On 22 February 2024, we inaugurated the Derma Nariokotome Project which aims to support the local population of Nariokotome by manufacturing soaps and creams that help improve health and control skin diseases.

This initiative is sponsored by Cantabria Labs. The premises of Derma Nariokotome was blessed by Frs. Antonio Aguirre and Zacchaeus Okoth. For the inauguration Patrizia Aniballi, Scholastica Wamalwa, Lenny Jilo, Lydia Imbala and Lucia Blasi were present. We also had a small representation from Cantabria Labs: Antonio Matji, Marta Domínguez, Tere Sanz, Toñi García, and Pepa Sardinero.

Derma Nariokotome has as its patrons Sts. Cosmas and Damian, two physician-pharmacist saints who devoted their lives to helping the sick by providing them with “miraculous remedies”. In return, these saints only asked to speak of Jesus, becoming physicians of both body and soul.

Lenny Jilo will be in charge of the project with Samuel Kapua as director. Samuel is trained to formulate and manufacture everything needed; he was educated at the mission since he was a child, thanks to a sponsorship by Cantabria Labs, which also continues to support us in development and education projects in the Nariokotome area.

By Patrizia Aniballi, Lenny Jilo and representatives from Cantabria Labs.
Nariokotome Mission

This month, we have enjoyed promoting chess practice in two of our missions in Turkana. We want to help develop the skills of this game to positively impact the children’s academic level and the teachers’ work.

Thanks to Colombian friends and other benefactors of the Kokuselei mission, we have been able to inaugurate 3 chess clubs in Todonyang, Riokomor, and Kokuselei. And to celebrate the First Chess Tournament at the Don Bosco Center in Kokuselei with amazing results and a very good experience for all.

This past week, a delegation of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia made up of the Cardinal Archbishop of Addis Ababa, H.E. Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, Msgr. Markos Gebremedhin, Bishop of Jimma-Bonga, Msgr. Seyoum Fransua Bishop of Hossana, and Msgr. Lesane-Christos Matheos, Bishop of Bahar-Dar, visited Madrid for three days.

They passed through Spain on their way back from a forum for the Bishops, which took place in in Lisbon, and the congregation Work of the Church hosted them those days while passing through Spain.

Members of the MCSPA have been able to organize several meetings in Madrid so that the Bishops could present the reality and needs of their country.

They visited Cáritas Spain, Ayuda a la Iglesia Necesidad, Cáritas Madrid, Manos Unidas, and Fondo para la Nueva Evangelización, as well as the Pontifical Mission Societies, and the Mission Delegation of Madrid. We thank them for their interest and support for the Church of Ethiopia, through their support of multiple projects, and its commitment to the future.

On Tuesday, the delegation of Bishops, MCSPA missionaries, secular members and volunteers from the MCSPA, were able to visit the Cardinal of Madrid, Don Carlos Osoro.

During the visit Jesús and Sara, volunteers from the mission of Muketurri, Ethiopia, and Mónica Falgás, secular member of the MCSPA, explained their commitment to the community and the missions of Ethiopia, as well as their commitment to the local church in Madrid through of the parish of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Pio XII, Madrid.

Don Carlos, was interested in the situation of the church and Ethiopia. Cardinal Berhaneyesus made an introduction to the situation of peace after the war in Tigray, and then each bishop explained about his diocese. The bishops explained that they are finishing a strategic plan for the next 10 years and that the main objective of this plan will be to invest heavily in education, as the main instrument of change in Ethiopian society.

That same afternoon, the bishops were able to celebrate mass in the parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Pio XII. Many people attended the mass, including the director of the pontifical mission works, Father José María Calderón, and the mission delegate of the archdiocese of Madrid. Father Calderón also invited some Orthodox Ethiopians who live in Madrid, and who gather to pray in his parish.

A lot of young people came to mass, and there was a very missionary atmosphere. The cardinal spoke about the similarities between Ethiopia and Spain as two countries with a very ancient Christian tradition. After the mass there was a time to chat and greet everyone in the church and outside the church.

The bishops have sincerely and earnestly thanked the logistical support of the MCSPA while in Madrid since their regions are in great need of support and solidarity from the universal Church.

Fr. Angel Valdivia MCSPA

The MCSPA have celebrated on 15th February the 10th anniversary of the death of its founder, Fr. Francisco Andreo (Paco).

He died in Nariokotome mission after a long illness at the age of 71. His legacy remains behind with a community that is present in 4 African countries, namely Malawi, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. The MCSPA is also present in Colombia, Mexico, Philippines and Germany.

Fr. Paco, touched the life’s of many and invited many to leave everything behind and follow Christ and be compassionate as he was. The charism of Paco and the MCSPA was forged after many years working in Turkana, feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty and healing the sick.

The anniversary was attended by a multitude of people from everywhere, and the Mass was presided by Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich, the former bishop of Lodwar and now bishop of Eldoret.

We continue praying for Fr. Paco’s eternal rest as we ask for his intercession to continue being faithful to the charism of the MCSPA.

ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO HIM.

Fr. Ángel Valdivia MCSPA

Since last Friday we hosted 200 young soccer players from Ave Maria parish, Catholic Diocese of Tombura- Yambio, in South Sudan.

We had workshops on how to play soccer as a team without fighting or hurting each other, team building and friendship.
Players came from the following villages; Tombura, Nabanga, Akpa, Dingimo, Mozungu, Bambú, Sabamile, Ave Maria, Bariguna, Hia Matará, Rii Yubu, Bariguna. In most of these towns there were massacres last year, and now through sports we are trying to help young people reconcile and learn to live together peacefully.

Thank you the deputy Commissioner of Tombura, the Paramount chief and the Sultan for building bridges for peace.

Let’s embrace peace wherever we go and this time football for peace one of the ways of reconciliation.

Lillian – MCSPA

#mcspa #AveMariaMission #TomburaYambioDiocese #FootballForPeace

Today marks one year since peace was restored between the Nyangatom and the Turkana.

A huge gathering took place in Lokwamunyen, Ethiopia. The youth from both communities danced and sung traditional songs. Everybody was cheerful and joyful.

The meeting was organized by IPC, a local NGO from Nyangatom and supported by African Union and GTZ. Authorities from Jinka Zone and Nyangatom Woreda accompanied the government representatives from Kenya, especially Turkana county and Kibish sub- county.

One culture, one language, one people the Turkana or the Nyangatom.

We continue praying for peace all over the world especially around the missions where MCSPA are working.

Lillian Omari MCSPA

Today we have received the visit of Mary’s Meal Kenya from which we receive the help to feed 1,834 children with 1 meal a day in our territory of Lobur Mission alone.

Thank you for this important contribution to the Turkana children.

Maque Falgás

During the first half of this year, Turkana mission workers involved in child care (especially in our Mother and Child Centers) have participated in several training activities on Child Protection.

With the support of the MCSPA Safeguarding Committee, we have invited them to create child-friendly environments, to reflect on their role and responsibility in the prevention of child abuse in the communities where we are present.

These have been very fruitful and important meetings for the formation of the whole team, with excellent facilitators who have helped us to improve our mission that the children of our missions grow up in a safe environment, free from abuse of any kind: physical, sexual or psychological.

We thank all those who make this series of meetings possible. We will continue to train, follow-up and promote awareness of this issue in each of our missions. We know that fathers, mothers, entire families, friends, teachers, missionaries, priests, medical personnel, workers and social leaders must work together to prevent child abuse wherever we are present.

Diana Trompetero, MCSPA

And it is one of the most needed commodities in our day to day living. Now in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, water should be available at the entrance of every building, be it an office, house or public space.

We need water to wash our hands before doing anything. 
In some places in Kenya many communities are forced to walk for kilometres in search of water for their daily basic needs.

 
The MCSPA has made, and continues to make this precious element available to some of the most impoverished communities.

 
Today – World Water Day – we would like to thank all those who have supported our efforts at developing water resources for the people we work with in Africa.

Lillian Omari MCSPA

Dear friends,

Yesterday, on the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle, our friends and contacts at San Miguel Island are distributing canned food to the 900 families on the eastern part of this island off the eastern coast of Luzon. This was happening even as we were writing this update.

After being battered by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, help is only still trickling in as the people on the island slowly rebuild their lives.

We provided rice a week ago as an emergency Phase 1 step, and now we organised with the local leaders for Phase 2: the provision of canned foodstuff for all the 900 families. We thought it was going to be logistically difficult but thanks to the responsible leaders and good cooperation from volunteers from the community, the foodstuff was purchased in bulk in Tabaco City and shipped over to San Miguel.

There were volunteers from among the families who spent the weekend packing the food bags for distribution.

And nearer to Metro Manila, we continued to distribute food bags last week to families of Marikina City which was badly flooded by Typhoon Ulysses.

In addition, every alternate Sunday, for the past 5 months, we have been giving out cooked meals for 70 children at Ronas Garden near our Formation House. However, this December, we will make it every Sunday instead, thanks to persons of goodwill!

So on this significant feast of the Apostle who brought his brother Peter to meet Jesus, the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle would like to thank you for your part in making possible this encounter between those in need and God’s mercy and love.

Fr. Francis Teo MCSPA