A knock on a rectory door. The parish priest opens the door to find a young man holding a newborn baby.
The child’s mother had died, shortly after giving birth. The baby’s father, overwhelmed by grief, was unable to care for the child by himself.
Very soon news of this child’s birth spread throughout this poor village in Viana, Angola. A teacher at the parish mission school came forward. Although poor and with many children of her own, she would take the child and care for him. Others in the parish pledged to help her as well.
“We felt the Lord’s presence at that very moment,” recalls Bishop Joaquim Lopes of Viana, who was that parish priest. “May God offer us always good Samaritans to reduce the sufferings of those who need a hand and seek an open heart.”
Fighting for peace through education
In another part of the mission world, in Pakistan, St. Mary Parish is also trying to reduce suffering — by fighting for peace and a better way of life for its parishioners.
“We promote education among the children of sweepers, brick makers, and other day-laborers,” explains Fr. Khalid Rashid, the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Issanagri in the Faisalabad Diocese of Pakistan.
“Education is a top priority — a path toward the full development of the person, giving each a sense of basic human rights.
“We like to say,” he continues, “blessed are those who are providing education to the poor because they will bring peace to the world.”
When Father Rashid first arrived at St. Mary’s, now two decades ago, there were but a handful of Catholics. Today he and his team of local Religious Sisters and catechists service some 5,000 Catholics scattered throughout 75 predominantly Muslim villages.
The schools in the parish now include a high school, a middle school, three elementary schools, and five nursery schools. “Our schools are promoting interfaith harmony and love,” says Father Rashid. “We are building a culture of peace.”
And it’s a missionary culture as well. “Our parishioners are bringing Christ’s message to others by the very example of their lives,” this local priest explains. “They pray together, in times of happiness and of suffering. They are eager to listen to the Gospel and receive sacraments, as a source of strength.
“Here in St. Mary’s, no matter what we face, we believe God is with us,” Father Rashid concludes.
Supporting the missions
Throughout the missions, there are thousands of mission parishes just like these in Angola and Pakistan. In these parishes, life is nurtured and celebrated, peace is sown in hearts, suffering is met with loving care from local priests, Religious, and lay people, and the poor come to know they are loved by God.
Such parishes and their life-giving, life-sustaining work are supported in their efforts by your gifts through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
This Christmas, will you “open your heart” and “lend a hand,” as we read in the story of our Angola parish, so that our mission family may experience our Lord’s love and hope in these parishes?
Your prayers are your first and greatest gift. Your financial support is needed as well. A gift of $100 helps provide a month’s support for a mission parish — that’s just $25 for each Sunday of Advent! Whatever you can give will be prayerfully welcomed!
May you and your families know great joy and experience our Lord’s boundless love at Christmas and throughout the New Year!
Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer is director of the Propagation of the Faith for the Diocese of Madison. Contributions to the Propagation of the Faith may be made at the parish or may be sent to: P.O. Box 44983, Madison, WI 53744-4983.