‘‘Fr Paco always promoted agriculture in Northern Turkana and is one of the little revolutions that he instigated and that are leaving more testimony in Turkana. Thanks to his impetus, many fruit trees were planted in the missions and villages’’

I came across these words at the Nariokotome Mission Library, wherein is a museum with memorabilia of Fr Paco, our founder. The little museum was set up by members of the MCSPA in his memory. As those following in his footsteps, we hold onto these words and we are determined to make his legacy alive. This dream of Fr Paco has been passed by the older ones in the community to all the recent generations and through it, many initiatives such as the ongoing MCSPA Fr. Paco Tree Planting Campaign 2025 and other environmental related moves have been put in place to make this legacy well lived.

On Saturday 01 March , we had an interesting encounter at Kokuselei Mission with the parents of the children of St Joseph Konokono Centre. This was a result of the invitation made to them by the St Francis of Assisi Environmental Club members of the Centre; all its members are children.

A good number of families from around Kokuselei area showed up to stand and work together with their children. All those families participated in planting trees, watering and fencing them well to protect the trees from goats and for better growth. It was so encouraging to see the effort that the children put into this endeavour making it so successful … right from getting their parents involved in the activity to cooking for the parents, something rarely done by children! It’s also worth mentioning the effort, care, generosity and responsibility shown by the parents in order to join their offspring in this noble call of care for the environment.

Indeed, the family is the stronghold of the society and the role of parents in the upbringing of their children is the center of all and truly vital.
The event helped the parents to witness the knowledge, strength and the different talents of their children. This is a very good sign of parents taking part in their children’s formation and therefore taking responsibility in accompanying them throughout the process. Together with the missionaries, the parents aim to bring up dignified persons and instilling in them growth and preparation for their later life in society.

Let’s work together, to make the world a better and more hospitable place for all of creation.

Fridah Ejore,
MCSPA Apprentice,
Kokuselei Mission.

Benga Mission in Malawi had a late commemorative celebration of Fr Francisco Andreo’s 12th Death Anniversary. It was held only last Sunday when all members and apprentices could be present.

We were also blessed with the presence of Fr. Albert Salvans at Benga Mission. The day began with Holy Mass, presided by Fr. Albert, and the celebration concluded with the blessing of trees and planting of a mango tree in the parish compound.

Benga Mission’s tree-planting campaign is ongoing, and we are fundraising to plant 2,000 trees in Benga Parish.

Emmanuel Masiku

Junior Apprentice

Benga Mission

On February 8th, we celebrated the drilling of a 90 meters well with the installation of a solar pump, a 10,000-liter water tank, a fountain with 8 taps, and a drinking point for animals in the village of Igukura, in Wuchale Woreda, Ethiopia.

93 families, now have enough water to meet their basic needs like health, hygiene, and nutrition.

The impact of bringing water to a community is bigger than we can imagine. A grandmother from the village told us that without enough water, they were at risk of all sorts of diseases like cholera, skin infections, stomach issues, and infections during childbirth because of poor hygiene. Now that water is closer, women and girls won’t have to walk for kilometers carrying 20 liters on their backs, facing all sorts of dangers along the way, not to mention suffering from back pain, problems during pregnancy and childbirth.

Another big plus is that they’ll now be able to grow vegetables for their families to eat and also sell, which will improve their nutrition and bring in some extra income. This will help families afford things like sending kids to school and paying for medical expenses.

A big thank you to all who made this possible and helped improve the lives of the people in Igukura.

by Blanca Beltran, MCSPA

ETHIOPIA

On 15 February all the members of Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) living in Turkana together with more than 500 faithful gathered at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle at Nariokotome Mission to commemorate the 12th death anniversary of our founder, Fr. Francisco Andreo or simply Paco as he preferred to be called.

At the same Thanksgiving Mass, the ashes of the late friend of Fr. Paco and the Community, Mr. Roy Gontier, were also blessed and inurned at the columbarium. Roy was a most able pilot who passed away on 27 June 2013. Roy did many flights for the missions and often flew Paco to Nairobi for his medical checkups. These memories and stories were shared with the congregation gathered at mass.

The event began at the church graveyard where various trees were planted. Fr. Alex Campon, assisted by Deacon Stephen Iyerio, presided at the Eucharistic celebration in the company of Fr. Joseph Ebenyo, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Lodwar, and all the MCSPA priests living in Turkana.

In his homily, Fr. Alex drew similarities between Paco and Pope Francis in their acts of compassion toward the needy and hungry, and the care for the environment. Cecilia Puig, in her tribute message, encouraged all to use every drop of water to plant trees in their homes, schools and everywhere. Mr. Derek Seton, a close friend of Roy read a brief euology and tributes from Roy’s family.

This was followed by songs, a dance and poems by students and pupils of Nariokotome Girls and St Joseph’s Primary School.

Finally, there was the blessing of the trees and all the children present were fed.

As Cecilia remarked, “Let us keep Paco in our memory until we change our dear Turkana into a garden.”

By Brian Odhiambo Nyamuok,

Nariokotome Mission

On January 25, 2025, the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) held our annual Family Day at the Women’s House in Nairobi. Families and friends were invited for the celebration. This followed the General Assembly of the membership of MCSPA.

The celebration coincided with the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, our patron saint. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Most Rev. John Mbinda of the Diocese of Lodwar. The bishop encouraged all to continue with the spirit of servitude towards the needy and invited more people to embrace the missionary life.

The event also marks 10 years since the launch of the New Ways for Africa Trust Foundation in Kenya. Furthermore, this year the ongoing tree planting project commemorates the late Fr. Paco’s legacy for the care of the environment.

The Foundations’ board members encouraged families and friends to use the Trust to channel financial support for the different missions’ projects.

Finally, Fr. Andrew Yakulula gave a vote of thanks to all who came and turned the day into a joyful gathering of family and friends!

By Lydia Imbala MCSPA
Nariokotome Mission

Lobur Mission is known for its agricultural programme called Furrows in the Desert (FID) which has been in existence for more than 12 years. This mission is located in the semi-arid Turkana County at the northern part of Kenya. The activities of FID includes desert farming which also includes vegetables and maize, hay farming and dairy goat farming.

FID has also introduced a new poultry farming project focussing on layers. This new farming project has made Lobur Mission more agriculturally orientated.

The poultry layer farming project was started by Fr. Joseph Githinji and John Rhiga in 2022. The project was fruitful in 2023, producing a daily average of 210 eggs which we were able to supplement the food given to undernourished kids at the Mother and Child Centres (MCCs).

Lobur mission is under Sts. Joachim and Anne Parish has 12 MCCs with a total of 2000 children. The age range of the children is between 3 to 7 years. This project plays the role of improving the nutritional health of the children at the centres. Each center receives 8 trays of eggs in a week.

With this egg-supplement, the contented villagers are more eager to send their children to the MCCs resulting in an increase in the number of children. These centres are not just feeding centres but are also places where the children receive basic pre-primary education and daily life skills such as hygiene and sanitation. This project has helped to boost our education activities for children.

This year 2025 we see a need to add 150 more layers so that we can provide for an additional 2 more MCCs, that is an additional 210 children. We are looking forward to reaching out to many more children who still need help and attention for their nutrition and education.

By John Rhiga
MCSPA Apprentice,
Lobur Mission (KENYA)

On 10th January 2025, Most Rev Mathias Konig, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Paderborn (Germany) visited Benga Mission, Malawi. Bishop Mathias was welcomed by Fr. Fernando Aguirre, Fr. Manuel Hernandez and Fr. Stephen Ochieng. The MCSPA and the Archdiocese of Paderborn maintain a strong working relationship as the MCSPA has a presence within this German archdiocese as well. During the visit, the bishop and his team met and shared with our young men who are aspiring to become missionaries.

Fr. Steven Ochieng guided the guests around the mission. They had a chance to see the animal farm where chickens, goats, rabbits and pig are reared. They also visited the soap factory, the up-and-coming bakery, the school, the elderly Day Care Centre and the Parish Offices. Bishop Mathias was impressed by the progress made at Benga Mission over the past 12 years and expressed his gratitude to God and to the MCSPA members. Hence, in his homily at the community mass, Bishop Mathias encouraged the young men to stay committed to their vocations and asked everyone to pray for more vocations, especially in Germany, where vocations to the priesthood and religious life have been on the decline. He added that the increase of diverse religious communities in Germany, including refugees from conflict zones and rising Muslim population, poses a challenge for maintaining faith. Thus, he asked for our prayers.

The following day, the bishop presided over the mass at the main parish church with our school children and some of our parishioners. At mass, the group of Catholic Women’s Association (CWA), all beautifully dressed in their finest, brought gifts to the altar but most importantly, they gave Bishop Mathias a carved map of Malawi as a parting gift, a symbol of the warmth that the people of Malawi are known for.

The guests also had an opportunity to appreciate our Formation House that is under construction at Balaka which was also an opportunity to greet our young men studying philosophy at the Inter-congregation institute there.

By Stephano Ziba
MCSPA Apprentice, Benga Mission [MALAWI]

Both Nariokotome and Kokuselei Missions were delighted to have visitors from Strathmore University of Nairobi and their Kenyan and international partners come by our missions in the Diocese of Lodwar. The visiting team carried out educational activities in English, leadership workshops, youth mentoring and mentoring of women in micro-businesses during a week leading up to Christmas.

The girls appreciated the opportunity to learn leadership skills to become more responsible and better learners. The women’s group from Nariokotome were happy to gain knowledge for future business initiatives that would improve their livelihoods, while the youth also appreciated the opportunity to interact with the team, learn about mental health, personal relationships and guidance to improve their academic level and possible future career.

The MCSPA thanks the “Another Kind of Christmas” team and Strathmore University for their support in the education of children and youth from their missions in Nariokotome and Kokuselei.

Diana Trompetero and Fr. Zacchaeus Oduor, Members
Kokuselei and Nariokotome Missions (KENYA)

On December 27, we traveled along the road to Mount Naita, which took 3 years to construct, crossing the mountains to reach a village called Lotimor in South Sudan. We went there to celebrate Christmas with the people and to baptize many catechumens who had been patiently waiting for years for a priest to visit them. Priests of the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society, founded the mission at Lotimor but had to leave shortly after.

When we arrived, we settled and camped at the former mission compound. The day after our arrival, we baptized 45 children and youth who joyfully welcomed us into their “church” which was the shade of some huge trees.

We attempted to reach remote communities such as Lorengalup towards the plateau, but when it proved too difficult, we decided to stay an extra night so that they could come to a nearer village to meet us.

Children, women and even elderly people walked barefeet for hours over scorching stones to reach the chapel. They arrived singing and dancing, and when asked if they were happy, they answered, “Very happy!!!” At the celebration that day, we baptized more than 200 catechumens!

We were surprised and deeply moved to witness such strong faith – a faith that crosses mountains, and spans over many years without the Eucharist. We thank God for the gift of bringing His grace to them once more this Christmas.

Amanda Falgas, MCSPA Apprentice
Ethiopia

The children of Ave Maria Kindergarten and Centenary Cross Kindergarten – two of the 3 kindergartens that the MCSPA runs in South Sudan – had a wonderful end of the year celebration.

The top class of both schools ended the year in style and with a remarkable celebration organised by their parents and the school administration. There was a procession from the primary school down to the kindergarten and it stretched for about 2 km! The children, dressed in their graduation attire, were escorted by the Ave Maria brass band. This attracted the attention of most of the children in villages along the way but especially the little ones. From a distance you could hear a child saying to the mother, in the local language: “Mama I would like to go to school like these children”.

The “graduating” children were so happy and they truly earned all this celebration. Later, in front of their parents, the children showed their talent in song and poetry. Their parents were proud to see their children receive awards and certificates that enabled them to pursue their primary education. It was an event to celebrate a simple occasion but one that meant the world to the children and families of a little forgotten village of South Sudan. It reminded me of another exceedingly important event that occurred 2,000 years ago in a little and insignificant village of Judaea except that that event of the birth of the Child passed largely unnoticed.

It is our wish and joy to make our children love school and to encourage more parents to send their children to school. We hope that by 2030 all children between the ages of 4 to 8 years will be sent to school without us (the school administration) following or requesting the parents to do so.

With these beautiful photos we give thanks to all who supported this year’s Ave Maria Educational Program – Education for Peace!

Lillian Omari, MCSPA
Ave Maria Mission (SOUTH SUDAN)