MADISON — This summer, Bishop Alfred Agyenta paid a 10-day visit to meet with the Diocese of Madison Global Solidarity Partnership (GSP) Committee.
He came to meet with Fr. Stephen Umhoefer, Fr. Randy Budnar, Clarence Mougin, and several other members of the GSP committee.
The partnership between the two dioceses was first established in June 2002, under the auspices of Catholic Relief Services, to link first world and third world dioceses to form mutually beneficial relationships.
The Donkey Project
The most well-known project between the two dioceses is known as “The Donkey Project.”
Its purpose is to help rural Ghanaians improve their ability to farm by providing donkeys to help them with their fieldwork. Having a donkey to pull a plow and a cart has immeasurably improved their lives and increased their access to basic food needs.
On the day of his ordination as the new bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatanga on June 27, 2011, Bishop Agyenta accepted the invitation of the Madison delegation to visit Madison.
The busy days of meetings, Masses, and receptions at host parishes, as well as meals and other social gatherings, fulfilled the mutual desire to discuss the partnership and its activities.
Confidence in future
Bishop Agyenta’s thoughtful analysis and explanation of his plans for the GSP committee in his diocese coincided with the Madison diocesan committee’s own thoughts and ideas, resulting in a feeling of great confidence in the future of the relationship.
They agreed on new procedures and expectations that will improve and refine the future of “The Donkey Project,” as well as establish the beginnings of a healthcare initiative.
In addition to the GSP committee members, the hundreds of people who heard Bishop Agyenta’s homilies and met him in person have been heartened by the reinforcement of this relationship in a way that only such a time together can afford.
The challenging vision that brought the two dioceses together in 2002 continues to result in the mutual blessings of Catholics from two continents celebrating the Eucharist and the practical projects that show care for one another.