Today, 15th of February 2024, we celebrated the 11th Death Anniversary of Fr. Francisco Andreo in the Mission of Mizan Teferi.

The celebration began with a prayer and Sarai gave a brief history of the life of Paco, founder of the MCSPA. She explained how Paco was an example for all of us in charity and generosity, highlighting the love he had for Africa.

Paco was also very insistent in planting fruit trees as a way of turning the desert into a garden. For this reason, in the morning, an activity with the children was carried out in which each child planted a papaya seed in a water bottle, committing themselves to taking care of it until it bore fruit.

In the afternoon, during the ceremony, some avocado and lemon seedlings were blessed with water from the River Jordan and one seedling was planted in the school compound. Each person added a handful of soil to this avocado plant.

Later, everyone had some tea, bread and bananas under the mango tree at the mission. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of more seedlings which the people joyfully took back to their homes.

By Amanda Falgas Apprentice
Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia.

On this day 15th of February 2024 we celebrate 11 years anniversary since the passing on of Fr. Francisco Andreo (Paco), who founded the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA).

In attendance of the anniversary mass presided by Fr. Andrew Yakulula were members of MCSPA missions in Turkana; Nariokotome, Kokuselei, Lobur, Todonyang and Christian faithful from the area. The mass procession began after the blessing of the tomb at his place of rest and was animated by students from Nariokotome Girls Secondary School in collaboration with pupils from St. Joseph Primary School-Nariokotome. Fr. Antonio Aguirre and Scholastica Wamalwa gave insightful personal encounters with Fr. Paco.

Having come from a humble background, Fr. Paco understood the importance and the value of having the basic amenities provided to the less fortunate wherever he went.  He mobilized the MCSPA members and non-members around him by ensuring that people had enough food, water, education, primary healthcare especially the most vulnerable; children and the elderly. Through these small acts of mercy, he planted a seed into people’s hearts that later blossomed to shade all those touched by MCSPA.

His compassion and resilience in his missionary work is what attracted many to follow Christ the Good Shepherd and to continue in his footsteps. Many can attest to seeing God’s work of mercy in all that he did. Today, 400 trees of different types (donated by friends and families members) were blessed in order to continue the work he started of turning the desert into a beautiful garden. 

Eleven years after his demise, members of the MCSPA around the world have continued his legacy of evangelization by ensuring that the dignity of the less fortunate is uplifted. 

Let us continue praying for vocations, that we may be ready to leave behind everything as Fr. Paco did to spread God’s work of love around the world. Let us not keep the treasure to ourselves but invite others to come and follow in his footsteps.

 May Fr. Paco’s legacy be lived forever. ‘Whatsoever you did to one of these little ones, that you did to me’ (Mt. 25:40).

By Samuel Kapua and MCSPA Communication team, Turkana

Today, on 15th February 2024, we gathered to honour the memory of Paco on the 11th anniversary of his passing. Paco left behind a legacy of kindness, inspiration and service that continues to resonate deeply with the members, apprentices as well as friends and collaborators of the MCSPA.

The commemoration began with a moving Eucharistic cerebration, where we came together to reflect on paco’s life and the impact he had on the members of our community. As part of the ceremony, there was a special blessing of seedlings that symbolize growth, and the continued presence of paco among us. 

Following the mass, we gathered to revisit the original sources of paco’s inspiration. Those that had a physical contact with him in our case Fernando and Manolo, shared their experience. It was a time of reflection and gratitude for the blessings paco brought into the lives of many members of the MCSPA.

As the morning progressed, a group of enthusiastic men and women joined us to collect trees. Together, we participated in another ceremony for blessing of seedlings. Then, with hands united, we embarked on the noble task of planting fruit trees at the mission to symbolize abundance, nourishment and the growth of our collective efforts in honour of Paco.

In the evening, we shared a beautiful meal that was followed by a film in which various members of the MCSPA shared their experiences of our Founder.

By Stephano Sambiri Ziba

Apprentice of the MCSPA

On 11th May 2019, our standard 8 candidate class of 2019 were privileged to attend this year’s education day held in Lodwar. They were accompanied by the school director Fr. Andrew Yakulula and four teachers. All the Catholic sponsored schools were present. The function started with the Holy Mass, presided by His Lordship Bishop Dominic Kimengich, the Bishop of the Diocese of Lodwar. Thereafter, our school was awarded a trophy and two certificates for being the best Catholic run private school in the Diocese of Lodwar for our exemplary performance in the last year’s KCPE examinations.

The function was crowned by speeches from different invited guests. Our beloved bishop urged all the students to put all their efforts in their studies because it’s through education that those who are less fortunate in the society can be able to in the same class as the rich. We were motivated to work extra hard and thus we believe that through prayer and hardwork, we will always achieve the best.

Fr. Andrew Yakulula MCSPA

St. John the Evangelist Kare-Edome Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) is one of our nurseries at Todonyang Mission. It has 100 children who receive education and meals (breakfast and lunch) from Monday to Saturday.

It is now 1 yearsince the children of Kare-Edome moved from studying under a tree to the present building, and now the ECD is blessed with a new building and a new look. We would like to thank the local community, the parish and the donors who brought St. John the Evangelist ECD to where it is now with a classroom, dining room, an office and a dispensary. It is from there that the children, mothers and the elders are able to receive services like medical attention and feeding programs to combat malnourishment.
The children have a teacher and a helper, and are helped to integrate into the education system at this stage.

The local community is being made aware of the importance of allowing their children to learn, aside from taking care of the family cattle. They are slowly giving in to this but much has to be done still as the customs and beliefs of the community are rather strong.

A borehole was drilled and water is now pumped using solar energy. The families are able to feed their animals as well as have water for their own use. It was possible to set up a garden where people are being taught on farming techniques to grow their own food, hence fighting starvation and malnutrition.
The availability of such facilities has enhanced hygiene and people have made more permanent homes.

This has made the work of evangelisation easier.

We pray that all these projects may forge ahead and that the local families may benefit more.

Josephine Amuma, MCSPA

When we started the Mission of Nariokotome way back in 1989, our founder, Fr. Francisco Andreo (Paco), had the idea of turning this place into a self-sufficient mission. This was to prove that through hard work, abundant water, fertile land, plenty of sunshine and above all trusting in God, we would be able to produce food despite the contrary opinion.

Hence, agriculture evolved into a crucial activity at Nariokotome Mission. Currently there are more than 4,000 fruit trees here, of which 1,500 are vines.

When I first came to Nariokotome in November 1998, I was very surprised to see and taste for the first time fruits such as grapes, olives, figs, custard apples, dates … just to mention but a few. I had only read about them in books at schools down at “civilised” Nairobi!

A land – hot and dry, apparently barren – could be made to produce food! This was mind-blowing for me, a young girl just out from school. This fact continues to surprise many visitors and locals who come to our missions and find available vegetables, fruit, poultry and other sources of food.

Just this week, we are blessed with a harvest of 510 kgs of grapes (Alicante, Sirach and Barbera) and 100 kgs of table grapes (Murcia, Lambrusco, Regina Italia) … this does not take into account the grapes which the birds have been feeding on for the past 2 months! The member in-charge of agriculture at Nariokotome, Patrizia Aniballi, pruned the vines 3 months ago and now we have harvested the grapes and are starting the process of making wine, as we have done for many years already. With each harvest, we are trying to improve on the quality.

The grapes are harvested bunch by bunch, and gently placed into the buckets. Then they are washed, separated from the stems, crushed and placed in a huge container for fermentation to take place. They will then be separated by squeezing and the liquid that will be collected with be placed in barrels to settle and after some months it will be bottled as “Nariokotome Vintage”.

Our aim is to produce twice the amount of grapes and be able to make altar wine and supply to the whole Diocese of Lodwar.

Lillian Omari MCSPA
Nariokotome Mission

These past 2 weeks, 55 youth are attending a Summer Camp at the St. Joseph’s Mother and Child Centre, that the MCSPA is running at Muketuri.

We started this Centre in 2008 and, in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding, we organised a summer camp for former students and youth from the area. Our aim was to encourage them to create the “St. Joseph Youth Group”.
This activity was organised by some members of the Catholic Scout Movement from Spain together with members of MCSPA present at Muketuri.

The main idea is to create awareness among Ethiopian youth about their potential in volunteer work as promoters of change among children, youth and families of the area.

Different activities have been organised: sports, drama, fabrication of musical instruments with recycled material etc.

The topics of the drama plays have been chosen by the participants themselves with the idea to present them at the different villages and schools: How to fight gender discrimination; Importance of hygiene; Causes and consequences of child malnourishment; Peace and conflict resolution; Inclusion of people with disabilities and Taking care of the environment.

The drama groups are presenting the topics in 5 villages and at Muketuri town to create awareness on these social realities and how the community can improve the situation.

It is the first time that an activity like this is being organised in the area and this has been an extraordinary opportunity for building up the local community.

Lourdes Larruy MCSPA

Apart from pursuing studies in Manila (Philippines), the members and apprentices of the MCSPA also carry out various apostolates at Payatas II and Parola (Gate 54). These are among the largest depressed neighbourhoods around Metro Manila (pop. 12.8 million in 2015). We do family visitations weekly at Payatas and also teach basic English and Math to the youth attending classes at centres initiated by the Salvatorian Fathers at Payatas and to young children at Gate 54 of Parola at a Livelihood Centre owned by the Salvatorian Fathers as well.

We also do have our own milk program in which supplementary powder milk is provided to malnourished, lactating children whose young mothers may not produce enough breast milk for their babies.

These weekly visitations have created a bond between us and several of these families, a bond that has endeared them to us and vice versa. We have become part of their lives and they take us as their own family. They share with us their joys and struggles of living in such squalid conditions.

This is why when Aries Aquino, a teenaged boy from one of the families at Payatas, fell sick of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection due to contact with contaminated water containing the urine from rodents, his mother called us in the middle of the night to go help her son who was admitted at the hospital. His kidney was almost failing. We did whatever we could to help alleviate the pain of the boy; he had to undergo dialysis in order for his kidneys to recover. Aries has now been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home.

These trying days for Aries and his family and for us too have taught me that no one can serve perfectly. But what is important is that one has to experience his or her ministry as a call from Christ. We are loved by Christ and called to live a life of service; we do not serve simply because it is good to do so. Rather, we serve because in love we have been called and our response is to choose to return love.

Victor Otieno, MCSPA

A team of 25 young adults from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish of Kiambu (Kenya) visited Todonyang Mission where they stayed for 5 days. The group of young professionals accompanied Fr. Andrew and the MCSPA team at Todonyang to the outstations, animated devotional activities, gave talks on the dangers of alcoholism, helped at the primary school and dispensary etc.

It was good to have this enterprising group of young people around to share their deep faith.

Fr. Andrew Yakulula MCSPA