VOL 71, NO. 3 Summer 2013

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith

Feature Article: Mission to Shamator

Focus on Mongolia: A Young Priest Experiences a Land of Emerging Faith

Holy Childhood visits Uganda

Letter from Abroad: Thailand

And more….

Feature Article: Mission to Shamator

Focus on Mongolia: A Young Priest Experiences a Land of Emerging Faith

Holy Childhood visits Uganda

Letter from Abroad: Thailand

And more….

2 MISSIONS TODAY

Meet Father Alex Osei CSSp. :

Father Alex, a member of the Spiritans, the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, a Order of Reli-gious, has had a wide and varied career to this point in his life. A native of Ghana, Father Alex served the people of Nigeria for many years as Associate Pastor in Yola Diocese and then as Pastor

in Kano Diocese. He also acted as a consultant to and a member of the Council of Priests, Kano Diocese; Chairperson for Justice, Peace and Development; a member of the Jos and Kaduna Ecclesiastical Marriage Tribunal. He served as Vicar/Dean of the Kano/Jigawa Deanery. He also taught an introductory course on Canon Law at the Good Shepherd Seminary before being assigned to Canada where he took up the position of Pastor for St. Joseph’s Parish in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He later was asked to act in a consulting role for the Archdiocese of Regina.

Father Alex is a passionate believer in supporting the Church in whatever form he is asked to assume. Recently, in Toronto, Ontario, Father Alex has been the Director for the Spiritan Refugee Services in Canada; acting as Second Assistant to the Order’s Provincial Superior and serving as a Board member for the “Becoming Neigh-bours” program for refugees.

And now, Father Alex:

This year’s theme for World Mission Sunday is “Share the Faith – Bring Hope.”

Missionary Prayer IntentionsJUnE: That in the areas where the influx of secularization is strongest, Christian communities may learn to effectively pro-mote a new evangelization.

JULY: That throughout the Asian continent, doors may be opened to the messengers of the Gospel.

August: That the particular Churches of the African conti-nent, faithful to the Gospel proclamation, may promote the building of peace and justice.

Our Easter celebration this year came with a very special gift of hope for the whole Catholic Church, that is, our Holy Father Pope Francis. He brings to his leadership role much experience of the down to earth realities facing the Church today. He carries with him the struggles of the poor and the weak; and so calls the attention of the Church to that reality. He calls the Church to be poor in order to serve the poor and so share the life of Christ. He calls the Church to bring hope to the down trodden and the weak.

Our characteristic virtue as Christians is hope. The risen Christ on whom our hope is based came that we may have life to its fullness. That life is more than a memory. It is a reality in which with God’s grace our actions bear witness to Christ who has called us to share in his mission. It helps us to look around all the corners of the world, for while faith may seem to be shrinking in one area, it bursts forth in another. The life, death and resurrection cycle goes on and on. We know how real the suffering of many people of faith is, yet it is this very suffer-ing that underlines the radiant Hope that gives Christians the strength and courage to persevere in the solidarity of faith. I have truly learnt what it means to persevere in the course of my mis-sionary life. It is the perseverance we receive through the gift of Hope that I wish to all of you.

I want to acknowledge all those who have preceded me in this work especially Marie Deans and Robert Gutcher; their dedica-tion and talent are well known to you all. Together with our excellent staff here at the Pontifical Mission Societies, we say thank you for your continued support through your prayers and donations.

National Director’s Message

Remembering the Missions in your Will

Help the missionaries of the future through • a specific bequest amount• securitiesbequest• all or part of the residueof your estate • realproperty(e.g. a building) bequest

InyourWilluseourlegalname:

SocietyforthePropagationoftheFaithforCanada,EnglishSector

Registered Charity BN 12888 2883 RR0001

MISSIONS TODAY 3

In This Issue…Vol. 71, No. 3 Summer 2013

Pontifical Mission societies

Missions Today is published four times a year by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 2219 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario M1T 3G5

International Standard Serial Number ISSN 0843-1515

Design: Marcucci Studios Printed: Timeline Printing Inc. Toronto, ON

Cover Photo: New Catecumens in wor-ship at the Church in Pango, Nagaland photo by – Father Francis Yimso

Back Cover Photo: Site of the 3rd Station of the Cross – Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem - photo by Ohevami 1, [CC-SA-BY-3.0], wikimedia.org

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Comments on this issue or other topics are always welcome.Contact us at: editor@missionsocieties.ca or at Missions Today – The Editor -

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The National Director’s Message ....................................................2

Letters from Abroad - Thailand .......................................................4

Focus: Mongolia – A Young Missionary’s Reflections .................5

Across the Globe ..............................................................................10

Feature Article – Mission to Shamator ......................................... 12

Holy Childhood Association – Greetings and Thanks from Uganda ............................................16

Society of Saint Peter the Apostle – “Habemus Papam! ...........................................................................18

A Newly Ordained Priest ................................................................19

The New Evangelization – Meeting the “starving crowd” at their level ................................20

Crossword .........................................................................................21

Mission Conversations with the Editor ........................................22

In Memoriam ....................................................................................23

Neptunia Oleracea – flower found in Nagaland, India Photo by C.T. Johansson [CC-SA-BY-3.0], wikimedia.org

4 MISSIONS TODAY

Letters from AbroadGreetings from Dhaka, Bangladesh

December 1. 2012

Mrs. Marie Deans, National DirectorThe Society for the Propagation of the Faith

Dear Mrs. Marie Deans,

Prayerful greeting from UbonRatchathani Diocese! As the shepherd of the faithful of this Diocese, I would like to give you lots of thanks for your kindness to support our missions.The funds received have already been transferred to the recipients of the project.Know that we keep you, the staff, and your missions in our prayers.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

SOME REMARKS ABOUT THE BUDGET FOR THE CATECHISTS 2012

Besides their usual assignments, our catechists will have to cooperate in the pastoral plans of our diocese for the years 2010 – 2015 and the Year of Faith 2013, hoping to build up Small Christian Communities in parishes of our diocese.

UbonRatchathani Diocese has 71 part-time catechists teaching catechism to children and leading liturgical services in rural parishes. In addition, there are 78 lay teachers and 28 nuns working in Catholic schools deliver-ing religion programs to children. There are 5 full-time catechists working throughout the large diocese developing and implementing formation programs for new catechists. From July to September, they make ‘catecheti-cal visits’ to the part-time catechists working with children in every school and parish in the diocese.The 4th Catechists National Congress held in October 2012 saw 700 catechists from across the country attend, including 51 catechists of Ubon Diocese.The financial support received from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Canada helped to fund these educational programs. This funding included the purchasing of new catechism text-books that were distributed to all catechists as well as other educational materials.

UBONRATCHATHANI PROVINCE

UBONRATCHATHANI CITY

MISSIONS TODAY 5

By Father Peter Turrone IMC - This is an edited version of Father Peter Turrone’s essay. All of

the key points of his story remain intact.

While the origins of the Mongolian people are not clearly understood, there is archeological evidence to suggest that people were living in this vast territory over 30,000 years ago. The majority of the land is nothing other than vast expanses of steppes and deserts. Moreover, the ex-treme fluctuations in temperature render agriculture difficult. These conditions ex-plain why many present-day Mongolians who inhabit the steppes have dedicated themselves to shepherding.

The 13th century was perhaps the most significant period in Mongolian history with Genghis Khan’s ascent to power. His de-sire was to reunite the various ethnicities into one vast empire. He was able to make the Mongolian empire into the most powerful country in the world over a short period of time. Following his death, Mongolia gradually slid into obscurity to the point where it was placed under Soviet rule until the early 90’s. With the fall of the Soviet regimen, Mongolia gained its liberty becoming an independent country from both a political and economic point of view.

Today, Mongolia finds itself at a crossroad. The discovery of enormous mineral resources places the country as one of the top exporters of various minerals (e.g. copper. According to recent sta-tistics, billions of American dollars are expected to enter into the country over the next few years to develop these resources. How-ever, with one third of the population living below the poverty line, their remains a real risk that this massive influx of money

will produce little benefit for the majority of those who are most needy. Mongolia is at a critical point in its history as to whether or not the country allows itself to be used by outsiders for purely economic gain or if its leaders work to improve the quality of life for its people. This is a country roughly 5 times larger than Italy yet it has only 2.7 million inhabitants.

RELIGIOnS In MOnGOLIAMongolian customs and traditions are both rich and complex. The two main spiritual traditions are Buddhism and Shamanism. Buddhism has been re-introduced three times in Mongolia and it has undergone several difficult moments throughout the course of history. It is estimated that over 20,000 monks were killed during the communist regime. However, there has been renewed fervor for Buddhist traditions since the beginning of democratic rule in 1990. As of today, there are approximately 130 Buddhist temples in the country.

Shamanism, on the other hand, is perhaps the oldest spiritual phenomenon. It is the study of the interaction between spiritual beings and humans. A shaman is a specialist who lends his or her body to those who have lost their own. In 1995, there were only 10 shamans in Mongolia. Today, however, there are over 10,000. It is interesting to note that many high-ranking officials consult with shamans prior to making business decisions.

Islam is a third minor spiritual tradition in Mongolia that has been present since 1254. Approximately 5% of Mongolians prac-tice the Muslim faith. It is believed that Genghis Khan’s grandson was a Muslim.

The history of Christianity in Mongolia began even before the birth of a single unified state. The roots of faith in Jesus Christ

MONGOLIA Evangelizing the Land of Ghenghis Khan

Mongolia World Location – map by TUBS, [CC-BY-SA-3.0], wikimedia.org

The traditional Mongolian home in winter known as a “yurt” or “ger” – photo by Russavia, [CC-BY-SA-2.0], wikimedia.org

6 MISSIONS TODAY

began with the presence of the Nestorian sect. In fact, the wives of Genghis Khan’s sons were all Nestorian Christians. The Mon-golian emperor was very tolerant towards other religions since his experience during wartime had taught him that it was difficult to impose his belief in Shamanism over other religions such as Chris-tianity and Islam.

In 1245, Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) sent the first missionary to the Mongolians. John of Pian of Carpine was a disciple of St. Fran-cis of Assisi. With the help of his travel companion, Benedict the Pole, he brought a letter written by the Pope to the head Mon-golian Prince residing in Russia. He did so for two reasons. First, he wanted to prevent a further as-sault against the Christian world.

Second, he wished to preach the message of Jesus Christ to the Mongolians Unfortunately, the trip was a failure.

In 1253, the second missionary attempt occurred when Gugliel-mo of Rubruck arrived at the court of the new Grand Khan in Karakorum. However, he soon became quite disillusioned by the fact that there were very few Christians, other than those of the Nestorian Sect. Yet again, Christianity failed to gain a foothold in this land.

During the last century, Christianity and any form of religious practice were prohibited under Soviet rule. It was only in 1990 when the country gained its own independence that religious freedom “officially” began. In the early 90’s, the Mongolian gov-ernment invited the Vatican to send missionaries into their coun-try. Since then, several religious congregations and Fidei Donum priests have been working in this fascinating land. We Consolata Missionaries arrived in 2003. Today, we have two communities working in the country. One group lives in Ulaanbaatar the capi-tal city, while the other lives in Arvaikheer, which borders the Gobi desert.

Our communities are composed of fathers and sisters; together we share the same life of prayer and work. Each day is dedicated to a number of social projects for the poor, including hygiene edu-cation, English language lessons, and an After-School Program. Spiritually, we offer daily Mass and Adoration, along with other pastoral activities. On weekends, we offer catechism classes for youth and adults as well as Bible study for those who are undergo-ing their own faith journey. PLEASE PRAY FOR MONGOLIA!

Consolata Sister Lucia at a young girl’s haircutting celebration.

Steppe Landscape in Terelj - Gorkhi National Park - photo by P. Lechien, wikimedia.org

MISSIONS TODAY 7

Meet Father Peter TurroneMeeting Father Peter for the first time leaves one with quite an impression. I was immediately impressed with his energy and en-thusiasm for all things mission related. Father Peter, a Consolata missionary, recently spent two and a half years working with the people of Mongolia. The mission is located in Arvaiheer, Mongo-lia, 430 kilometres from the capitol, Ulan Bator.

Raised by Italian immigrant parents in Woodbridge, Ontario, Father Peter felt his first calling to the priesthood at the age of seven while in preparation for his First Communion. Later on, the calling was sensed once again, this time during Confirmation preparation. When I asked Father to articulate these feelings, he replied by describing a wonderful sense of peace, “a sense of the presence of God”.

After high school, Father drifted away from his close connection to Catholicism. Like many youth, he experimented with different systems of belief and non-belief in his search for meaning and purpose. While a student of psychology at York University in To-ronto, Ontario, Father explored everything from atheism to New Age beliefs, but his earlier foundation in Catholicism was never far away. Father described to me his devotion to the North American martyrs, the writings of St. Augustine and Boethius as inspiration for his discernment. In his final year of study, (Father Peter has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience) he felt deeply drawn back to his faith and once again experienced the call of Christ to take up his vocation as a priest. Father stated that the confessions of St. Augustine were instrumental in his return to the fait). Soon after, Father entered the Consolata Missionaries, and following his formation in Italy, was ordained a priest on September 1, 2012.

As part of his priestly formation, Father Peter spent two and a half years serving in Mongolia. He has fond memories of this impor-tant experience. If not for health issues that forced his return to Canada, he likely would still be there. (Fortunately, Father is well on the way to recovery)

When asked to relate some of these experiences, Father began by first emphasizing that it is important to understand that mis-sionaries do not go abroad to “bring God” to the people; God is already there. God is found is every living person, and the role of the missionary is to bring God to the surface in all those one encounters.

Father Peter Turrone’s first mass with the people of Arvaiheer upon returning from Canada.

Crucifix used in the mission church carved by a local craftsperson

8 MISSIONS TODAY

Father Peter described moments when he would be praying inside the yurt, which acted as their church. He was struck by the im-mediacy of nature as he listened to the howling winds whipping around the tent, shaking the crucifix on the inside wall. On other occasions, he would be in contemplative prayer when he would notice the sound of birds taking flight outside.

In Mongolia, there are more animals than there are people. The people Father Peter served are very poor, relying on their animals for a subsistence form of livelihood. The diet was naturally quite different from Father Peter’s experience and required some time to develop a ‘taste’ for it. One story he related goes like this: One day, shortly after his arrival in Mongolia, Father Peter accompanied his confrere priest to the yurt of a family who prepared and sold fer-mented mare’s milk. Father Peter and his companion were to pick up the milk to take to the Bishop. However, Mongolian custom dictates that when a visitor comes to your home, you must prepare drinks and food for him. It is a great insult not to do this, but also, it is insulting to the hosts not to accept their hospitality. There-fore, Father Peter and his companion found himself sitting in the yurt while the host prepared to serve them some fresh fermented mare’s milk. The ‘milk’ is kept in a large cow skin bag that also holds a large blood clot taken from the mouth of a new born mare to hasten the fermentation process. Father Peter describes how disconcerting it was to notice the animal hairs floating in his cup as the host poured out the libation. In addition, because he is lac-tose intolerant, Father could not drink the milk without mishap. What to do? Father finally decided to fake a sip of the drink to keep in good standing with his host. His ploy worked thus avoid-ing a potentially bad start to his mission career.

Father Peter’s final Sunday Mass March 10, 2013

Village youth playing basketball in our mission

MISSIONS TODAY 9

The Church in Mongolia is a growing church, even though prog-ress is slow and at times frustrating. Nonetheless, he found the people to be very receptive and most appreciative of the efforts made by the mission to inculturate themselves into the lives of the people. One poignant experience involved an old woman who entered the chapel while one of missionaries was praying. The woman had suffered for many years from ill health and she slowly made her way to the altar. Looking up, she saw the crucifix on the tent wall and turning to the Father she said, “He understands me”. I can think of no better way to convey Christ’s solidarity with us than in her words.

Perhaps the best way to understand the impact that missionaries like Father Peter have on those they serve is found in the example of his interpreter. Until he learned the Mongolian language, Fa-ther needed someone to act as interpreter for him. Several months into his stay, the woman who worked alongside Father asked him why he was in Mongolia. Father was puzzled at the question, but answered by saying he wanted to share his faith with the people. She then said how hard it was for her to understand. In her eyes he had given up everything; all the comforts he had been used to back home, in order to come to a far away part of the world to minister to people he did not know. She was beginning to under-stand the meaning of devotion and service.

For more information on Mongolia and other countries served by the Consolata missionaries visit their website at: consolatamission-mongolia.org or email them at consolatamongolia@gmail.com.

My thanks to Father Peter for providing the mission photos for this article..

Catechist instructing the local people

Children from the countryside

10 MISSIONS TODAY

Across the Globe

SOUTH SUDAn – In Sudanese parish of refugees, priest works to give people hopeAgok, South Sudan -- Father Biong Kuol’s parish is a sprawling collection of temporary huts made from sticks and sun-bleached plastic sheeting. A few skinny cows and goats wander about. The huts contain few personal belongings, as most of the displaced families living here fled from villages to the north with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They’ve lived almost two years in a camp that the world is trying hard to ignore. “People want to go home. Agok is crowded. The ground turns to mud when it rains. Back home, everyone has a plot of their own to farm. But they’re afraid of another attack from the North, so they remain here. As long as they are here, the church will be here with them, even if the rest of the world doesn’t seem to notice,” said Father Kuol, one of two priests based in the parish in the town of Abyei. “Our job as priests is to give hope to the people. In our preaching, we often talk about all the trials that Israel passed through, but God was always with them. History repeats with us. God remains with us,” Father Kuol told Catholic News Service. Agok was a small vil-lage on the southern edge of the contested Abyei region, yet when northern militias and Sudanese soldiers attacked villages in the rest of Abyei in 2011; most of the more than 100,000 people who ran for their lives stopped their flight here, transforming the fields around the village into a refugee camp. Displaced along with the people they serve, Father Kuol and Father Karlo Kaw built their own mud-walled huts beside an open-air chapel and erected some tattered tents to house classes of the church-run primary school. An edited version, taken from CNS 04/02/2013.

CHInA – Itinerant priests in remote communities Beijing - Several Catholic communities in mainland China created the position of itinerant priest to provide sacramental services dur-ing Lent. The priests of the diocese of Bayanur Meng (Shanba) of Inner Mongolia went into remote communities of the diocese to celebrate the Eucharist as well as to carry out catechesis and spiritual direction for the faithful. From February 17 to 21, the community of Tian Xing Quan, which has over 800 faithful and is led in spiri-tual direction by two nuns, welcomed a priest who for 4 days cel-ebrated the Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation for the people.In the parish of San Sheng Gong from 13 to 17 February a Lenten retreat was held, which was attended by three 200 faithful. This was only possible thanks to a group of itinerant priests. An edited version, taken from Agenzia Fides 03/07/2013.

Lebanon - Lebanese youth participate in Vatican’s Way of the Cross Beirut -- When a committee of Catholic youth in Lebanon set out to compose the meditations for the Way of the Cross, they had no idea that a new pope would preside over the Good Friday service at Rome’s Colosseum. By custom, the pope invites a cardinal or an ecclesial community to prepare the meditations. This year is the first that young people of a particular country were asked to participate. Pope Benedict XVI invited the youth of Lebanon to participate through Maronite* Patriarch Bechara Rai, who was named a cardinal in November. The meditations were submitted to the Vatican Feb. 10, the day before Pope Benedict announced he would resign. “Now, on Good Friday, the Lebanese Catholic youth will be like a bridge between Pope Benedict XVI and his

MISSIONS TODAY 11

successor, because it will be one of the first official ceremonies of the new pope after he is elected,” said Father Toufic Bou Hadir, who directs the Maronite patriarchate’s youth programs. More importantly, Father Hadir said, “We are taking all the wounds and suffering of the Middle East and uniting it with the passion of Christ and the prayers of the universal church.”

*Maronite Church – This Church community is part of the Ro-man Catholic world. It was founded in the 4th century by a Syr-ian monk named Maroun. The leader of the Church, Patriarch Bechara Rai, was made a Cardinal in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. Source: Wikipedia An edited version of the original report, which appeared in CNS on-line, 03/12/2013.

PAKISTAn - Children “evangelizers” in the Year of the Faith Lahore - During the present Year of the Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, little children are among the protagonists in evangelising activities of the local Catholic Church in Lahore. Learning what it means to be a Christian and growing in the faith, Pakistan Catholic children soon become “real evangelisers”. To mark the annual “Missionary Childhood Day”, hundreds of children, led by Fr Francis Nadeem, OFM Cap, gathered at St Joseph’s church, and renewed their promise to live the faith by taking part in catechesis and by bearing Christian witness in the family, at school, and in society. “Our children have an important role to play within the Christian community and in efforts to help other less fortunate children”, stated Fr. Nadeem, who added that he had encouraged to children to be “ever more involved in mis-sionary activity, helping poor or disabled children or those who are forced to live on the streets and in this way help to improve society in Pakistan”. “You are the light of the world - he told the children- you are the light of the faith and the love and the peace which must spread throughout our society”.

At the end of a special Mass the children recited a simple prayer, attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, “Make me a channel of your peace”, and also offered special prayers for Pope Benedict XVI. An edited version, taken from Agenzia Fides 02/18/2013.

BAHRAIn - The king donates land for the construc-tion of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia Manama - Mgr. Camillo Ballin, mccj, Apostolic Vicar of north Arabia, (a vicariate which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) has announced that, “Bahrain will soon have a new church!” Shaykh Ahmed Bin Ateytallah Al Khalifa, the Minister responsible for monitoring whether the decisions taken by the king or the government are put into practice, handed over the title deeds of land measuring 9,000 square meters where the new church will be built. The document, dated February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Bahrain corresponds to Our Lady of Arabia. “Our

prayers have been answered,” writes the Bishop. “Our Lady of Ara-bia is capable of doing miracles!” “During this meeting - adds the Apostolic Vicar - the Minister invited me … to the royal palace for a meeting with King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa with all the reli-gious authorities, adding that I would be seated next to the king as a guest of honor! I will have the chance to thank him for the land that was donated.” The new church will be a Cathedral and will be dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia. An edited version, taken from Agenzia Fides 02/13/2013.

HOnDURAS - After 438 years the parish of Carmel comes back to lifeYojoa - A large crowd gathered on Sunday, February 10 in the town of Yojoa to see up close the old adobe floor of one of the oldest churches in Honduras. The community expressed with great ap-plause their joy the decision of His Exc. Mgr. Angel Garachana Pérez, C.M.F. to restore as a parish the ancient church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which dates back to the sixteenth century. The priests of the Fraternity Missionary of Mary will be in charge of the new parish.

The parish was erected in 1575 and the church consecrated on July 16, 1600. Father Fabian Rodas expressed his joy for this pastoral start in a new area. “We as a Fraternity Missionary of Mary have a threefold charisma: the importance of living in community, the missionary charism to go to the Churches in need and the Mar-ian charism, which puts us where the Church asks of us.” Yojoa, is located in north-western Honduras. An edited version, taken from Agenzia Fides 02/12/2013.

Pope explains how he chose St. Francis of Assisi’s name Vatican City -- Pope Francis said that “as things got dangerous” in the conclave voting, he was sitting next to his “great friend,” Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes “who comforted me.” When the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio went over the 77 votes needed to become pope, he said, Cardinal Hummes “hugged me, kissed me and said, ‘Don’t forget the poor.’” Pope Francis told thousands of journalists March 16 that he took to heart the words of his friend and chose to be called after St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation,” the same created world “with which we don’t have such a good relationship.” “How I would like a church that is poor and that is for the poor,” he told the more than 5,000 media represen-tatives who came from around the world for the conclave and his election. An edited version, taken from CNS 03/19/2013

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Shamator, nagaland: Historical and Cultural Background

Shamator is a small community in the district of Tuensang, Nagaland state, in the northeastern part of India on the border with Myanmar. It is 333 kms from the state capital, Kohima, but it seems even further, when one considers its lack of facilities and development. There are 24 villages in the Shamator Administrative sub-Division with total population of about 36,000. It belongs to the Diocese of Kohi-ma in terms of Catholic community. The Catholic Church in Nagaland welcomed its first member in 1951 and today it has grown to over 57,000 spread into every major tribe. The missionaries working in the diocese include about 160 priests and 240 religious women.

Nagaland, a land of hills and valleys, is one among the ‘seven sisters’ of Northeast India; the 16th state of the country. It is bounded by the states of Assam in the west, Myanmar in the East, Assam on the North and Ma-nipur in the South. The state consists of eleven Administrative Districts inhabited by 16 major tribes and other sub-tribes with a total population of almost 20 million.

Shamator is in a unique location, lying far away from the main stream of life. The wide stretch of hills and valleys give an at-tractive scenic beauty. The major tribe of the area is ‘Yimchun-grü Nagas.’ The name ‘Yimchungrü’ is originated from two words: ‘yim,’ meaning ‘search or look for’ and ‘khiungrü,’ meaning ‘reached or found’, thus supporting the traditional view that the tribe migrated to the present location in search of better habitation. The population is now spread out into 89 villages containing over one million people.

The people are basically agriculturists and socially community-oriented. Their villages are set up on the hilltops each with its own fields and share of the nearby forests for food, cultivation and other necessities of life. The village chief, known as ‘Ki-ulongthsuru’, coordinates all that happens in and around the village with a Council to assist him. The customary laws and regulations play a vital role in keeping law and order. ‘Dubashis’ are those who are the authority in this regard.

However, this traditional administrative organiza-

tion of the villages is undergoing much change. The influence of modernization and globalization in all aspects of life has led to the disappearance of much of the traditional touch. This is a major challenge for anyone who tries to work with them and for them.

The tribal people celebrate life and their festivals show this to the best effect. The major festivals are Tsungkamniu celebrated in January and Metumniu in August. The former celebrates the events of the past year, including the harvest, while the latter is

The Catholic Mission at Shamator A Challenge to Embrace By Father Francis Yimso Cheerangal

The first Church built in Shamator, 2002

Pango

Shamator

MISSIONS TODAY 13

observed after the harvest of millet and is connected with the prayers for the souls of the departed ones. To these festivals are now added the major celebrations of Christmas and New Year. Festivities include, village get togethers, for merry making, the exchange of gifts, marriage celebrations, etc.

The religion of the region was primarily Animism* until Christi-anity was introduced 50 years ago through the arrival of a group of American Baptist Missionaries. Their presence has been well felt with the vast majority of the people now converted to Chris-tianity. Educational opportunities and social development have come to the people of the region through the influence of Chris-tian missionaries, including Catholic orders.

The Catholic Mission

The Catholic Church’s presence in Shamator dates back to 1969, when Rev. Fr. T.J.Chacko, a veteran missionary in Na-galand made friendly visits to the villages in the area. His first mission efforts involved helping boys to attend the local Catho-lic school. While some villagers showed interest in these educa-tional efforts, others opposed any effort to evangelize. The Bap-tist Church, already a presence in the villages, was not interested in having a Catholic presence in competition with their mis-sion. Despite this opposition, the continued efforts of various people for many years led to the establishment of Catholicism in the area initially because of the villagers’ interest in having their children educated in the Catholic school.

In 2002, the first official Catholic community was formed. It

was led by former students of the neighboring Catholic schools. This effort took some courage on their part, as they needed to convert to Catholicism after having been raised as Baptists. The Catholic community has now grown to over 90 families with a population of over 600. This community is now preparing a group of local catechumens representing 15 families. A church building constructed out of bamboo has been finished and it will host its first baptism ceremony on May 4, 2013.

The people of the area look up to the Catholic Church not only in terms of faith but also as an instrument for their holistic de-velopment. It is great to see the impact it has had on the family in terms of each member accepting responsibility for living their lives responsibly. Thus, go the ‘little joys of faith.’

The new church nearing completion

Catholic youth on a mission tour. The village they were to visit was a 13-hour walk away.

14 MISSIONS TODAY

When we look back over the past 7 years of pastoral life, we remember the great number of volunteers and missionaries who came to share their faith regardless of the length of their visit. We give thanks to the active participation of the people in the various formative activities like, Sunday gatherings, Fellowship, Family Units, etc. These have provided the faith nutrients for the community and have greatly helped in the formation of con-science and value-based life-styles.

The undeniable fact is that the entire area lacks proper educa-tional facilities. From the days of Fr. Chako, this problem has been a priority for the local Church. With the support and in-volvement of the people, a school was started in a bor-rowed government building in the year 2005. Today, the school has grown to 900 stu-dents enjoying at least a mod-erate standard of education. It is a fast-growing endeavour. We look forward to its promi-nent role in shaping the soci-ety in the region.

However, the area still faces many problems. There are a high number of school drop-outs and wayward youths. Lack of proper bringing up, educational backwardness, lack of social and commu-nity facilities, etc., have left this growing generation with

an inappropriate way of living. Social disorganization and unrest are natural outcomes of the inadequacy of the basic facilities.

One response to this problem is Hornbill Youth Care, which is a youth organiza-tion developed and led by our local Cath-olic Church that is at a budding stage. It aims at helping the youth to help them-selves through association and proper orientation. It holds as its motto, “Care and Share”, indicating its efforts to assist youth in developing themselves by mak-ing the best of the resources available. Within its short span of time, its success stories include training and exposure

programmes. The results have been very encouraging. We look forward to more Youth Care Programmes, envisioning youth interaction through indoor and outdoor games, music training, recreational facilities, educative interactions, a library facility, etc. Already, sport tournaments, youth camps, retreats under the banners of Youth Fest and Cultural Fest have been great days for the youths of the area. We were happy to present our cultural shows on both national and international stages. The best of it was our participation in the 2010 Klangwelt Festival in Switzerland.

R.C.I.A. graduates, recently baptized in a small village not far from Shamator

MISSIONS TODAY 15

Many things have happened and many more are to happen. While progress is at a crawling pace as far as the infrastruc-ture is concerned, God-fearing people, educated teenagers and youth, and values based civic life, are both dear needs, and near dreams. All of this requires further church building in the form of educational infrastructure, a vocational training centre, and the like. The harshness of the region is reflected in the lack of proper roads and decent communication facilities, making our efforts very expensive and strenuous. While the ‘past’ records these strenuous efforts, the ‘present’ holds hopes for bright ‘fu-ture.’ One area of focus is the development of literature in the local dialect. We have so far translated mission booklets, the Mass Songbook, the Newsletter, and pe-riodical pastoral letters. We eagerly look forward to the possibility of developing a playground, with drinking water facility, as well as study-homes (dormitories) for the poor students. We have been knock-ing at doors holding our hands in prayer.

I look forward to seeing an even greater role for the church in the formation of this society. Given the current political and so-cial situation, we need to widen our leader-ship role beyond the walls of the church. I still live in a rented room of a villager with the barest of facilities. This has allowed me to work among the people more effec-tively and to do away with the image of a ‘mighty church campus.’ We have shared together the struggles of life

Thanks to so many people who are part of this missionary ef-fort from far and near. It is miraculous to see the great works God has accomplished through our fragile hands. Thanks to God and his people.

The Author

Father Francis Yimso Cheerangal is a diocesan priest of the Kohima Diocese. He was born in Kerala, in southern India. Ordained in 2004, Father Francis spent the first two years of his ministry as secretary to the Bishop as well as Assistant priest at the Cathedral Church in Kohima. Father Francis was, on his request, appointed as the first residing priest of Shamator. He taught himself the local native dialect, earning him the respect of the villagers. The head-man of the local tribe gave him a tribal name, “Yimso”. So Fa-ther is better known to his community as Fr. Francis Yimso. It was great act of acknowledgement by the government to bestow on him “District Best Teacher Award” in 2012, for his works in support of education in the region; the first time a priest being awarded so in the region. He is also presently studying for his Ph.D., in Sociology researching on the same tribe along with the pastoral responsibility at Shamator.

The little Church overflows with the newly converted attending a special ceremonial Mass

Father Francis (on the left) seen here with Rev. Fr. Chacko, the first missionary priest to visit Shamator way back in 1969.

16 MISSIONS TODAY

Holy Childhood AssociationCanadian Children Helping Children in Uganda go to school.

Would you like to see YOUR HCA group featured on this page?Send along your photos and story to: Holy Childhood Association2219 Kennedy RoadToronto, ON M1T 3G5 OrEmail us at hca@missionsocieties.ca

Greetings to all of our HCA members in Canada! Keep up the good work!

Thanks to your prayers and donations, a School in UGANDA, Gamatui Girls Pri-mary School, now has five brand-new classrooms in an addition to the existing school. Not only that….. the roof doesn’t leak!

In his report on the progress of the building project, Father Moses Kisaka, the children’s parish priest, writes to say:

… Thank you very much for making the lives of these girls better. It has been a great lesson to the parents and the community around to learn that children young as they are can help each other. The children are very excited about the other children who have transformed their lives.

The restoration of this long and wide classroom block has changed the whole outlook of the school. Many parents who had taken away their children for fear that the block could easily collapse on them because of the poor shape are determined to bring back their children next year. With the provision of metallic doors and windows, pupils are now able to leave their textbooks and exercise books in the classrooms without fear of being stolen or destroyed by the rains.

I am also happy to inform you that when the district saw that we had restored our class-rooms, they decided to give us 40 new desks to match the standards of the new building. We are really grateful! The school administration with the help of the Diocesan PMS Director have asked the children to write some thing on what Holy Childhood has done for them. These letters also will serve as a sign of gratitude for what they have gained from fellow children throughout the whole world.

I would like to end by renewing our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for considering our appeal. You have indeed helped to improve and create a decent learning environment for the girl children who are overlooked and neglected in many African cultures. The future of these girls in Gamatui Girls Primary School is bright and promising. We promise you our prayers.

May God bless you abundantly and may He bless the work of your hands, too.

Yours faithfully,

MISSIONS TODAY 17

Parish Kisaka, working with the children

Children outside the church

Letter written by Chebet Elizabeth Gamatui Girls P/S

PO Box 20, Kapchorwa, Uganda

14th/Nov/2012

Dear little stars,

How are you overseas? How are studies there? Back to me in Uganda I am alright. Studies are going on well. The subjects that we always learn in Uganda are Math-ematics, Science, English and Social Studies. My best subject is Social Studies and my average is 72% and above.

Being on the slopes of Mt. Elgon. We always visit important nearby places such as Miscave, Wagagi, the highest peak of Mt. Elgon and Sipi Falls.

In our school this year we had visitation day and parent general meeting last month where so many parents met with the teachers. My parents also came.

We face problems such as many children in Uganda are street children, others are orphans and others stay with step mothers who mistreat them. Others face diseases like cholera due to poor feeding. They also have meals once in their homes.

So many children are poor and they even lack money to buy their uniforms. How-ever, we thank you for the 5 blocks which were renovated by Children Helping Children. You have saved us from linking (leaking) roofs. The main problems faced now are lack of a dinning (dining) hall. We eat our meals under trees and in the classes when it rains. For sure it rains almost every day.

With that much I hope to end there.

Thanks

Your(s) affectionately,

Chebet Elizabeth

Construction of the new school building is nearing completion

18 MISSIONS TODAY

Society of Saint Peter the ApostleHabemus Papam ! We have a Pope!

These last few months have been filled with excitement in our church as we watched tele-vision and witnessed the Holy Spirit in action……..surprising us all ! We have a “new world” pope, named Francis, who from the minute of his first appearance on the resplendent Vatican balcony in a simple white cassock, reminded us

that we are called to serve the poor.

I have heard over and over again, from so many people, that this new Pope has filled them with a sense of hope and optimism. News and anecdotal stories have highlighted Pope Fran-cis’ simplicity of life, his care for the poor, and his ability to relate to all people. He has stretched out a caring hand to those stigmatized by illnesses of mind, body and spirit. He told the Cardinals that they are, in-deed, princes of the church but reminded them that the King they serve is a crucified Lord who carried his cross and calls all of us to do the same. In his inaugural Mass, he called priests to a life of “tender affection and protection given especially to the poorest, weakest, the least important and most easily forgotten. Like the Good Shepherd, the priest must seek to be the servant, not the lord, of the rest”. On Holy Thursday, he washed the feet of young prisoners including women and Muslims; as Bishop of Rome, he celebrated Mass in the local parishes and greeted

everyone as they left. He has endeared himself to the crowds at St. Peter’s, by hopping off the “pope mobile” to bless children and those who are sick or challenged by special needs. He has moved beyond the restrictive barriers of differing belief systems, social standing, and politics to call for justice and fairness for all. In essence, he appeals to us because he lives the value that we recognize in our own hearts, which is to “Love one another as I have loved you”. (John 13:34)

I think that there is a special privilege in living in a country that has burning social, economic, and political problems, as our Holy Father has in Latin America. Surrounded by suffering and the crying needs of the poor, Catholic Christians in these countries are sensitive to the needs of others and able to make

a very real difference in their lives. Many of the seminarians, brothers, and sisters we support in the St. Peter the Apostle Society live in these war

torn and needy countries. They have lived their faith in these difficult circumstances and have open and kind hearts. With the support of the Canadian Church we are able to provide edu-cation and assistance to them and ensure that the future is filled with the hope and peace of the Risen Lord. Thank You (our donations were up in 2012!) and God Bless You!

Have a great summer,

Sr. Christa Mary

“Love one another as I have loved you”. - John 13:34 -

Sister Christa Mary Jones CPS

Bringing Jesus to the People

The education and support of seminarians and novices ensures that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dedica-tion to live their vocation to the full. The Society of St. Peter the Apostle does just that for those in need throughout the de-veloping Catholic world. It maintains and supports seminaries, helps with the costs of living, aids the provision of enthusiastic educators. It provides libraries, books, and spiritual material. It is sometimes the one important lifeline that ensures that a semi-narian becomes a priest. Thank you for helping us: every gift is appreciated.

DONATE SHARES

Propagation of the Faith is a registered charity. For shares donated to registered charities, the most recent federal bud-get has eliminated all taxation on the shares’ capital gains.

For more information contact: National Director

416-699-7077 or 1-800-897-8845or write

Society for the Propagation of the Faith2219 Kennedy Road, Toronto

Ontario M1T 3G5

MISSIONS TODAY 19

A Newly Ordained Priest

20 MISSIONS TODAY

This reflection is taken from Bishop Udvardy’s intervention at the 13th General Ordinary Assem-bly of the Synod of Bishops held in Rome in mid-Octo-ber, 2012. It first appeared in L’Osservatore Romano, 11/07/2012.

In the city of Pécs, there is a great big square in front of the cathedral where almost every evening young people gather around the walls and ledges of the church. They talk, play and sometimes shout, sometimes just fool around having fun. Looking at them, I often feel perplexed or sometimes scorn-ful but most of all I feel a sense of responsibility: they are the “starving crowd”. Plucking up my courage, several times I have gone down to meet with them. I was surprised by their openness: they accepted my initiative towards a relationship with joy and they told me enthusiastically about their stud-ies, living conditions, worries, joys, relationships. They also asked many honest questions about the meaning of life, reason and the truth. They were especially curious about my personal opinion, too: “Bishop, tell us what you really think!” They want to know Jesus.

Since then, many of them have begun to participate in First Friday catecheses as well as silent Eucharistic adoration. Dur-ing these times, many of them confess or ask questions of the priests who are present there. At the end we pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which they love, and the meeting concludes with agape*.

I must seek new ways, perhaps unusual ways of relating to people, in such a way that I may unite myself to their journey: listen to people’s questions and guide them towards reason, towards rationality; I must continue to learn to formulate in a

personal and convincing way the Church’s teaching so that these are not mere opinions but rather true certainty: I must seek opportunities to systematically expose the teachings of the Church; I must seek both old and new expressions that might help people in prayer, in the con-secration of each day of their lives.

The New Evangelization: Meeting “the starving crowd” at their level A Reflection by Bishop György Udvardy of Pécs, Hungary

Bishop György Udvardy, photo: Hungarian Conference of Catholic Bishops

The great cathedral of Pécs, with a view of the broad stone square leading up to it – photo by Sza-jci, wikimedia.org

View of the crypt area inside the cathedral, photo by Takkk, [CC-SA-BY-3.0], wikimedia.org

MISSIONS TODAY 21

Missions Today CrosswordSummer 2013

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Paul Coady

Across5. native Indian word meaning, “reached or

found”7. town in Honduras with a 438 year old

church8. children are ‘real evangelisers’ in this Asian

country10. Elizabeth’s other name

11. the primary religion of this Indian region prior to the introduction of Christianity

13. Bishop Udvardy’s article is centred in this city

14. misssionaries do not go abroad to ______ ____ to the people (2 wds)

19. capital city of Mongolia

Now that you have read through the magazine, try your hand at “filling in the gaps” raised by this crossword puzzle. Missions Today Crossword Solution on page 23

Remaining Open to Him

“We can imagine how they (the women who went to Jesus’ tomb) felt as they made their way to his tomb: a certain sadness and sorrow because Jesus had left them and was dead; his story was over. Now they would go back to their previous lives. But the women continued to feel love and their love for Jesus compelled them to go to his tomb. At this point, however, something completely unexpected happens, something new, which upsets their hearts and their plans and which will upset their whole lives: They see the stone rolled away from the tomb. They draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is a reality that leaves them perplexed, doubtful, and full of questions: ‘What is happening?’ What does this all mean?’ (cf. Lk 24:4).”

“Isn’t that also what happens to us when something truly new occurs in our everyday lives? We stop, don’t understand, and don’t know how to handle it. New things often frighten us, even the newness that God brings us, and the newness that God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: we often prefer to hold on to our sureties, to stop at the tomb, to stop at just thinking about the departed one who, in the end, lives only in our memory like great persons of the past. We’re afraid of God’s surprises. Dear broth-ers and sisters, in our lives we are afraid of God’s An edited version of Pope Francis I’s homily delivered during the Easter Vigil.

20. Bishop Udvardy’s first name21. Pope who sent the first missionaries to

Mongolia23. Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia will be

built in this country28. local mountain visited by the children of

Gamatui29. a state in East India30. the East Indian mission is located in this

diocese31. eastern Church community that is part of

the Roman Catholic rite33. large fresh water lake on Uganda’s south-

ern border

Down1. priest serving the children of Gamatui2. first Catholic missionary to this Indian

region3. name of the Catholic mission in East India4. the first Christian missionaries to this In-

dian region where of this Protestant faith6. Mongolia’s northern neighbour9. a major Indian festival celebrated in Janu-

ary10. important mineral found in Mongolia12. Pope Francis I’s country of origin15. a very famous ‘khan’ artist16. traditional Mongolian home17. one of the two main spiritual traditions in

Mongolia18. Latin term meaning “We have a Pope” ( 2

wds)22. country featured in our Letters from

Abroad section24. missionary order serving the people of

Mongolia25. a specialist who lends his/her body to

those who have lost their own26. Catholic youth organization in East India27. name of the waterfall visited by the chil-

dren of Gamatui32. native Indian word meaning, “search or

look for”

22 MISSIONS TODAY

As I write this reflection, my city, Toronto is experiencing its first day of ‘real’ spring weather. The sun has come back with warmth that invigorates. The rains have moved on, leaving behind an azure sky complemented with those fluffy cumulus clouds that take me back to childhood.

What is it about spring that causes me to feel my faith even

deeper? Perhaps if I was a Druid, I might be grateful that Lugh the sun god had once again scattered the spirits of winter and come back to earth. Then again, if I was an Aztec, I might want to offer sacrifice to Tonatiuh, the sun god, giving thanks that the rains had been followed by his return, with the promise of good crops in the year ahead. But I am a follower of Christ, and I do not see my God as being an interventionist to that degree of involvement.

No, I believe that God, the creator of all that is known and unknown, in-cluding that wonderfully warm sun and that blue, blue sky, leaves us to determine our own path. The great-est gift one can give another, whether it is an individual or a region, is self-determination and that is how God wants life to be. But I also believe that there is a strong connection between us, our environment and God. That warm sun in mid-spring acts as a conduit of God’s love for us. It acts as a gentle reminder that He is Present in our day-to-day lives.

Sometimes, it is hard to recognize that presence. We are busy crea-tures us humans, rushing about absorbed in ‘important’ matters carving out the patterns of our daily lives. Have you ever noticed how often we need to be reminded to look around us and see the signs of God’s presence in this world? Thank God (no pun in-tended) for those reminders and perhaps do your best to be the one reminding others to look for God nearby.

I enjoy the return of the red-winged blackbirds to my neighbour-hood. Their “screeeeechhh” is music that again, takes me back to youthful days spent alongside a local stream looking for tadpoles. Now, 50 years later, I see them in my mind’s eye as if they were as real as those flying about in the back yard. Another sign of God’s

presence. How so, you might well ask? I believe it is God’s way of con-necting us to what we were, so that we can understand where we are. Not the only way God uses, but cer-tainly one of them.

Here’s a tip: next time you are caught in traffic on a highway; you know, those times when you’re on a major road and you have come to a com-plete stop. Instead of worrying about getting ‘there’ on time, turn and look

for God outside your window, especially by the side of the high-way. See that thistle forcing its way up through the crack in the road?. God emergent. Hear the birds singing in the tree nearby? God proclaiming. Smell the freshly turned soil in the field nearby? God expectant. Feel the soft breeze on your face? God informing.

Have a great summer, wherever you are.

Paul Coady Editor

Mission Conversations with the EditorSetting out on the road…

Missions Today is always interested in hearing from you. If you have any comments on the articles we have used; the new structure of the magazine; or anything you would like to see us

explore in future issues, please get in touch with us!

Contact the Editor via email at: editor@missionsocieties.ca

Or write us at: Editor - Missions Today Magazine

2219 Kennedy Road Toronto,

Ontario M1T 3G5

Don’t forget to visit our web-site.www.missionsocieties.ca offers: access to feature stories from our magazine, Missions Today, child activities and news from Holy Childhood, and direct links to World Mission TV (RomanCatholicTelevision) where you can find stories of mission work from across the globe in documentary formats complete with teacher/student guides and activities. Our site also makes it easy to donate in a safe and secure way. Visit us today!

‘Summer Day on Kirton Road’ – photo by – Stan F, [CC-SA-BY-2.0], wikimedia.org

“He made the great light, His love is everlasting!

The sun to govern the day,His love is everlasting!

Moon and stars to govern the night,His love is everlasting!”

- Psalm 136

MISSIONS TODAY 23

Please remember in your prayers the recently deceased members of the Pontifical Mission Societies

David Banga ........................................................Carlyle, SK

David Craiggs ....................................................Calgary, AB

Mr. & Mrs. Rosaire Desautels .....................Coquitlam, BC

Bernardin Dube ..................................................Terrace, BC

M. Gingras ...................................................... Penticton, BC

Edward Hoedel ..................................................Grayson, SK

Bernard Kavanagh .........................................Vancouver, BC

Rosemary Landon .............................................London, ON

Robert Lavoie ..................................................St. Isidore, AB

Joseph Le Fort ....................................................Calgary, AB

Amos Legere ..................................................New Avon, NB

Margaret Logel ...................................................Elmira, ON

Blaise McGillivray ..................................St. Catherine’s, ON

Bertha Morawski...........................................Winnipeg, MB

Martha O’Brien ................................................London, ON

Steve Obzera .......................................................Terrace, BC

Douglas Oltsher .............................................. Ingersoll, ON

Mary Onyett .....................................................Ottawa, ON

Bernard Ortlieb ....................................................Sidney, BC

Elda Plessis ....................................................McCreary, MB

Henk Schwerin .........................................Scarborough, ON

Edward Shepherd ..........................................Richmond, BC

Maria Silva .........................................................Kitimat, BC

Walter Wolak ............................................. Mississauga, ON

“This tree is my eternal salvation. It is my nourishment and my banquet… I have pitched my tent in its shadow, and have found a resting-place fresh with dew.”

- St. John Chrysostom -

In Remembrance Our Deceased Donors

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Missions Today Crossword SolutionSummer 2013 (from page 21)

Photo by - Johann Jaritz, [CC-SA-BY-3.0], wikimedia.org

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