 55-year-old seamstress and mother of three, offers discounts to her clients, even non-Christians, as a symbolic gesture "in honor of Jesus Christ". Through her work, Arpona seeks to spread the message of love and sacrifice of Jesus. 

     These testimonies have emerged from a Lenten gathering of Bangladeshi faithful who, in order to prepare spiritually for Easter, gathered in recent days in Gazipur, under the leadership of Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze, OMI. The archbishop has exhorted the faithful to continue using the "weapons" of the Christian, that is, fasting, prayer and charity, "to love God and neighbor", preparing their hearts "to welcome Jesus Christ who gives new life to each one through resurrection"…  Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  

Hunger, floods, drought and growing insecurity, a weak economy on the verge of collapse. These are the factors that bring great suffering to the people of South Sudan, says Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, Bishop of Tombura Yambio.

“Our people continue to suffer the effects of complex emergencies which are still being experienced in many parts of the country, including those parts that had previously been peaceful,” Bishop Kussala said in a statement. “As a result, the number of internally displaced persons who are living in deplorable conditions, and are starving has increased tremendously across the country, with the most affected being women, children, the aged, and people living with disabilities,” said Bishop Kussala. 

“Those still living in their homesteads are equally facing starvation since most of them have had to, ironically, abandon their sources of livelihood in a bid to save their lives. Most school-going children have had to drop out of school because of insecurity and fear of being forcefully recruited to serve as soldiers in the conflicts”, continued Bishop Kussala. 

“It is no longer about the country and its leadership, but about the people of South Sudan who are slowly perishing. Unless cushioned from these calamities, we are afraid that our people will not survive especially because the majority of the population (64%) are helpless youths who have no source of income, while most of the remaining 36% are elderly persons. The situation is dire and therefore in need of urgent intervention" he concludes. 

In its latest report, released on March 1, the UN Human Rights Commission for South Sudan notes that violence and persistent impunity continue to impact the lives of an extremely vulnerable population and warns that the already dire humanitarian situation in the country is worsening. 

The elections scheduled for December, the first since Sudan's independence in 2011, are expected to be a milestone in efforts to achieve lasting peace after the end of the civil war that has erupted since 2013 and has killed an estimated 400,000 people. A peace agreement was reached in 2018, but implementation has been slow and violence continues in some parts of the country.  Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  

The country is in ruins, the entire region is isolated since gangs control access to the capital, so that people and goods can only enter the country through complicated air bridges or at the risk of loss of life and property.

"This means that even medicines and essential goods, food that does not come directly from one's own fields cannot be delivered, and those that are delivered are always more expensive. The sick cannot be treated or even reach more equipped hospitals, in other areas of the country, not only in the capital, which means there is a lack of milk for children and food", complains Maddalena Boschetti, a consecrated Camillian who is a "Fidei donum" missionary for the Diocese of Genoa. 

"Across Haiti, not just in the capital," continues Maddalena, who cares for disabled and sick children and their families in northwest Haiti, "insecurity and gang violence kill. It's not just the violence on the streets of Port- au-Prince and in the big cities, but also by depriving those who no longer have the means of life and are struggling to survive in the poorest areas of the province. The hospital has no space, there are few and essential medicines, palliative care [quality of life care for those with serious a illness] does not exist. There is only pain. There is no possibility of doing a histological examination [tissue examination] or a mammogram; x-rays are of very poor quality." 

"This is a glimpse of life today in Haiti[…] That is why the presence of the Church and the missionary Church in this country, as in all other countries where there is war, is so important," concludes the missionary. 

“We must remain on the side of the people and continue to witness with our lives in the service of God and man that the people of Haiti, a people of martyrs, are not alone. We must put ourselves at the service of those most in need, not to abandon them, to tell them that their lives have value”.  Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  

The Lenity Project is one of the organizations supported by our summer Missionary Cooperative Appeal.  Please read below to see how your generous donations have helped them serve the poor in Ecuador.  

Dear Friends, 

Thank You so much for your gifts for our Missionary Coop collections this summer.  Missions count on your help. 

I hope that 2024 is starting off well for you.  Maybe you made some New Years Resolutions.  …How is that going?  Hopefully you are keeping at it or at least you remember what they were!!!  One of my resolutions was to try and reach out to friends like you who were so generous to our mission.  We do have our Family Foundation with the same vision and mission that Padre John Halligan had in the original Center.  Father Halligan died last year but his work continues in the new foundation which we have been running since 2017. 

You may have seen on the nightly news lately reports of the chaos and violence going on in Ecuador.  The Drug Cartels have taken control of the country at many levels.  They have politicians, doctors, lawyers, prison guards, police etc. on their payroll. The new president of the country is trying to take the reins away from them, but it is very difficult of course.  Ecuador went from the most pacific country in S. America to the most violent.  People are fleeing the country in droves.  The cartel thugs come around and threaten the small businesses to pay a “protection fee” or be burned out.  Shootings and kidnappings are rampant. It breaks my heart to see and hear about so many living in fear. 

Madre Miguel remains committed to our mission with Carlos, Marco and Giuliana at the helm.  I am on the team as the fundraiser, but it is hard not being down there with them. We all continue to keep the padre’s vision and mission alive.  I, from upstate NY, as I care for my folks who are 94. 

Our team realizes that we need to expand our services and to look for a piece of property where we could build a more adequate facility to have the programs to help these families get the education and skills, they need to be able to take charge of their lives and help each other.  We are convinced that God will continue to bless our efforts and you for your help. 

Thank you again for your love and support!  Continued Blessings for 2024!  

Hugs, Sr. Cindy 

This Lenten season, will you give the gift of freedom to a suffering person? Through your donation you can give both the gift of true spiritual and physical freedom in Christ.  Your support helps missionaries proclaim the Gospel, build churches, and support mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders all over the world, as well as provide food, education, and medical care to suffering people. 

I wanted to share a story with you today that’s such a powerful example of the kind of work you make possible through your support!  

There’s been a lot of transformation since in Cambodia in the past 50 years.  The Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979) saw Pol Pot’s brutal regime unleash devastating violence on the population.  Even after the communist dictatorship was toppled, impoverished Cambodians were left with deep emotional scars along with millions of landmines that dot the lush landscape.

It was against this backdrop that the Jesuits opened a mission in Cambodia in 1985, headed by Jesuit Bishop Enrique “Quique” Figaredo – affectionately dubbed “the Bishop of the Wheelchairs”.  They almost immediately began bringing wheelchairs to more than 30,000 disabled people across the countryside. 

Today the wheelchair project employs 18 people -- all of whom are amputees due to landmine injuries.  They build an average of 100 chairs a week, selling a third of them to large organizations so they can give the rest to people unable to cover the production costs (about $150).  What a glorious example of faith in action! 

“One person once told me that the wheelchair we give is a sacrament, because it transforms people's lives,” the Bishop said. “It is a visible sign of a visible relationship.” 

You and I are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of the heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.  We know that people left maimed and disabled by war are close to God’s heart, and your contribution today will help bring them comfort, support, and the gospel. Your generosity brings the love of Christ to suffering people in Cambodia and beyond. 

Together in Mission,

The Lunar New Year, also often referred to as Chinese New Year, is a holiday celebrated by many Southeast Asian countries. The date of this holiday is determined by the lunar calendar. This year it is celebrated on February 10, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.

This year again, as happens from time to time, the beginning of Lent coincides with the festive days of the Chinese New Year. A coincidence linked to the fact that the two events are fixed in time according to the lunar calendar.

At first glance, the two events seem contradictory: Lent is a time of fasting, abstinence and penance, while New Year is a time of joyful celebration. In his Pastoral Letter for Lent 2024, Bishop Joseph Gan Junqiu, head of the Archdiocese of Guangzhou, shows how the Christian vision can dissolve this apparent contradiction. “In reality,” writes the Chinese Bishop, “all actions motivated by the intention to love are ultimately directed toward God. Thus, “as we leave the solitude of urban life behind us, we put an end to the distance which separates us from our loved ones and we return home, where the joy of being with family reigns. At the same time, we can live the Liturgy of Ashes recognizing that it is also a call from the Eternal Father to us, a call to return home.

"In his Pastoral Letter for Lent 2024 entitled "O God, create in me a pure heart" (Ps 51, 10), Bishop Joseph shows "how we, Christians, can immerse ourselves in the love and forgiveness of God in this family holiday period. The New Year, underlines the Bishop of Guangzhou, is a “farewell to the past to welcome the future”. In the Christian journey, in the same way, the experience of forgiveness and repentance for one's sins is also a "farewell to the past" and a confident march towards the time to come.

In such an experience, “we become full of joy and hope for life, we are made new by the love of Christ, in the grace of God.” Lent is “the time of preparation for the joy of Easter.” And precisely, the time of the Chinese New Year, underlines Mgr Gan, is a golden opportunity to bear witness to the Catholic faith to and with one's family. One can attend "the New Year's Eve Thanksgiving Mass with our families, where the whole family can come together to thank God for His protection and blessings during the past year, and to ask God's blessing for peace and the health of our family members and our work. By praying and receiving the sacraments with our loved ones, we can also embrace, in gratitude to Jesus, the festive and grateful mood of the Chinese New Year." Thus, "we not only cherish the uniqueness of the Catholic faith while remaining fully immersed in our traditional culture, but we can show that the Christian faith is a gift that always remains in our hearts, no matter what.” […] Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.