On 14 January, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Paderborn (Germany), Most Rev. Matthias König, together with a group of five others, visited our mission at Muketuri, Ethiopia. The visit was a grace-filled encounter that has strengthened faith, hope and missionary commitment. Bishop Matthias’ visit was a great encouragement to both the members of MCSPA and the community whom we serve.

Bishop Matthias visited the St. Joseph Child and Mother Centre with its teachers, cooks, and workers together with the 400 kindergarten students. The students sang songs of welcome and proudly showed the visitors their handiwork. The group also met mothers and their underweight babies enrolled in the program, and they spent time in the Special Education classroom, listening attentively to the stories of the baby-sitters and 15 children living with disabilities. The words of comfort from the visitors were much appreciated.

Bishop Matthias expressed deep gratitude for the missionaries’ dedicated service to the most vulnerable and for the compassion shown in their daily outreach of serving others.

At the Eucharistic celebration, Bishop Matthias also encouraged the MCSPA members to live with missionary zeal and prayed for the people of the area. After the Mass, which was celebrated at the Holy Family Ecumenical Chapel, Bishop Matthias blessed the special-needs children one by one. It was a very meaningful moment of sharing in the suffering of special-needs persons and their families, often deeply marginalised in society.

The visitors also visited one of the community dining rooms in a village called Jebene, 23 km far from Muketuri where they saw people fetching clean water from the taps of a drilled well, the community vegetable garden and the dining room, where daily efforts to provide nourishment and care to 60 children were evident.

The visit concluded with lunch at the MCSPA house at Muketuri – “Bete Mariam” or House of Mary. We were all filled with renewed inspiration and gratitude. The visit reminded us of the call to serve with love, unity and perseverance in mission and reinforced the long commitment between the Archdiocese of Paderborn and the MCSPA.

Esther Kerubo

Muketuri Mission

[Ethiopia]

On 11 June, 17 scouts from St. Joseph’s Youth Group traveled from Muketuri to Addis Ababa for a day full of learning, encouragement and vision. The trip was made at the invitation of members of the Transformer Group, a team of young professionals from Addis.

Along the way, we paused for a tea and coffee break and reflected on what it means to be “salt and light” (cf. Matthew 5). We are called to bring flavour to life through hope, faith and compassion. In Addis, we visited the St. John Paul II Technical School. The main building is complete but finishing work is still ongoing. We participated in classes on solar energy, graphic design, music, cooking and languages. We also saw two beautiful halls: one medium and one large but both ideal for concerts and youth events. A chapel is also being built on the grounds.

Afterward, we were taken to the Cathedral Church for a short but meaningful tour. The cathedral is beautiful and peaceful. We then visited Adwa Bridge, with a panoramic view of Addis. Lunch followed at a Burger and Pizza House owned by one of the Transformer Group members. It was a great example of youth entrepreneurship and proof that with faith, hard work and supportive friendships, anything is possible. We wrapped up the day at a local coffee shop, where Transformer members gave us powerful encouragement so as to discover our vocation, to never give up, and to value faith-filled friendships.

Two scouts shared what touched them most. Yonatan, the youngest, wrote, “I saw something I’ve never seen before. I’m so happy. The way you work together with joy and purpose really inspired me. Thank you so much!” Ashenafi Fikru added, “Today changed how I see things. I realized life isn’t just about fun; it’s also about effort and faith. The Technical School gave me real hope. I saw how learning a skill can change your future. I’m so grateful for what we saw.”

Truly, it was a day filled with inspiration, new ideas and a deep reminder that being salt and light is both a calling and a gift.

By Tigist Mekonnen

Junior Apprentice,

Muketuri, ETHIOPIA