Nariokotome Parish marked Mission Sunday by celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Catechist George Lokiru. Catechist George Lokiru is a Commissioned Catechist married to Alice Lokiru. He has served in several outstations within Nariokotome Parish. Prior to Nariokotome Parish he served in Loarengak and Lokitaung Parishes. He is renowned for his singing skills and for being a cheerful preacher.

His silver Jubilee was commemorated with people coming from all over Nariokotome Parish and beyond. There were a big number of his fellow catechists from within Nariokotome Parish and other neighbouring Parishes.

The celebration began with Mass where the letter of the Pope on Mission Sunday was elaborated with the theme: ” Here am I, Send me”. The preacher of the day challenged the Christians to support the catechists and invited young people to want to serve the Church as Catechists.

After the Mass there was entertainment by the different Church groups. Afterwards there were speeches whereby George was praised for his dedicated service. Gifts followed. He was showered with an array of gifts. Several Christians also pledged various construction materials to help the Catechist construct a better house.

The guests were served with lunch after the ceremony of the cutting of the silver jubilee cake.

We thank the Lord for the 25 years of service of George Lokiru. We pray that the Church may be blessed with many committed Catechists to carry on the Mission of Christ.

Fr. Denis Odongo MCSPA, parish priest

Happy Easter from Ave Maria Parish, South Sudan. As we could not celebrate Easter mass for our Christians, Frs. Albert and Avelino and the rest of us went around walking for some good five hours, to meet Christians at their homes.

We had short prayers and there was blessing of seeds and different stuff that is valuable to them. This is a tradition here in South Sudan. During Easter, everyone brings seeds, tools for planting or hunting, torches, books, logs for harvesting honey, matchboxes, firewood, and just anything you can imagine. So that soon after, when rains will come, their plants will do well and will have plenty of harvest.

We thank God for the privilege of being able to share with such a strong-faith people as these. Any opportunity of a priest visiting them is a big blessing.

While walking to the different homes many passerby stopped us for blessing. Others rushed home to bring their seeds, and along would come the whole family to receive the Easter blessing. It was a great joy seeing how people were singing and dancing after the blessings.

At least the people were able to celebrate Easter in a different way. Indeed, the light of the risen Christ has reached them today in spite of not being able to attend mass.

Lillian Omari MCSPA

Our missionaries and some volunteers from Muke Turi Mission assisted at the Youth Meeting of the Diocese of Emdibir under the motto Vocation and Mission. More than 800 young people came to the event from the different parishes of the Eparchy.

Through music and drama, the youth expressed their ideas on the motto. The MCSPA participated with their testimonies and some songs.

The common vocation of the baptized and the universal mission of the Church were some of the topics exhibited. The Bishop and the organizers thanked the MCSPA deeply for their participation and testimony.

Lourdes Larruy MCSPA

On Sunday 8th of September the community of Naturomoe gathered together to celebrate the blessing of the first buildings and the first stone of the new Church at the Prince of Peace Catholic Mission.

The celebration was attended by many people and it was very colorful. Those in attendance were South Sudanese rebels and refugees, representatives from Kakuta community, regional authorities, MCSPA members and mission staff.

The occasion started with the celebration of the Holy Mass presided by Bishop Dominic Kimengich, accompanied by Bishop Markos Gebremedhin. During his homily, Bishop Dominic expressed his happiness of seing that, what started as a dream during his first visit to the area 6 years ago was now becoming a reality.

He also stressed that it was very important that people from three different countries were present, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya. And that if not brought together by God, we could have been fighting and calling each other enemies. However, thanks to the realisation of the mission, we can now stay together as brothers and sisters.

At the end of the Mass Lourdes Larruy explained the pre-history of how the mission started: 20 years ago it began as a suggestion of Mons. Silvano Tomasi, the then Apostolic Nuntio to Ethiopia, to Fr. Paco and the MCSPA members. The Nuntio said that if our community had missions in the north of Kenya, and in Wolega, Ethiopia, we could easily open a mission half way. Then this became also the dream of Fr. Paco, our founder, as he envisioned having missions as centres of life, in the style of our missions in Turkana, from Turkana to Alexandria.

After the mass the community proceeded in procession to the site where the future church will be built. The first stone was blessed and the church was dedicated to Mary Mother of the Church. Afterwards, we proceeded to the blessing of the technical buildings and staff houses.

We hope that these buildings will give the necessary logistic support to the missionaries and staff of the mission, to carry out apostolic work from Naturomoe, aimed at spreading the Good News through practical help.

We give thanks to all the friends and benefactors especially to Misso Aachen and the Nazareth Trust for supporting this project, and for all those who in one way or another have been part of this dream with your help and prayers.

Fr. Angel Valdivia MCSPA

On the afternoon of 7^th September 2019, Bishops Markos Gebremedhin from Jimma-Bonga, Ethiopia, and Dominic Kimengich from Lodwar, Kenya, blessed the new St. John XXIII – Ekisil (Peace) Day care Centre for Small Children in Kakuta, Nyangatom, Ethiopia.

The celebration was very colorful and joyful as the people of Kakuta gathered to receive the two bishops, the fathers and the representatives of the MCSPA team who attended the celebration, with dances and songs.

The Day-care centre will cater for children from 3 to 6 years of age through different activities such as pre-school education, songs, health and higiene, agriculture, nutrition and peace education.

In addition the centre aims to be a place of encounter with the parents of the children, where relevant information will be shared with them, especially towards improving the education of the small children.

The new school is still in the process of being constructed. So far we have been able to complete one classroom, with a second one under construction, and the fence. We thank all the benefactors and friends who have been supporting this project, especially Trekking for Kids, Fundación Kyrene and Ekisil Group.

We continue asking for your prayers and support to be able to provide a better life for the children of Kakuta.

Fr. David Escrich MCSPA

Yesterday (August 27), in the afternoon, members of the MCSPA celebrated the silver jubilee anniversary of the community’s presence in Ethiopia at Holy Saviour Church in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by His Eminence Berhaneyesus Cardinal Souraphiel of Addis Ababa accompanied by Msgr. Markos Gebremedhin, Bishop of Jimma-Bonga. It was a great joy to celebrate this mile-stone surrounded by many people who have been with us since the begining of our missionary work in Ethiopia: friends, beneficiaries and staff from all the four MCSPA missions in Ethiopia.

During his homily, the Cardinal congratulated all who made this mission a reality: from Fr. Paco to Cecilia, Lourdes and all who are now working in Ethiopia. He spoke of how Fr. Paco had a boundless energy and how he encouraged the MCSPA members to take care of the poor, recalling the words from Scripture, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink”.

The Cardinal also encouraged MCSPA members to be people of prayer like St. Monica and to seek God in each one of us, as advised by St. Augustine.

Finally Cardinal Berhaneyesus also adviced us to continue to seek out the lost sheep, bearing in mind the charism of MCSPA.

After the mass, everyone gathered in the church hall for speeches, refreshments, a slideshow and, finally, songs and dances in the Nyangatom (southern Ethiopia) style!

We wish to thank all those who made this day a success especially all the friends, relatives, and staff who attended, and we pray that God may continue to bless us with more vocations so that we may be able to reach many other places in Ethiopia and the surrounding countries where the harvest is still so full.

Thank you for all your prayers and support throughout these years!

Lillian Omari MCSPA

Fr Alex, Parish priest of Ss. Joachim and Anne, one of the youngest parish in the Dioceses of Lodwar, has been encouraging the Small Christian Communities so that they can support the parish in all its development.

This week through the contributions of the Christians in every out-station, they managed to make altar clothes in all four liturgical colours for all their out-stations and the main parish church.

In this particular outstation those responsible; the catechist, youth chairman, the outstation chairperson and the Catholic Women Association representative received the gifts on behalf of all the Christians of Napeikar outstation.

We hope through this small acts, the Christians continue to feel part of the development that takes place in their Church.

Ambrose Wanyonyi
Apprentice MCSPA

The members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) in different countries remembered their founder who passed on 6 years ago.

At Nariokotome Mission, where Fr. Paco was laid to rest, the villages came in large numbers to remember him, carrying branches while singing and dancing. It was a great celebration as we fondly remembered Fr. Paco as a man who brought light to people, like a lighted candle in a dark room.

Lillian Omari – MCSPA

Missio Aachen, the Pontifical Missionary Society of Germany has chosen Ethiopia this year as their focus country. A delegation of the Ethiopian Church has been invited to Germany to encourage Catholic donors to link up the money they donate with the reality of people, projects and the country.

Among the delegates are His Emminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus from Addis Ababa, and Bishops Markos from Jimma-Bonga, and Bishop Seyoum from Hossaina. Frs. David Escrich and Angel Valdivia from Nyangatom are representing our MCSPA missions in Ethiopia. Missio supports many social and pastoral projects around Africa and Asia every year.

This year’s Mission Sunday campaign opening has been launched in Erfurt Diocese and the celebration has been full of joy and entertainment. Activities such as a race competition to collect money were organised after the mass. Even those who wanted to have their shoes cleaned could do it as a donation because the Bishop of Erfurt was one of the cleaners! We are all called to serve.

Fr. Angel Valdivia MCSPA

A new look for Our Lady Queen of Peace School at Todonyang …

Pictures send powerful messages. At the school in Todonyang, we use wall murals to teach and catechize.

Lillian Omari