The new Catholic Church of St. Remigius, located in the village of Taungyagone, in the Diocese of Pathein, in central-western Myanmar, is “a gift of the Holy Spirit, a sign of God’s work that continues despite uncertainty and insecurity,” said Bishop Henry Eikhlein of Pathein, who presided over a Eucharistic celebration for the consecration and official opening of the church building. 

Pathein is the fourth largest city in Myanmar and the capital of the Ayeyarwady region… local sources tell Fides, the security situation in the Pathein area has deteriorated since the beginning of 2026, as the civil conflict has reached this region, which is controlled by the central government and was previously considered stable… Violent clashes continue in the municipalities surrounding Pathein, and the rebels are attempting to seize control of the main communication routes. The fighting has had serious consequences for the civilian population, displacing thousands of people in the last six months. 

Out of a population of over 7.5 million, there are 65,000 Catholics in the territory of Pathein.  

During the Mass, celebrated on May 3 in the presence of priests, men and women religious, catechists, and numerous faithful, 70 young people also received the sacrament of Confirmation. “The Spirit renews the face of the earth. The Lord sends his Spirit; he does not abandon us,” Bishop Henry emphasized, urging those present “to always hope, in every circumstance,” continually remembering and acknowledging God’s works. 

The Spirit of God, he said, addressing the confirmands in particular, “makes you missionaries, so that you may reach the most distant places and those who are alone, displaced, or marginalized, bringing a word of gentleness and the consolation of God’s love.” “Your heart, transformed by the Holy Spirit,” he added, “is filled with love and generosity, and thus becomes nourishment for your neighbor.” 

Giving thanks to God for the gift of the new church, Bishop Henry noted that “God has blessed the parish of Taungyagone and will continue to do so, with the abundance of his gifts.” He expressed confidence that, despite the current difficulties, "young people will continue to bear witness to the faith and spread love and reconciliation throughout society and the region marked by conflict and suffering." 

According to Father Peter Saw Ngwe, parish priest of Taungyagone, the celebration represented "a significant moment for the local Catholic community" and is "testimony to the growth and vitality of the Church in the Diocese of Pathein, which looks to the future with hope and confidence in the renewing power of the Holy Spirit."  Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  

Prayer for peace is the focus of many processions, liturgical celebrations, and communal rosary prayers that are bringing together Catholic communities in all Chinese provinces these days. 

Since the evening of April 30, liturgies and processions have been taking place in countless Catholic churches and shrines across mainland China. 

From the Shrine of Sheshan near Shanghai to the Shrine of Housangyu in Beijing, from cathedrals to small village chapels, groups of Catholics large and small are gathering before the altar and statues of Mary to pray together for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Marian month of May. 

Marian devotion is deeply rooted in the faith of Chinese Catholics. They have always viewed participation in the prayers and liturgies of the Marian month as an opportunity and a sign of their connection with the universal Church and the Successors of Peter. In a time torn apart by wars that cause suffering for entire nations, believers in China are also praying for the preservation of communion and the restoration of peace everywhere. 

In the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan in the Diocese of Shanghai, Bishop Joseph Shen Bin celebrated a solemn Mass on the afternoon of April 30 to open the Marian month. Faithful from all over mainland China and abroad participated, along with seminarians from the Sheshan Seminary. 

In addition to praying for peace, the Bishop of Shanghai explained the true meaning of a pilgrimage: “It does not consist merely of walking a path or simply performing rites, but touches the depths of every person’s heart: With every step we take, we move away from worldliness and draw ever closer to the grace of God.” Therefore, he emphasized: “First and foremost, we must remain in daily prayer and nourish our lives with the Word of God. Second, we must follow the example of the Virgin Mary and bear witness to our faith through holiness. Finally, pilgrimage should be experienced as a means of inner renewal.”

…To mark the opening of the Marian month, the parish of Lucheng in the Diocese of Wenzhou announced the theme for the month: “Devotion to Mary: Spiritual deepening in service to the communion.” The parish of Qianku had already opened the Marian month on April 30 with a solemn procession and prayer vigil attended by thousands of faithful.  

Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.   

Below you will find two notes of gratitude by some of the organizations that took place in last summer’s Mission COOP appeal.  Here you can read about some of the projects in other parts of the world that your generous donations have directly helped support.  Please join us in continuing to pray for the success of the Pope’s missions.    

Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church: May I use this opportunity to thank you for granting us the occasion to participate in the 2025 Mission Coop Appeal in the Diocese of Ogdensburg.  We very much appreciate it. 

On behalf of my Superior General Sr. Dr. Lucy Hometown, I wish to express my sincere thanks to all the faithful of St Augustine and Mary's Parish for the gift… which is to support our missionary work, particularly towards the completion of our novitiate building  Your love has motivated us to continue trusting in the loving providence of God who provides us more than we ask.  

Lenity Project: Thank you so much for sending us this generous contribution!   We have, at long last, procured a piece of property from the Municipal government.  It has taken 5 years, but they finally gave us a nice piece of property where we can now plan to expand our services. Alleluia! This new property will help us expand and provide more care for our families.  The situation in Ecuador is quite difficult at this time with two warring drug cartels fighting for dominance.  But God is still in His heavens and we remain hopeful that our values program for these poor families will give them what they need to beat the odds and get out of their poverty.  Thank you again for all that you do to help missions like ours. 

  Please remember the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Diocese of Ogdensburg INC. when writing or changing your will.  

Three years have passed since the start of the war in Sudan, and there seems to be no end in sight. The conflict, which broke out on April 16, 2023 remains in a stalemate with constant changes in territorial control. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have recaptured large parts of Khartoum (including Omdurman and Bahri) as well as areas in central and eastern Sudan and established their base in Port Sudan. 

Their opponents, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have consolidated control over most of the western Darfur region after capturing El Fasher (the capital of northern Darfur) in October 2025 following a long siege. The RSF have captured some areas in Kordofan and other regions, although Sudanese forces have pushed back the militants in areas such as South Kordofan (e.g., Kadugli and Dilling). 

The war has claimed at least 150,000 lives, most of them civilians. In total, the conflict has displaced approximately 14 million people: around 9 to 10 million internally displaced persons have been resettled in other regions of Sudan, while about 4.4 million refugees and asylum seekers are living in neighboring countries (Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, and others).

…Many internally displaced persons live in precarious conditions, and those who have been able to return to devastated areas (such as Khartoum) are at risk due to unexploded bombs and a lack of basic services such as healthcare. Women and girls constitute a significant proportion of the displaced and are among the most vulnerable. Meanwhile, Bishop Paul Swarbrick of Lancaster, the delegate of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales for Africa, called on Catholics in England and Wales to pray for peace in a message commemorating the three-year war in Sudan and asked the [everyone] not to lose sight of this crisis. "I am aware, through my links with the Church in Sudan and with Catholic charities working in the region that there is a fear that the conflict risks being overlooked by the international community.”…  

Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  Please remember the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Diocese of Ogdensburg INC. when writing or changing your will.  

“Hope in the Lord does not disappoint” is the motto of the mission organized by the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) in Albania, in the Diocese of Rrëshen. 

Rrëshen, home to the cathedral and the bishop's residence, along with the surrounding areas, mostly rural, with a total population of about 10,000, received visits during the first two weeks of March from missionaries who traveled extensively throughout the territory. 

In the Diocese of Rrëshen, located in the mountains of northern Albania, pastoral work is currently entrusted to only six priests and five women's religious congregations. In this context, the contribution of missionaries from other dioceses and congregations represents a concrete sign of ecclesial solidarity and a source of comfort for the local community. 

The diocese safeguards a valuable historical heritage and a strong testimony of faith. The mission's focus were direct encounters with families. The missionaries, organized in pairs—a priest and a religious sister or a priest and a layperson—visited homes, sharing moments of listening and prayer. Thus, the guiding principles of these visits were encounter, listening, and hope. In most cases, the welcome was warm and marked by profound emotion. However, there were also more delicate situations: some families, affected by personal or family difficulties, struggled to open up and welcome the missionaries. Even in these cases, their discreet and respectful presence became a sign of closeness and a seed of hope. 

“A blessing, a word of comfort, a simple gesture are essential tools that have made the mission concrete. In a time dominated by digital communication, human contact has once again proven irreplaceable,” commented Father Agustin Margjoni, a Vincentian missionary and national director of the Albanian Pontifical Mission Societies, who since the beginning of his term has strived to collaborate fruitfully with the bishops and missionaries present in the country. 

Among the most significant moments was the meeting of the missionaries with high school students at the Rrëshen Cathedral. 

“The mission was also an intense experience of communion among the missionaries themselves. Coming from different dioceses and religious backgrounds, they shared not only pastoral service, but also everyday moments, such as meals and fraternal dialogue, experiencing how important it is, especially in contexts like Albania, to join forces and collaborate,” explained Father Margjoni.    

Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  Please remember the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Diocese of Ogdensburg INC. when writing or changing your will.  

      “I left the cathedral house for just a moment. It was no more than five minutes that I was gone.
In that time, a bomb exploded and the rectory was destroyed.” — Fr. Solomon Zaku        

It can be deeply troubling to read about the persecution of our fellow Catholics in Nigeria — including churches burned and bombed, schoolchildren kidnapped, and more than 8,000 Catholics killed last year for practicing their faith. But there is something more about Nigeria that you should know. Our faith is growing fast there.       

Ninety-three percent of Nigerian Catholics attend Mass on Sunday. That’s the highest rate in the world. They have welcomed the Lord into their lives, and nothing — not even the threat of death — will keep them away!       

This Lenten season, please pray for Catholics in Nigeria and all who risk their lives to practice our faith and please consider giving again to The Pontifical Mission Societies. Your generous donation can support our fellow Catholics in Nigeria and other countries, help millions to know God’s love, as we have known, and support Pope Leo’s 1,130 missions around the globe.         

Recently, Monsignor Landry, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, spoke to Fr. Solomon Zaku.  He shared not only the harrowing story of his home parish being bombed just five minutes after he stepped out the door, but also spoke with great fervor about the joy he experiences being a priest in the country where Catholicism is growing fastest in the world.       

“It really is divine.” He told Msgr. Landry. “The more the church is persecuted, the stronger our faith becomes. We are convinced of what we are doing. On any occasion you visit one of our churches, you will see the vitality and the joy of the people.” Fr. Zaku also expressed his gratitude to The Pontifical Mission Societies and to partners like you in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. “We realize we’re not alone.”         

They are not alone. In Christ, they will never be alone. We must continue to support them, and our brothers and sisters around the globe, so that all may encounter Jesus Christ, all may thrive in communities of faith — and so our worldwide family of the Church can continue to grow.       

That includes the U.S. Today, about one-quarter of Catholic priests serving in America were born in other countries. Many come from places like Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, India, Latin America, Vietnam, and Korea, where faith is strong and the Church is growing — but where the Church is still young and resources are limited. Of the 201,000 seminarians around the world, fully 40% are in missionary territories supported by The Pontifical Mission Societies, thanks to American Catholics like you.               
Your Lenten almsgiving supports the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of churches and schools, and the formation and support of priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders in missionary dioceses across the world.       

I’d be so grateful if you would make a Lenten gift so we may continue our mission to transform lives and build faith and faith communities, one person at a time.       Please also join me in praying this holy season for our Nigerian brothers and sisters and other persecuted Catholics around the world who refuse to sacrifice faith to fear. May the peace and joy of Christ be with you as we prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection. 

Together in Mission, 


Sister Mary Ellen Brett, SSJ