From 22 to 24 November, Nyangatom Mission was honoured to welcome the Catholic Women’s Association as well as some members of the Catholic Men’s Association from Queen of Peace Mission at Todonyang.

The main purpose of their visit was to share with the people at Nyangatom different experiences both in faith and culture.

It was an interaction that sparked a lot of emotional reactions as this was the first time that such an event of this sort has been hosted by the mission. Indeed, recalling all the terrible conflict that has been going on between the Turkana and the Nyangatom, no one expected such an encounter to take place. The Turkana and Nyangatom peoples are two tribes that are similar in terms of language and cultural practices. However, they are separated by the international boundary between Kenya and Ethiopia. The Turkana belong to Kenya while the Nyangatom are in the latter. Conflict between the two communities have persisted over generations due to a lack of resources. Cattle raiding was the daily bread of life and the loss of life was considered the expected norm.

However, due to great efforts from many parties, the Catholic Church included, throughout the past 3 years, there has been peace between the two tribes and this has facilitated some interaction and sharing between the two tribes.

The visit of the people from Todonyang is a sign of the peace being currently enjoyed by the two tribes. We hope this will be the first of many visits and interactions that will seal a more permanent peace. We pray also that the peace that has been restored will yield much fruit and that we may not see anymore bloodshed between the two peoples.

It was a moving occasion to see the interaction between peoples who were previously enemies and who have now known peace.

May Christ, the Prince of Peace, and Mary, the Queen of Peace, forever guide and teach us the way to work for peace.

Daniel Jepter,
Senior Apprentice, MCSPA
Nyangatom Mission (Ethiopia)

Greetings from the Prince of Peace Catholic mission at Nyangatom, Ethiopia. It is our hope that everybody is happy with the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are also very happy to share with everybody the great news of the opening of our newly built Assembly Hall, built on the top of Naturomoe Hill, and the dedication of the mission to the Prince of Peace and Our Lady of the Embrace. The new building has been blessed by His Lordship Markos Gebremedhin, Bishop of Jimma-Bonga Apostolic Vicariate. Also in attendance were the Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Antoaine Camillieri, and Msgr. John Mbinda CSSP, Bishop of Lodwar Diocese, Kenya.

The name Naturomoe is a Nyangatom word that means “the enemies have escaped”, and indeed, up to recent times, this was a place of violent conflict and a corridor used by cattle rustlers from different communities such as the Turkana of Kenya, Nyangatom of Ethiopia and Toposa of South Sudan. They could meet in this place just to fight.

Thanks to God’s divine Mercy, this reality has been changing for the last two years.

Today we are so happy because the blessing of the new Hall and the dedication of the Mission to the Prince of Peace and Our Lady of the Embrace gives the peace of God a chance to be well rooted in this area where before nobody dreamt of building a permanent house.

The goal of our mission is evangelization and fostering peace and development.

It is our hope that with the new building of the local community will be able to gain cohesion and peace that comes from the heart.

Our sincere gratitudes goes to those who have helped us achieve such a milestone.

We wish everybody a very happy and blessed holidays and a prosperous new year 2024.

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

Last week on Thursday and Friday, Ss. Joachim and Anne Catholic parish in Kibish, held a parish pastoral council meeting together with all our Catechists.

We invited the delegates from Prince of Peace -Naturumoe from Nyangatom in Ethiopia. 8 members arrived at Kibish parish, being lead by their head Catechist and were welcomed by the border  police officials before they proceeded to the parish where the Parish priest and his team received them.

The Catechists from Nyangatom and Ss. Joachim and Anne Catholic parish, started the meeting with a lot of enthusiasm and the key point was Ekisil…PEACE. Peace between the three communities leaving at the border in Kibish.

Lack of Peace has left many communities and families divided, many have lost their lives especially the young people within the bordering communities.

The delegation from Nyangatom came with the message requesting the Kenyan communities to accept and sign up the peace agreement which is still in discussion from the Nyangatom. Also they requested the Catholic under Ss. Joachim and Anne since their faith is strong, to crossover to Prince of Peace Parish – Naturomoe in order to help in reawakening the Faith of the people in Nyangatom since it is a first evangelization area.

The meeting was crowned with Holy Mass and thereafter all shared lunch and the Nyangatom team left Kibish with a lot of JOY hoping that soon PEACE will be restored

Fr. Joseph Githinji- MCSPA