Fr. Alex Campón and Cosmus Onyango of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle, on Saturday, March 9, attended a Youth Conference on the theme “Mission Talk 2024”, organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro at Iloilo City in the Philippines.

This conference, targeting the youths of the whole archdiocese, bore the theme of “Mission: An Occasion of Grace and Moving Towards Serving our Neighbour”, saw more than 100 youths, religious sisters and lay persons in attendance.

The series of talk delivered by Fr. Peter John Guarin of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Calmay, Iloilo, and Fr. Alex Campón captured the attention of the audience by concrete and emotional experiences of mission in Turkana North, Kenya. Fr. Peter served at the Holy Family Parish, Kaaleng, in the Diocese of Lodwar, Kenya, as a fidei donum priest in a collaboration with the Archdiocese of Jaro and the Diocese of Lodwar.

These two dioceses first established a relationship of serving the Catholic Church in Turkana in 2019, a product of the MCSPA’s bridge-building initiative between local churches. Since then, the Archdiocese of Jaro has been sending priests for mission in Turkana. Besides, the Diocese of San José, Antique, also has a similar arrangement with the Diocese of Lodwar, sending priests to work in Kaikor Parish also in the Diocese of Lodwar for more than 8 years now. The MCSPA’s zeal to build bridges between the Diocese of Lodwar and the local churches in Asia has also seen the arrival of a religious sisters’ congregation – the Mensa Domini Sisters or Sisters of the Lord’s Table – to join in the evangelisation in Turkana. These sisters, at present, have permanent communities in Kaaleng and Lodwar, and soon at Nariamawoi.

Fr. Peter Guarin reflected on one’s physical presence in a mission as the highest generosity with which we can respond to the call to be sent. He explains, “For the Turkana people, presence is enough. It is enough that you are with them. There are moments that I had no food to offer yet they told me that it was okay: ‘We are fine with it, Father, because you have stayed with us here.’” He advised the youth to be gifts to the mission and encouraged his brother priests to go out on mission because “mission is Grace, allowing us to be instruments of love and hope for the people who need us.”

Fr. Alex’s talk drew on the vast experience of his 28 years of priesthood and as a missionary in Kenya. There have been big moments for him as a missionary though his early days in the mission remain remarkable. It was while he was assigned to keep records of babies and mothers at the nutrition programs that he found his purpose. Fr. Alex emotionally narrates, “It was really an incredible discovery for me. I can now say that it was there in Turkana when I clearly saw the confirmation that God wanted me to become a missionary priest and dedicate my life to it. Certainly, the most significant was not the input that I gave there as a volunteer, or the efforts or effects of my volunteering work, rather it was what I received in return as my experience there.” Besides, Fr. Alex encouraged the audience of the need to move from and to go out of our comfortable and established set-ups and embrace new states of mind and purpose. This is our discovery of the grace that represents mission.

A discussion session followed after the talks with some from the audience wanting to know the challenges of being in a mission. Fr. Alex responded that loneliness can rob one of the joys of being in a mission. He recalled certain moments during the Covid-19 pandemic when he felt the pangs of loneliness, being locked out from his fellow missionaries: “At times you can feel empty in the face of need, when you don’t have solutions to problems of the people.”

Fr. Peter added that it is easy to fall into the temptation of being “busy” to a point of forgetting to pray and to be with the Lord who provides. Mission work can be very demanding and we can easily get lost in the work. He encouraged the audience to pray for missionaries for that is also part of being on a mission.

The Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) thanks the Archdiocese of Jaro under the guidance of the Most Reverend Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo, for its warm welcome. And of course, we thank Fr. Arthur “King” Flores, the Director of the Archdiocesan Commission on Mission, and Fr. John who is the director of the Youth Commission and to all the organising team of the “Mission Talk 2024″ for their invitation and opportunity to speak to the youth of Jaro. “Damo nga salamat!”

Cosmus Onyango, MCSPA Apprentice,
Metro Manila, Philippines.

“Show love in your apostolates by your presence” is a moving statement from Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Catholic Diocese of Cubao during his visit on February 19 to St. Joseph and St. Francis Xavier House of Theology in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. In the company of Fr. Edwin Peter Dionisio, OFM, the Episcopal Vicar for Religious in the Diocese of Cubao, and Sr. Veronica Gungon, SJBP, the Bishop’s Secretary, Bishop Honesto’s pastoral visit is a big blessing to the MCSPA community here and a gesture of good working relations.

Bishop Honesto and team were shown around the house by Frs. Francis Teo and Alex Campon, accompanied by all the other members and apprentices. Introductions were made and the bishop was especially keen to know the origins of everyone and what each was studying. We then sat down for some Ethiopian coffee and Malaysian cake!

The bishop’s awareness of the MCSPA is remarkable for he intimated to having read widely about the community on its website, in addition to the constant contact that Fr. Francis has kept with the Diocese of Cubao. The bishop’s message to us all was to keep serving the people of God with zeal and commitment and in whatever small ways possible. Reaching out to the elderly and conducting English and Mathematics tutorial classes to children from the depressed areas (slums) are two activities that he singled out as particularly important. Thus, Bishop Honesto reminded us to show love in our apostolates by our presence with the children and families.

By Cosmus Onyango,

MCSPA Apprentice

Manila

The episcopal ordination of Abuna Lucas Teshome was held on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at the Eparchy of Emdeber, Ethiopia. At this elaborate celebration, steeped in the culture of the Eastern Rite, Abuna Lucas was consecrated as the new Coadjutor Bishop.

The celebration was an occasion to celebrate unity, marked as it was by the presence of the Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Berhaneyesus Cardinal Souraphiel, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, a great number of bishops from all over Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as government representatives and heads of different churches, all giving their blessing on the newly-consecrated bishop.

Abuna Lucas Teshome, who is himself from Emdeber, was warmly welcomed into his new appointment to his native land. All roads were closed and the whole town was decorated for the occasion. 

Catholics make up only 0.5% of the whole population of Ethiopia, but Emdeber has one of the largest Catholic communities in the country.

The MCSPA opened a mission at Emdeber in 2023 with two members living and working at St. Scholastica MIssion at Dakuna. It is the most recently-established mission of the MCSPA.

We look forward to working with Abuna Lucas in bringing the Kingdom of God into this corner of Ethiopia, and we pray for him in his new appointment as shepherd of the local church.

by Amanda Falgas, Apprentice of the MCSPA

On 21st January, the MCSPA celebrated its annual Family Day at the Women’s House in Nairobi. The occasion was graced by the presence of Rt. Rev. John Mbinda, Bishop of Lodwar, who presided at the Eucharistic celebration. It was fitting to give thanks to God for his many blessings bestowed.

We also celebrated two infant baptisms at the mass.

We would like to thank everyone who attended, contributed to our projects over the year and journeyed with the MCSPA throughout all this time. We hope to see you all next year as we extend a welcome invitation to you to come visit our missions in Turkana. KARIBUNI SANA!!!

Greetings from the Prince of Peace Catholic mission at Nyangatom, Ethiopia. It is our hope that everybody is happy with the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are also very happy to share with everybody the great news of the opening of our newly built Assembly Hall, built on the top of Naturomoe Hill, and the dedication of the mission to the Prince of Peace and Our Lady of the Embrace. The new building has been blessed by His Lordship Markos Gebremedhin, Bishop of Jimma-Bonga Apostolic Vicariate. Also in attendance were the Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Antoaine Camillieri, and Msgr. John Mbinda CSSP, Bishop of Lodwar Diocese, Kenya.

The name Naturomoe is a Nyangatom word that means “the enemies have escaped”, and indeed, up to recent times, this was a place of violent conflict and a corridor used by cattle rustlers from different communities such as the Turkana of Kenya, Nyangatom of Ethiopia and Toposa of South Sudan. They could meet in this place just to fight.

Thanks to God’s divine Mercy, this reality has been changing for the last two years.

Today we are so happy because the blessing of the new Hall and the dedication of the Mission to the Prince of Peace and Our Lady of the Embrace gives the peace of God a chance to be well rooted in this area where before nobody dreamt of building a permanent house.

The goal of our mission is evangelization and fostering peace and development.

It is our hope that with the new building of the local community will be able to gain cohesion and peace that comes from the heart.

Our sincere gratitudes goes to those who have helped us achieve such a milestone.

We wish everybody a very happy and blessed holidays and a prosperous new year 2024.

The church of Ave Maria in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio (CDTY), South Sudan celebrates a hundred years of faith in Rii-Yubu payam on the 10th of December 10, 2023. This celebration marked a hundred years since the Comboni Missionaries arrived in the village of Ngboko in 1923. The Comboni missionaries came from Mupoi to Ngboko because there was a widespread of sleeping sickness in the area of Rii-Yubu, as they were treating the people who were suffering from sleeping sickness, they were also evangelizing, and the people of Rii-yubu welcomed the faith and have kept it burning for a hundred years now.

Prior to the launching of the centenary celebration of Ave Maria were two major events; the first event was the Diocesan mutual relation and the second event was the rededication of Ave Maria church. The first mutual relation in the catholic diocese of Tombura Yambio (CDTY) started on Tuesday the 5th of December 2023 and ended on Wednesday the 6th of December 2023. This incident took place in the Ave Maria Mission run by the Missionaries Community of Saint Paul the Apostle (MCSPA). The second event was the rededication of the church of Ave Maria church after the renovation. The rededication of the church of Ave Maria took place on the 8th of December 2023 by the Bishop of CDTY.

In attendance of these events was the bishop of CDTY, the bishop of the catholic diocese of Torit, the vicar general of Bangasu diocese (Central Africa Republic), the parish priest of Obbo parish (Central Africa Republic), the parish priest of Lobur mission (Fr. Joseph MCSPA member), the priests and religious in CDTY, and the Christians of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio.
The people of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio especially the Christians of Ave Maria Catholic Parish were very excited to celebrate a hundred years of faith, they also appreciated the members of the Missionary Community of Saint Paul the Apostles residing in Ave Maria Mission for the great work of evangelization they are doing among them. The Christians of Ave Maria Catholic Parish will be very happy to welcome more people for the closing of the centenary celebration in December 2024 as they have already planned the events for the closing of the centenary celebrations.

Yesterday, Fr. Avelino Bassols opened and blessed of a new chapel in the heart of a conflict area. This has strengthened the faith and hope of the Christians of Bambu II. Bambu II, is about 60 km away from Ave Maria Mission bordering the Central African Republic.
The Christians were happy to receive their parish priest and the Ave Maria team that had accompanied him for the blessing. It was a colorful celebration full of singing and dancing, after their long-time wish of having a peaceful place to pray and praise God without worrying if they will be rained on, was fulfilled.
The community had to endure the conflict and violence two years ago, and the presence of the church that they themselves built is bringing them courage and hope. This is what faith entails.

The group of the Legion of Mary organized a wonderful pilgrimage to Ave Maria mission in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY), on the 11th of August 2023 for the celebration of the Assumption of the most Blessed virgin Mary on the 15th of August today whereby the new members devoted themselves to the Blessed virgin Mary and the old members renewed their devotion.
This is an annual incident in the month of August that all the members of the Legion of Mary from all the outstations of Ave Maria Parish come walking while carrying their food stuffs and sleeping mats, some as far as 54 Kilometers. They come together for prayers and the priest in charge teach them on what to do in their various places. The group of the Legion of Mary is one of the devotional groups in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) which consists of both adults and children who have a special devotion to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, the total number of the legion of Mary who turned up for the pilgrimage this year are 207 which 51 of them are the new members who devoted themselves earlier today in the Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Avellino Bassols the parish priest of Ave Maria Parish, who preached to them about humility, as Mary humbled herself to go and stay with her kinswoman Elizabeth after she got the news from Angel Gabriel and he encouraged them to continue praying for peace in the country as the church of Ave Maria is preparing to launch its centenary celebration on the 8th of December this year.
The members of the Legion of Mary were extremely excited to have new members who have made up their minds to devote themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary and also to have their pilgrimage in Ave Maria church which is the second largest church in South Sudan, a proposed shrine of Mother Mary in the country.

Members of the MCSPA attended the 25th-anniversary celebration of St. James the Greater Parish in Kaikor, where Fr. Fernando Aguirre and Fr. Manuel Hernandez, members of the MCSPA, began living in tents in September 1998.

Among the many activities to be done in that time was the construction of a new church (the existing one was a small room in the middle of the village). 

Currently, the parish is under the care of 2 Filipino Fidei Domund priests, Fr. Froilan and Fr. Ronald, from the Diocese of San Jose de Antique in the Philippines. Bishop Marvyn Abrea Maceda, presided over the triple celebration, the 25th anniversary of the parish, the patronal feast of St. James the Greater Apostle and the appointment of the 2 Filipino priests, who will remain for 3 years.

It was a very emotional celebration, full of color, joy and the reflection of a mature faith, whose seed was planted years ago and now sees it maturing. The bishop asked the community to pray and take care of their priests. 

The celebration was also attended by the Marianite Sisters, founded in Ecuador and present in Kaikor since 2008 and the Mensa Domini Sisters, founded in the Philippines.

Hoy, en la solemnidad del nacimiento de San Juan Bautista, el 24 de junio, la MCSPA y la Iglesia Católica en Turkana se regocijan con el regalo del recién ordenado sacerdote misionero Zacchaeus Okoth. La ceremonia de ordenación tuvo lugar la hermosa iglesia de San Pablo Apóstol en Nariokotome, Kenia. El ambiente estaba lleno de alegría y oración, con familiares, amigos, fieles y simpatizantes que vinieron a presenciar la gran ocasión cuando Zaqueo, quien ha pasado por años de formación, ha sido finalmente ordenado sacerdote por Mons. John Mbinda, obispo de la diócesis de Lodwar.

La ceremonia de ordenación fue seguida de una alegre celebración, durante la cual el sacerdote recién ordenado recibió las felicitaciones y bendiciones de los sacerdotes, miembros de la MCSPA, familiares y amigos. Ha sido un día de celebración lleno de gracia para la MCSPA, ya que acoge en su redil a un nuevo misionero, que continuará el carisma de la comunidad al estilo de San Pablo, y llevará la palabra de Dios hasta los confines de la tierra.

La celebración finalizó con una procesión de acción de gracias y recepción para todos. Deseamos a Zaqueo lo mejor en su misión, orando para que el espíritu de Dios esté siempre con él. También roguemos a Dios, por intercesión de San José, que el ejemplo de Zaqueo inspire y toque el corazón de muchos jóvenes, a ser valientes para dejar todo atrás y seguir una vocación misionera.

Michael Mwangi Aprendiz de la MCSPA