|
| Dear Friends, It seems such a short time since I wrote to wish you a happy vacation. Now it is time to prepare for a new school year. With the opening of school just a few days away the last minute preparations are appearing like ghosts on the horizon. We all operate differently. Some like to be ready weeks ahead of schedule; others wait until the last minute. Sounds like the Gospel Reading about the laborer in the vineyard. Those who arrived on the scene at the end of the day received the same wages as those who worked hard all day. The "Early Birds" may resent the latecomers but with the Lord there is no difference. He welcomes us whenever we come to Him. How comforting! But just because He is so patient we should do our part to make him feel welcome in our homes and in our hearts. What a good resolution to make as the school year begins. Every blessing on you and your families MISSION APPEAL-THIS WEEKEND In Kenya, East Africa lives a tribe of 1.9 million people known as the Wakamba. In 1969 their tribal lands of 7,200 square miles of semi-desert became a diocese in the Catholic Church. One of the first priests ordained from the tribe is now their bishop, Bishop Urbanus J. Kioko. The people, and thus their church, are desperately poor. In this semi desert region they depend entirely on the rains to come twice a year to grow their crops of corn and beans. Very often the rains fail. Successive years of drought and resulting famine characterize their way of life. Last year they had a very poor crop because the rains failed in many areas in the Fall. Our Spring rains this year, however, are good and they expect a good crop. Malnutrition is their greatest problem. In normal times 25% of their children die before the age of five years and a further 15% die before the age of 14. To combat famine conditions and poverty the diocese has various nutritional feeding programs: nutritional diets for pregnant and nursing mothers, for children of various age groups and supplementary diets for the aged. The diocese also maintains other programs e.g. education in land usage, village health care, clean water projects, building small homes near schools for disabled children, an orphanage, setting up small businesses for school graduates and savings and credit institutions. In 1969, when the diocese was formed, only 2 of the 29 priests working in the territory were native. Today, the people are ministered to by 105 priests (95 of whom are of the Wakamba tribe), 113 sisters (40 of whom are native), and 23 native religious brothers. There are 40 central missions from which 1,000 out stations or mission churches are currently served. Each station has it’s own parish council with a catechist. Presently there are over 1000 catechists. As many as 30,000 adult catechumens prepare for baptism. Last year, 21,862 were baptized bringing the Catholic population to 613,263 people. The Junior seminary has 145 students and 97 senior seminarians are preparing for ordination to the priesthood. Father Tom Timmins, C.S.Sp. will speak to us this weekend and will ask for our help. Please be generous. Father Ring |
