A day of spirit and surrender, where faith met fire and history found its echo in four humble hearts. Something sacred stirred in Our Lady of Pentecost Parish of Loyola Heights, Quezon City (Philippines) on the morning of October 25.

The community gathered in the Church rejoiced as 4 members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) – Timothy Kaburu, Zackayo Sakwa, Cosmus Onyango and Micheal Mwangi – were conferred the order of diaconate by the Archbishop Emeritus of Jaro, Most Rev. Jose Romeo O. Lazo DD.

It has been about 2 decades since the MCSPA had seen 4 men being ordained together, and the occasion felt more like a revival of spirit. From the first chords of the entrance hymn, the parish came alive. Members of the MCSPA and family and friends leaned forward with pride, the young looked on in quiet admiration. When the 4 stepped forth, dressed in white, something about the moment said promise. Their faces were steady, but their hearts … you could feel it, were burning! At that moment, it was clear: vocation is not about prestige, but surrender.

Archbishop Lazo, in his gentle yet firm voice, opened his homily by saying that this ordination of MCSPA members reminds us that the Church is missionary. The diaconate is born of love in order to serve. These words came across not as lofty rhetoric, rather as a lived truth. Service – the Archbishop reminded the deacons-to-be and everyone in the beautiful Church – begins not at the altar but in the heart: in listening, lifting up and loving the people whom God places in our path.

Most Rev. Marvyn Abrea Maceda, Bishop of San Jose de Antique Diocese also concelebrated at the ordination mass together with the Parish Priest, Fr. Herbie Santos, and a number of priests from MCSPA and guest priests as well.

The whole liturgy and mass was solemn and beautifully celebrated.

After the final blessing, the celebration continued in the parish hall. Laughter replaced the solemn chants, and old friends clasped hands as if to say, we were part of something holy today. Photographs were taken, stories shared, food passed around … nothing extravagant, just the warmth of communion, the taste of shared joy.

This ordination was more than an event: it was a reminder that God still writes His story in human hearts. In our 4 brothers, the church glimpsed her own renewal: a spark of hope in a world that so often forgets the beauty of service. Testimonies during the reception also lightened the day. It became apparent how despite the humble beginnings, immense efforts were made by the priests and seminarians of the MCSPA in its different apostolates and outreach in the poorer neighborhoods of the parish and in building bridges between the Philippine and African churches. It was heartwarming to learn of God’s grace acting throughout the 13 years of the MCSPA’s presence in the Philippines.

As the event came to a close, the words of St. Teresa of Kolkata came to mind: “At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, or how many great things we have done, but by how much love we put into the doing”.

To Timothy, Zackayo, Cosmus and Micheal: congratulations! May you savour the joy of service!

by Benjamin Musyoka,
Junior Apprentice of the MCSPA

How often do we pass by the broken, the restless, the ones who seem out of place, and convince ourselves that they are “not our problem”? And yet, in the Gospel, Christ reminds us that what we do for the least among us, we do for Him. This is no mere comfortable truth … it is a wake-up call­­­.

Our parish in the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in South Sudan, Ave-Maria Parish, was confronted with this reality when a woman, appeared not speaking any English or paZande (the local language of the area), but only French. She carried the weight of mental instability … thus she walked through our doors. Beside her was her little boy, silent and watchful, totally dependent on the woman who seemed so lost herself. She had no documents on her, no place to go to, only the hope that someone, somewhere would take her in. We sensed that this was her story before she made her way to the parish.

What seemed like madness to many soon unfolded into a story of faith, patience and reunion – a testimony that no soul is ever truly lost when love chooses to search. She wandered into our church not just seeking shelter, but unknowingly asking a question that God often places before us: will you welcome me?

The mystery of her struggle was evident. Many whispered, others wondered, some even began flinging things at her claiming she was a devil! She dirtied the church on numerous occasions, attacking people even. Yet even in her distress, we saw something sacred: a cry for belonging, a reminder that every soul, no matter how broken­, remains precious in God’s sight.

Instead of closing the doors, the mission opened them wider. She received food, clothing, bedding, blankets and refuge on the premises of the parish church. She actually did not want to leave the church, as she claimed having seen an image of Mary similar to the one from her home parish, and she was convinced that Mary would soon come take her home.

It became clear though that compassion had to take us further. Temporary care was not enough. With the help of our teachers from Cameroon, we discovered that she was also from there and not from Central African Republic (CAR), as we initially thought. It became clear then that this woman had been on the move for quite some time. Our Cameroonian teachers then began a social media awakening by posting her photo on all platforms they could could get their fingers on. Through these efforts, piece by piece, her story was uncovered. The invisible threads finally connected back to her home. Her family got to know of her whereabouts. The woman had been lost for four whole years!!!

With this, the mission organized a motorbike, and a “laissez passer” as she had no travel documents on her, to take her to Obo where she was received by Fr Francis, the Parish Priest of Obo in CAR. Her older brother arranged to go pick her up at Bangui, the capital of CAR, and they proceeded to Cameroon together. What began as a wandering journey marked by fear and uncertainty, ended in belonging, safety, and love.

Her son, once a quiet shadow, now had a home. She, once seen as “mad” was restored to her dignity as a mother, a sister, and a daughter. Humanly speaking, her case seemed impossible. No documents, no clear trace of family, no hope of re-integration. But through patience and prayer, the mission managed to trace her roots. The day of her reunion was nothing short of miraculous.

This was not just her miracle. It was ours too. Because through her, God asked us: Do you believe that love can restore the broken? Do you trust that no one is too lost to be found? Her journey is proof that miracles are not far removed from us. They unfold when faith meets compassion. It asks each of us: Where do I draw the line of my compassion? Who do I choose to see, and who do I ignore? When do we choose to open doors instead of closing them? When do we dare to believe that God still works wonders through ordinary people and in mundane places?

From wandering to belonging – this woman’s story is more than an ending; it is a call. It calls us to wake up, to see Christ in the most unexpected faces, to believe again in a God who reunites, restores, and redeems. Sometimes, the greatest miracle is not fire from heaven, but a lost woman and her child finding their way home. Her testimony reminds us that the church is not first a building of stone, but a refuge of hearts. It is where the lost find home, where mercy becomes flesh, where faith is proven not in words but in deeds.

by Benjamin Maketa,

MCSPA Junior Apprentice

Ave Maria Mission, South Sudan

On October 7, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. At Sts. Joachim and Ann Parish (Kibish, Diocese of Lodwar, Kenya), at the outstation of St. John the Evangelist (Lobur Mission), a procession was held in the village of Lobur, where many people took part. We continue to ask our Mother Mary to bless us during this month of the Missions and of the Rosary.

by Fr. Andrew Yakulula, MCSPA

Lobur MIssion, KENYA.

Meskel is one of Ethiopia’s most important religious and cultural festivals; it is celebrated every year on September 27 or on September 28 in a leap year. It commemorates the Finding of True Cross on which Jesus died by Saint Helena.

A large bonfire (called Demera) is lit using dry wood and this is done in public places. At the village of Dakuna where the MCSPA has its mission, it was done at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. All the faithful gathered in the evening of the day, and the bonfire was lit. Abba Filipos officiated at the ceremony with the help of church deacons who led the chanting and prayers, and the incensing. Three elders performed the traditional blessing, before lighting the Demera. Abba Filipos explained to the faithful gathered at the Church the meaning of the Cross.

Members of the MCSPA communities at every mission in Ethiopia also gathered with families that invited them to share in the traditional Ethiopian meal and drinks.

Meskel also marks the end of the rainy season in Ethiopia. There is a tradition that interprets the position of where the bonfire leans or collapses to predict future events for the community. We hope and pray that this year 2018 of the Ethiopian Calendar will be full of blessings to all the MCSPA missions in Ethiopia.

by Lydiah Obok, MCSPA

Dakuna Mission, ETHIOPIA