Scottish Catholic Observer

United with every parish worldwide, parishes in Scotland celebrate World Mission Sunday on October 23, 2011.  A collection will be taken by MISSIO Scotland for the Association of the Propagation of the Faith (APF).

Every year, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith receives financial requests to fund thousands of projects. Last year at their general assembly, the society allocated more than £11 million to projects in Africa; more than £7 million to Asia; more than £1.3 million to the Americas; nearly £1 million to Oceania; and nearly £800,000 to projects in Europe.

In 2010 parishes across Scotland donated £368,028, which is now supporting mission projects in Nigeria and South Africa.

Fr Timothy Lehane Barrett SVD, Secretary General, Association for the Propagation of the Faith (APF) tells the following story.

Most of you who are reading this are fortunate because you have the freedom to practise your religion as you wish. At the international office of the Association for the Propagation of the Faith (APF), I am often humbled by the wonderful people who come to visit. Each one has their story of their personal journey in faith and tells of how they continue to opt for and practise it today. They come from so many different situations and many come from countries where Christianity cannot be practised easily. Here is one such story that a young priest recently told me.

He is a first-generation Catholic and even telling me this could endanger him, so I will mention neither the country nor real names. Let’s say it’s a story of a family who live on a mountainside somewhere in our world. It is the story of two men, one called Serch and the other called Wei.

Serch is the man who is at the centre of the story.  A revolution and the possibility of persecution because of his membership of a minority group forced him and his family to leave the country of his birth. He wanted to travel across jungle-covered hills to a neighbouring country. The exact position of the border is unclear, even to the local people, as nobody really knows the whereabouts of the demarcation posts.

As Serch travelled the treacherous footpaths to the hills with his pregnant wife and young family following him, he had many worries in his mind. Where would he go? Whom would he meet? Above all he asked himself ‘why?’ Why the suffering in the world? Why minorities? Why hate? Why fratricide? Why he and his family? What is wrong in trying to live and farm peacefully? What had he done wrong? Why should he be persecuted for belonging to a minority ethnic group?

After a few days of walking, they finally came to a clearing in the woods. He forged his way towards a friendly-looking house where some children played in the yard with a pet monkey. He approached with a certain amount of fear and trepidation. His own children, who, by now, were very sore and hungry, would not be silent. On hearing their weak voices and meek shouts, the owner of the house came out and made his way towards them. Although he could not speak their dialect, the man saw their predicament and signalled them to some food and water. Later he gave them a place in the shed to stay that evening.

The following morning Serch awoke with a fright as he heard voices outside the shed. He thought that he had been caught.  Was it the owner who had given him away? Later, to his surprise, the householder, who introduced himself as Wei, said that he had contacted a few neighbours the previous night to see how, between them, they could help Serch and his young family. They were especially taken aback by the pregnant woman who had walked for days. Serch knew that these people were nomadic and had made a jungle clearing from which they would move during the following autumn.

After being there for some time and gaining more confidence, Serch dared to ask Wei why he had accepted him and why he took him in and helped him when he was neither family nor relation.

“You see,” Wei responded, “I am a Catechist and we are also a minority as we are a small Christian community. You have a young family. How could I let you continue your journey in these difficult terrains with your wife who is pregnant?  We could not let you leave unless you wished to do so after having some rest, but you are also welcome to stay with us for as long as you want.”

Wei is Catechist to this small group of Christians and he is a very important referent, as the priest lives far away and can only visit these small, sparse communities once every 18 months.

Catholics are few amongst the mountain’s nomadic people, but they are friendly and are known to help out if someone is in difficulties. Serch was not a Catholic but he seemed to find kindness where he least expected it. He stayed with them and later asked to become a member of the community. Wei told him that he could but that he would need to enter into the two-year formation process of the Catechumenate.

A few months later, Serch’s little son was born. The next time the priest came to visit the community, he was Baptised even though his parents and elder brothers and sisters, still undergoing the formation process were only Baptised later. Today that baby, whose pregnant mother journeyed through the mountains and who was the first Baptised member of his family, is a priest. It was he who told me the story.

He says that, as a priest, he wants to dedicate himself to training Catechists like Wei, who are sparsely scattered all over the mountains. He says that they are a vital part of the Christian life where he was born and he would not be a Catholic were it not for Wei’s love.  He knows that Wei is amongst the many disciples who grow in their faith in the Lord and who are empowered by the Holy Spirit who resides in their hearts.

MISSIO is active in some 110 countries throughout the world, working to animate the faithful in a universal missionary spirit, and supporting the efforts of the Church in some 1069 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America.  MISSIO nurtures the growth in faith of the poorer Churches in these Continents whilst also helping with even their most basic needs.

Scotland has a proud history of supporting universal mission.  The Holy Father, in his World Mission Sunday message reminds us “The universal mission involves everyone, everything and always.  The Gospel is not an exclusive possession of those who have received it, but it is a gift to be shared, good news to be passed on to others”.

— MISSIO is the only organisation to guarantee support for every one of the 1069 mission dioceses in the world. To support MISSIO Scotland call: 01236 449774, e-mail: [email protected] or visit: http://www.missioscotland.org.uk