Mission Column April 5, 2024
"Living stones" of the Cambodian Church
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.
Mission Column March 29, 2024
Towards Easter, With Faith and Charity
…
"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.
Mission Column March 22, 2024
Conflict Continues in Sudan
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.
Mission Column March 15, 2024
“We must remain on the side of the people”
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.
Mission Column February 23, 2024
Many Thanks
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
Mission Column February 16, 2024
Lenten Appeal
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,
Mission Column February 9, 2024
Lent and the Lunar New Year
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.
Mission Column February 2, 2024
For many of us, glasses and contacts are a part of our everyday life. One that, perhaps, we often take for granted. It’s easy to forget that in many parts of the world these and other medical aids are not readily available. Missionaries in the Gaya and Dosso regions of Niger, Africa are working to change that, providing healthcare and awareness for visually impaired and blind children.
"There are more and more, almost a hundred in Gaya and Dosso, with ever better prospects for their education and ophthalmological care," writes Father Rafael Casamayor, who works as a missionary in Dosso, about the situation of children with visual impairment in the communities in which he works.
"A house has been purchased in Gaya and is already in use, another is being set up in Dosso and we plan to open it soon to be able to prepare a good training program during the summer", explained the religious of the Society of African Missions.
Kaaryan ma dumi is the new organization dedicated to children and young people with visual impairment from the communities of Dosso and Gaia, which means 'May the light always shine'. Created from the union of the two associations Zankey Handuriya in Dosso and CIES in Gaya, both of which care for visually impaired children, the organizers want to combine their efforts and thus improve the care of these children.
"Light to live, grow, love and prepare for the future," added Dieudonné, who cares for these children in Gaya. "The two charities have the same goals and these children light up as soon as they experience interest, affection and respect for their situation," he emphasized. The two associations work on the social integration of these children who are seen as a burden or even a curse by their families and society in general.
"To achieve today's result, it was necessary to have several years of experience and a lot of educational work, human support and social inclusion of children, as well as a long and complicated training process. The results achieved so far are positive if one takes into account the change in mentality that has occurred among some parents, in the society and among the children themselves," he emphasized. "A few days ago we were invited to a meeting on the Nigerien education system to form a working group on education in the Dosso region," said Dieudonné. "We were able to see for ourselves the seriousness of the education problem, which is often ignored by large non-governmental organizations and also by the Ministry of Education itself."[…] They also organize a training course called "Parent's Guide" to help parents recognize the different opportunities their children have to improve themselves and achieve new goals. The aim is to help parents to know and demand the rights of their children in society and to be aware of these rights. Article from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Mission Column January 28, 2024
The war in Sudan has now
transformed from a clash between the regular army (SAF) led by General Abdul
Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the command of
Mohamed Hamdan Daglo known as Hemeti, into a conflict in which civilians are
increasingly becoming involved.
Both military formations
have launched campaigns to recruit and arm civilians, including children,
escalating clashes on an ethnic basis. A situation denounced by the UN expert
on the human rights situation in Sudan, Radwan Nuweiser: "Despite numerous
regional and international mediation initiatives, there is no peaceful solution
in sight and the people of Sudan continue to bear the brunt of an endless cycle
of violence that affects everyone causing more human suffering, destruction and
displacement every day”.
Nuweiser expressed
concern about reports of the recruitment of civilians, including children, to
fight in the ranks of the armed forces and called on both parties to the
conflict to urgently investigate any violations of international humanitarian
law. The army distributes weapons to the population in the individual
governorates. Marches are taking place on the streets in which hundreds of
armed youth take part, accompanied by slogans calling on the population to arm
themselves.
As for the Rapid Support
Forces, Radwan Noueiser pointed out that the RSF carries out attacks on an
ethnic basis in Darfur, its stronghold in the western south: "In West
Darfur, the Rapid Support Forces and their allied Arab militias have repeatedly
attacked members of the African Masalit group”. On the other hand, the army and
its affiliated militias are using violence against Darfur citizens because they
are accused of spying for the RSF due to their ethnicity and tribal
affiliation, which leads them to join the ranks of the RSF.
The conflict has now
entered its tenth month of fighting and the humanitarian situation is so
serious that the director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
stated that "the largest population movement in the world" is taking
place in Sudan. IOM estimates more than 7.7 million people have been forced to
flee their homes since fighting began on 15 April 2023. Six million of them are
internally displaced people in Sudan. Almost 2 million have fled to South
Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Egypt, the Central African Republic and Libya. Article
from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Mission Column January 19, 2024
Some
make an Advent calendar to sell, others study a song to perform, others make
donation boxes and go to schools and parishes or take part in the Epiphany
Singing campaign and go from house to house and bring the joy of preaching the
Gospel to support projects for children all over the world with the donations
collected. These are the different "faces" of the missionary
initiatives carried out throughout the year by the children and young people of
the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood (POSI) in the more than 120
countries in which it is present. "Children pray for children, children
evangelize children, children help children" is the slogan of the
children's missionary organization, which celebrated its 180th anniversary last
year.
The
organization was founded in 1843 by Bishop Charles Forbin de Janson, who,
impressed by some stories from missionaries living in China about the plight of
children, who came up with the idea of involving French children so that they
could help their Chinese peers through prayer and material assistance. Prayers
and donations form the basis of the children's mission work, which culminates
in World Missionary Childhood Day.
This
day, dedicated to prayer and solidarity, was established by Pope Pius XII
introduced on December 10, 1950 and celebrated for the first time on January 6,
1951. Children and young people around the world often celebrate it on
different dates depending on local circumstances.
The
Pope also recalled the initiative on Epiphany, January 6th, and thanked the
children: "The Epiphany is Missionary Childhood Day. I greet missionary
children and young people throughout the world. I thank them for their
commitment in prayer and in concrete support of the proclamation of the Gospel
and, in particular, the promotion of young people in the mission territories.
Thank you, thank you very much! From Spain (January 14th) to El Salvador
(January 28th) and Nigeria (January 28th) to Mexico (February 18th), there are
a variety of activities for Missionary Childhood Day and which, in this year,
they will follow the underlying theme of "spiritual cooperation"
indicated by the International Secretariat of POSI stated as the main topic.
"I
invite you to be witnesses of the Gospel of joy, peace, friendship and
fraternity that Jesus taught us," emphasizes the Secretary General of
POSI, Sister Roberta Tremarelli, in her Christmas message to children and young
people. "I invite you to continue to proclaim the Good News in every
family: may the Lord accompany you in these days in your initiatives to support
and promote the Society founded by Bishop Charles De Forbin Janson, who cared
for children "who died and could not get to know Jesus". Article from FIDES missionary news service
of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Mission Column January 12, 2024
As
the world looks with concern at the political and military tensions between
North and South Korea that have increased in recent days, the Catholic faithful
gathered today in Seoul and Pyongyang in prayer to call for peace and
reconciliation. A special "Mass for Reconciliation" was celebrated at
Seoul Cathedral, an initiative launched by Cardinal Stephen Kim in 1995 and
constantly carried out - with the Eucharist or with simple prayer - by the
Catholic community on both sides of the 38th parallel border.
Today's
Eucharist, January 9th, is the 1,400th Eucharist in the sign of reconciliation.
After the Mass of Reconciliation, according to a communiqué from the
Archdiocese of Seoul, "those present recited the prayer attributed to St.
Francis, which says: "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, that I
may love where one hates; that I forgive where one offends."
Today,
this prayer, said by the faithful of the "Association of North Korean
Catholics" recognized by the government in Pyongyang, also resounds across
the border. In fact, on August 15, 1995, Augustine C. Park, a Korean priest who
for many years carried out pastoral service in the United States, visited
Pyongyang and managed to agree with this group of North Korean Catholics to use
this text as a "prayer for reconciliation".
Since
then, the faithful in the Seoul Cathedral and the Association of North Korean
Catholics at Changchung Church in Pyongyang every Tuesday pray this prayer in
spiritual communion and intention. At the Mass celebrated in Seoul today,
Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul Job Yobi Koo, who presided over the Eucharist,
recalled in his homily that "Cardinal Stephen Kim's motivation for
introducing this Mass was not 'for change of each other', but to pray 'for the
grace of reconciliation and unity' from God. As a result, one wants to
"pray that we become an instrument of forgiveness and reconciliation
through which all people in this country can unite in love".
Msgr.
Koo pointed out that "on the Korean peninsula and throughout the world, an
attitude of threat towards one another is encouraged and peace is sought with
weapons rather than through encounter and dialogue. Therefore, the glimmer of
reconciliation is getting weaker and weaker."
…"Now,"
Bishop Koo concluded, "it is time to give up hatred and follow the path
shown by Jesus. Let us pray together that we become true apostles of
peace." The tradition of this special Eucharistic celebration began on
March 7, 1995, with the first Mass of Reconciliation celebrated by Cardinal
Stephen Sou-hwan Kim, then Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of
Pyongyang. At the beginning, the bishops and priests of Seoul took turns
celebrating mass. From 2000 onwards, it was the community's newly ordained
priests who presided over the Eucharist. This tradition continued every Tuesday
at 7 p.m. for 29 years, with only a brief interruption due to the pandemic. Article
from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Mission Column January 5, 2024
It
is a Christmas full of praise and thanksgiving to God experienced by Catholic
families who, in Pakistani Punjab, were freed from the condition of slavery…
working in brick kilns.
These
families[…] contract a debt with a rich landowner, the owner of the brick
factory. To repay the debt, an entire
family, from the elderly to children, is employed in clay mining and brick
making for what can last a lifetime… Emmanuel Parvez, parish priest in Pansara,
in the territory of the diocese of Faisalabad, in the plain of Pakistani
Punjab, thanks to the contribution of a few donors, redeems these people,
settles the debt and gives them their freedom.
[…]
"When we manage to free them, these faithful are filled with gratitude to
God and the Church. They participate fervently in the liturgical assembly. The
women come to church every day and recite the rosary. During Advent, in the
community of Pansara, we organized special prayers and days of penance with the
sacrament of reconciliation. More than two thousand faithful came to benefit
from this gift", explains the priest.
During
the Christmas preparation period, Father Parvez began visiting the 38 villages
scattered around his parish, where there are small Christian communities of
five or six families, in predominantly Muslim villages. "We celebrate the
Eucharist in the house of one of these families. It is a very intense moment of
intimacy with God and fraternity. For them, it is a great Christmas gift, it is
the presence of 'Emmanuel, the God-with-us,' he observes. The preparatory
prayer novena for Christmas at the Saint Paul Apostle parish, in Pansara is a
well-attended daily event.
Every
day, he reports, we pray, we reflect on a theme and we put it into practice:
when the theme is assistance to the sick, the faithful visit the sick in the
parish; during the day dedicated to proximity to the poor, aid is collected for
the poor of the parish, without distinction of ethnicity or religion. A day is
dedicated to brotherhood and fun activities are encouraged between young
Muslims, Hindus and Christians for peace. On the day when the theme is
"family agape", families share a dinner in the parish. "When we
talk about light - he says - on the roof of each house, the faithful place a
light or a star; on the day dedicated to disability, we gather and bring gifts
and sweets to children with disabilities".
[…]
The
families who have regained their freedom, to whom we also try to give something
and a land to cultivate for their subsistence, are among the most devoted.
These people, the poorest, the most vulnerable, the most deprived and without
any education, deeply appreciate and understand the experience of God as
liberator, as companion of life, as the One who never abandons us".
Although
forced labor was banned in Pakistan and abolished in 1992, the practice
continues and has even increased in recent years due to the worsening economic
crisis. Pakistan has around 20,000 brick kilns. The Global Slavery Index (GSI),
compiled by an Australian-based NGO, estimates that around 3 million people in
Pakistan are caught in debt slavery. Article
from FIDES missionary news service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Please remember “The Society for the Propagation of the Faith” when writing or changing your Will.
https://www.rcdony.org/mission.html