Spring 2015
Sharing hope and joy in Malawi
Tackling the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone
Remembering the lives of missionaries in 2014
Reflecting on the Beatitudes
The National Director writes…
Faced with calamity people sometimes
say, ‘Don’t worry, I am sure everything
will turn out for the best.’ Could you say
that to the person who has seen their
life’s work destroyed? Yet that is the
pattern of mission. Frequently I receive
distressing messages: of an impending
humanitarian crisis, devastating natural
disasters, a mission station looted or
destroyed, local people threatened and
missionaries driven to find shelter with
other missionaries, or worse, tragically
killed (see pages 18–21). What is the
Christian response?
When confronted with hardship,
people find from within themselves great
qualities, such as courage, patience and
forgiveness. Christians would identify
these characteristics as the gifts and fruits
of the Holy Spirit. Courage is shown when
we face a situation we would rather avoid.
The Risen Jesus told his disciples they
were no longer alone and he promised to
be with them and their successors until
the end of time. A courageous person is
willing to make a stand for what is right,
even to their own detriment.
‘Patience’ is often translated as longsuffering or endurance. It is invaluable
when there seems no end to a bad
situation. Jesus himself counselled, ‘Your
endurance will win you your lives’ (Luke
21:19). In her autobiography, St Thérèse
of Lisieux tells this story: ‘I was working
in the laundry and the Sister opposite
repeatedly splashed me with dirty water.
My first impulse was to draw back and
wipe my face, to show the offender; but
2 l Mission Today
the next minute
I thought how
foolish it was to
refuse the treasures
God offered me
so generously and
I refrained from
betraying my annoyance.’
When Peter asked Jesus how many
times he should forgive, Jesus advised
seventy-seven times and, in the parable
of the unforgiving servant who was
thrown into jail, warned, ‘That is how my
heavenly Father will deal with you unless
you each forgive your brother from your
heart’ (Matthew 18:35). At the heart of
Christianity is forgiveness. Following
the example of Jesus, we don’t add to
people’s suffering, we forgive.
A good example of the Church’s
ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation
is in South Africa where, through retreats
and spiritual conferences, perpetrators
of crimes and their victims are brought
together. Called restorative justice, it aims
to help both parties come to terms with
their pain, which takes courage, patience
and forgiveness.
In this issue you will see just how you
are helping to support marginalised people
who are challenged daily by poverty,
illness and violence. Your prayers and
generosity help them to live out the virtues
of courage, patience and forgiveness.
Mgr Canon James Cronin, National Director
Calendar for this quarter
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery:
The Crucifixion
Please pray for our universal Church on
these feast days:
(John 19:17-30)
Preserve, dear Lord, in love, all those
to whom we are bound by ties of
family and affection;
refresh our homes with your
abiding presence
and sanctify all our human relationships.
We pray that in the hour of our own trial,
when we are covered in darkness,
we may be strengthened by your
kindly light.
Monday 2 March
St David
Tuesday 17 March
St Patrick
Thursday 19 March
St Joseph
Wednesday 25 March The Annunciation
Prayer by Fr Denis McBride C.Ss.R. from Praying
the Rosary which is published by and available from
Redemptorist Publications – www.rpbooks.co.uk.
Sunday 29 March
Palm Sunday
Thursday 2 April
Maundy Thursday
Friday 3 April
Good Friday
Sunday 5 April
Easter Sunday
Sunday 12 April
Divine Mercy
Sunday
Highlights in this issue
Sharing hope and joy
6
Read about Missio’s Education Officer’s
heart-warming visit to Malawi
Mission martyrs
18
We remember those pastoral care workers
who died for their faith in 2014
Tackling Ebola in Sierra Leone 10
An update on how the Catholic Church is
tackling the spread of Ebola
Prayer and mission
22
Fr Chris Fox reflects on the Beatitudes and
society’s search for happiness
Explore…donate…reflect… at missio.org.uk
Mission Today is the magazine for supporters of APF-Mill Hill.
Cover: Something to smile about in Malawi
Mission Today l 3
Missio around the world
VATICAN CITY
SOUTH-EAST ASIA
The Church
in numbers
Honours for
missionary clergy
The latest statistics on the Catholic
Church around the world have been released
by the Vatican. More than one in seven
people are Catholic, with over half a million
priests ministering to them. In Africa, there
are 4,948 Catholics per priest, with 2,242
Asian Catholics per priest, whilst Europe has
1,538 people per priest.
Records show an increase in the number
of catechists in the world, at 3.2 million, with
over 360,000 lay missionaries.
Almost 60 million children and young
people are educated by the Church through
21,000 nurseries, primary and secondary
schools. Over 115,000 hospitals, leprosy
centres and orphanages and other healthcare
centres are run by the Church, including
many in West Africa helping fight the Ebola
pandemic (see pages 10–11).
In the 1,069 missionary dioceses that are
too young and poor to support themselves,
the work of the Church flourishes thanks to
your prayerful support and generosity.
The start of the year has brought new
roles for three priests in Asia whom Missio
works with closely. Pope Francis has made
the Archbishops of Yangon, Myanmar
(Burma), and Bangkok, Thailand, Cardinals of
their respective countries.
Cardinal Bo of Yangon is the first cardinal
Myanmar has ever had and is an outspoken
champion for human rights and religious
freedom in his country. In Bangkok, Cardinal
Kovithavanij is a defender of the dignity of all
people and strongly supports the universality
of the Church.
Also in Myanmar, the rector of St Joseph’s
Major Seminary, which is supported by the
Society of St Peter the Apostle, has been
named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese
of Yangon. You can read an interview
with Bishop John Saw Yaw Han in Mission
Tomorrow at missio.org.uk
4 l Mission Today
MADERA, UGANDA
LONDON, ENGLAND
100 years
in Uganda
Thank you for being
missionaries of God’s love
In the Spring 2014 edition of Mission
Today, Michael Morrissey shared the story
of the Mill Hill Missionaries’ work over one
hundred years in Madera, Uganda. The
parish began in 1914 with Fr John Dunne
MHM, originally from Consett in Co.
Durham. A hundred years on, the community
came together from far and wide to celebrate
and to mark the ongoing construction of their
new church, partly funded through your
support. Guests included the Papal Nuncio,
Archbishop Michael August Blume.
Fr Simon-Peter Wankya, parish priest,
thanked the Mill Hill Missionaries for bringing
the faith to the community, calling them
‘heroes, martyrs and saints’. The parish now
includes nineteen primary schools, two
secondary schools, two schools for children
who are blind, and fifty-nine outstations. He
said, ‘The new enlarged church shows the
growing faith of our people. One Sunday in
September 2,817 people were Confirmed and
35 couples were joined in Holy Matrimony.’
In October, Catholics throughout the
world once again celebrated World Mission
Sunday. Focusing on the Church in Myanmar
(Burma), we were privileged to have Fr Paul
Lum Dau and Fr Noel Naw Lat visit from
Kachin state to share with us the impact of
your support, including for those living in
camps after being forced from their homes.
Fr Noel ministers in the camps and explained,
‘We don't have very nice chapels, but we
gather with the displaced people under the
trees, hear confessions, and celebrate Mass
together. Prayer is the only hope many of
these people have.’
The priests concelebrated all the Masses
in Westminster Cathedral on World Mission
Sunday. In his homily, Fr Paul shared
this reflection, ‘Whether celebrating the
Sacraments or caring for the hungry, naked
and those who remain in the state of being
oppressed by all sorts of evil, we are being
called to be missionaries of God's love.’
Mission Today l 5
Mission report
Sharing hope and joy
Sheila Isaac, Missio’s Education
Coordinator, recently travelled to
Malawi. What she discovered touched
her heart and reinvigorated her faith
I visited the Diocese of Zomba, southwest Malawi, late last year. After a long
flight via Johannesburg, South Africa, we
were relieved to be met by Fr Vincent
Mwakhwawa, the National Director of Missio
in Malawi, and the local Diocesan Director,
Fr Henry Chiwaya, who welcomed us
enthusiastically.
The burning heat was a far cry from the
autumn we’d just farewelled in London, but
6 l Mission Today
the locals were pleased as the temperature
indicated the rainy season would be
arriving shortly.
As we travelled from the airport to our
accommodation at St Peter’s Seminary just
outside Pirimiti, I was amazed to see the
number of people walking around the dusty
streets. There were many people alongside
the roads selling fruit, vegetables and wood
which is used for fires as many people cook
over an open flame.
One of the projects we visited was
St Thomas’s outstation. When we arrived
we were treated like royalty as the local
community gathered around us, singing
and dancing. Their fervent welcome was
because of the support they had received
from Missio’s Association for the Propagation
of the Faith (APF) to build their church.
The local Catholics had spent two years
building bricks using sand from the nearby
river. Once the bricks had been created,
the Bishop said, ‘Okay, now I think we can
approach the APF and ask them to help us
build a church.’
We were told that others used
to laugh at them, saying: ‘You
Catholics, you all praise your
God either under a tree or in a
shed.’ So they were determined
that they were going to get a
church for themselves!
Whilst we were there, we celebrated
Mass together. Fr Henry told us that the
locals wanted to present an offertory for us
as a way of saying ‘Thank You’ to the APF.
Fr Henry explained that the community is
known as being very generous and this gave
rise to their local community name which
means ‘people who give’. They approached
us with beaming smiles as they gave us gifts
of food, including a live chicken which later
became dinner at the seminary!
My overwhelming impression of my
visit is that Malawians grab life; they enjoy
it and celebrate the love Jesus has for them.
They are a very joyful people, a hopeful
people. They face many challenges – their
Church is young and they have suffered
through corruption and a controlling
dictatorship. However, their faith and
their belief that each of them is loved
individually by God is inspiring.
Many people told us that they want to
see their Church become self-sufficient;
they long to stand on their own two feet.
Their faith faces different trials, with poverty
being the main source of despair. Despite
this, they remain joyous; they support and
love one another and they shared that with
us whilst we were with them. For the joy,
hope and love they gave to me, and for the
lessons I learnt in how to build a celebratory
Church, I will be forever grateful.
Malawi Flood Update
Since the writing of this article,
Missio has received information from
Fr Vincent that severe floods have killed
170 people and displaced 200,000 in
southern parts of Malawi. To find out
more, please visit missio.org.uk or call
our office on 020 7821 9755.
Mission Today l 7
Mission focus
Missionary apostolate to the
Kutchi Kohli in Sindh
Fr Jimmy Lindero MHM shares his
experience of both the history and
current reality of life for the Kutchi Kohli
people in Pakistan
Historically, the Kutchi Kohli people
belong to one of the indigenous ethnic
minorities of Hindu background in Pakistan.
The government calls them ‘Scheduled
Castes’ which really means outcasts or
untouchables. Economically, they are very
poor, with most being landless farmers who
work as sharecroppers for feudal landowners.
Due to extremely low wages and dishonest
manipulation by landowners who take
advantage of their illiteracy, the Kutchi Kohli
people are often caught in a debilitating cycle
of debt.
8 l Mission Today
In the late 1970s, the Mill Hill Missionaries
responded to the invitation of the Bishop of
Hyderabad, Bonaventure P. Paul OFM, to
work with the tribal minorities in Sindh. The
Mill Hill Missionaries chose Tando Allahyar to
become the centre of this apostolate owing
to the big concentration of the Kutchi Kohlis
living around this area.
The Kohlis are very much captivated
by the miracles of Jesus. They are living in
constant fear – fear of their landlords, fear
from the majority and dominant Muslim
populace, fear for the security of their women
and girls, and fear from the Hindu deities
who are believed to be quick in inflicting
calamities/sickness on disobedient devotees.
In Jesus, they see a God who shares their
joys and sorrows and freely offers them
unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness.
Today our pastoral team focuses on the
faith formation of the laity and empowering
the potential parish lay leaders. We strive
to promote peace and justice, interfaith
dialogue, and integral development of the
Kutchi Kohli people through formal and
non-formal education, medical outreach,
community building, the empowerment of
women and livelihood projects.
One of the main pillars of the missionary
activities of the parish is the separate
boarding houses for Kutchi Kohli girls and
boys. The homes serve as an avenue for the
spiritual-, faith-, cognitive-, affective- and
value-formation of the tribal children. At
present, there are fifty boys and thirty-five
girls benefiting from the care the homes
provide. One of the challenges in this
community is convincing parents to send
their girls to study, as their priority is to
educate only their boys. We have a policy
that we will accept boys if their sisters will
also receive an education, to ensure equal
opportunities for these children. The parish
has one main school in Tando Allahyar and
several satellite schools in the villages which
are all run by the Presentation Sisters.
A ‘Village Children’ programme is
conducted on an annual basis with children
from the villages being invited to the parish
centre for three days of catechesis, prayers,
games and health/hygiene lessons. Last June,
more than 300 children participated.
At present, our parish pastoral team
visits over 900 families scattered in more
than 400 villages across an area of roughly 60
kilometres, which therefore involves a lot of
travelling and overnight stays in the villages.
The faith of the Kutchi Kohli Christians is still
very young and is in a very fragile state. There
is a tendency for those who have embraced
Christianity to return back to Hinduism. They
face discrimination and are often pressured
by their own Hindu relatives or fellow
villagers to renounce their Christianity as
they are a minority within their Kutchi Kohli
Hindu community. Regular home visitation is
a pastoral priority of our parish team.
As the number of the Kutchi Kohli
Catholics has continued to increase, a bigger
church building was needed for daily and
Sunday Masses, and for other community
prayers. The concept was presented to the
faithful and the parish community agreed
to support this project, with fundraising for
the new church building beginning almost
immediately.
Even Hindu friends and contacts
contributed to this project,
saying in Gujarati, ‘Isu Parbhu
haro’, which translates to
‘For the Lord Jesus’.
The new church was officially opened
and blessed by Bishop Max J. Rodrigues on
24 June 2014, the feast of the Nativity of St
John the Baptist, our parish patron saint. To
give emphasis that the real temple of the Holy
Spirit is our human hearts, seventeen adults
received the sacrament of Confirmation that
day. Before the final blessing, the parish
priest gave a vote of thanks to both local and
international benefactors, including APF-Mill
Hill members who contributed towards the
construction of this new ‘house of prayer’.
We are very grateful to the missionary
efforts of the early missionaries both religious
and lay who have laid the foundation of this
apostolate. To the many people who are even
unknown to us who sent their prayers and
sacrifices through our mission partners both
locally and abroad, we say THANK YOU.
Mission Today l 9
Mission stories
Tackling Ebola
in Sierra Leone
The Catholic Church remains on the
front line in helping tackle the spread
of Ebola in West Africa. Bishop Henry
Aruna, National Director of Missio in
Sierra Leone, is leading the Church’s
efforts in the country, thanks to
your support
The current Ebola outbreak has already
claimed almost 9,000 lives in West Africa.
It is contained in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, as well
as Sierra Leone. So far there is no specific
treatment or vaccine for the virus.
Even before the outbreak, Sierra Leone
relied on the Church as a major provider of
healthcare. As Bishop Henry explains, it is
now needed more than ever:
‘The mission hospitals are overwhelmed
by the sheer volume of sick and dying people
arriving every day. It is not only the sick and
the dying who need our assistance, but the
children who are orphaned and the elderly
who have no one to care for them.’
As happens so often in emergencies,
the Catholic Church is uniquely placed to
serve the needs of those suffering, making
use of its local communities and networks.
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
recently reminded us: ‘The Church does not
come and go; people turn to the Lord in time
of fear and need. This Church is a visible
witness to the presence of Jesus Christ at all
times, but particularly at times of adversity.’
Through support from Missio around
the world, Bishop Henry has been able
to instigate food deliveries to people in
quarantined homes, as well as providing
essential hygiene packages to children who
have lost their parents and become orphans.
Another major issue is that bodies have
to be cremated. This is counter-cultural, and
Bishop Henry explains that the Church has
a major role in reassuring relatives that this
process is proper in such circumstances.
‘The major factor of the escalation of the
infection is ignorance and denial. We are
Radio Maria, informing and educating Malawians
10 l Mission Today
using our Missio-funded station, Radio Maria,
to inform people of the facts about Ebola and
how to prevent it.
‘We are also teaching classes via Radio
Maria for children whose primary and
secondary schools have had to close to avoid
the spread of the disease.’
Two missionaries in Bishop Henry’s
Diocese of Makeni, a priest and a brother
of the Nursing Order of St John of God at
the mission hospital in Lunsar, have died,
contracting Ebola in the course of their
missionary service.
Solidarity across continents
Soon after news of the pandemic broke,
the Pan Africa Catholic Community held
their annual Mass at St George’s Cathedral,
Southwark, celebrated by Bishop Pat Lynch
SSCC. An impromptu collection was taken
at the end of Mass, raising over £600 which
they asked Missio to ensure got to those who
needed it most.
Many members of the Pan Africa
Community have family affected by Ebola,
such as Stella Turay who lives in north
London. She is adamant that ‘education is so
important. In Sierra Leone people are often
poorly educated and literacy levels are low.
There are over twelve languages spoken, and
information needs to be in a form people will
easily understand. My family still in Sierra
Leone tell me that there is so much fear and
misinformation.’
Thanking the Pan Africa Community for
their generosity, Missio’s director Canon
Cronin, reassured them that ‘your support
is helping the Church be with the people
suffering with Ebola, providing health care
and laboratory centres. It’s enabling the
Church to be Church: to be with the people,
praying with them, mourning with them,
whilst staying for the long-term, even when
everyone else has left.’
Bishop Henry asks that the Catholic
community continues their support:
‘The diocese and the country
need all the support we can
get to continue our work of
giving hope and addressing the
Ebola crisis. Thank you for your
ongoing support.’
Representatives of the Pan African Catholic Chaplaincy
presenting Canon Cronin with a cheque for Missio's work in
Makeni Diocese, Sierra Leone
Missio is continuing to send money directly to Bishop Henry and other dioceses working
on the ground in communities affected by Ebola. Donations can be made by calling
020 7821 9755 during office hours, or via missio.org.uk
Mission Today l 11
Mission and the Red Box
Your Red Box...
Another look
First established in 1936, throughout
England and Wales the Red Box has
become a symbol of missionary activity
in people’s homes. Canon Brendan
MacCarthy reflects on his changing
attitude towards his Red Box
It is now over forty years since I had my
first Red Box. I was told that I could help
the missions with my loose change. I fed it
accordingly and it was collected a few times a
year by my assigned promoter (collector).
Later I began to wonder if loose
change alone was what it was all about.
Ad Gentes is the document from Vatican
II on the missionary activity of the Church.
In paragraph 38 it says clearly that ‘the
Pontifical Mission Works’ – Missio – should
have ‘first place’ in our missionary support
and prayer. This is because these Pontifical
Mission Works give the first and guaranteed
basic help to all the bishops in Africa, Asia,
Oceania and parts of Latin America, and to
the Oriental Churches, where the Church
is young, poor or both. Missio funding is
unique and cannot be done without. All
Catholic dioceses worldwide contribute. The
mission dioceses benefit.
12 l Mission Today
The contents of the Red Boxes were
originally divided 50/50 between the Mill
Hill Missionaries and Missio/APF. After the
Vatican Council, the Mill Hill Missionaries,
recognising the first place of the Association
for the Propagation of the Faith (APF) in
missions funding, generously reduced their
portion to 40 per cent, leaving 60 per cent for
Missio/APF. The same practice holds today.
Reflecting on the ‘first place’ of Missio, I
came to another conclusion – putting loose
change in my Red Box needed updating. I do
still put in loose change, but for quite some
years now I have an added approach. St Paul
gave me the hint (2 Corinthians 9:7) when
he says ‘Each person should give as he has
decided for himself’. So, when my Red Box
is due for its thrice-yearly collection, I put in a
cheque for an amount I feel honours the ‘first
place’ Missio has in providing support for the
Church’s missions. The Mill Hill Missionaries
naturally benefit also from this increase.
Because I am the only contributor to my
own Red Box, I also Gift Aid the contents.
If you pay Income Tax you can Gift Aid.
When you do, HMRC (the Inland Revenue)
increases what you have already given.
The Red Box is not just for
money. In home and family
life, it can be a focal point
for mission prayer.
Every £10 you have already donated then
becomes £12.50, at no extra cost to yourself.
Prayerful support for mission could
be at an agreed time once a week, or
when the family gathers on Sunday, never
forgetting the Holy Father’s monthly mission
intention (see pages 16–17). The work of all
missionaries is to offer the Gospel of God to
as many people as possible, inviting them
to welcome Christ’s friendship. Enriching
your material generosity with prayer
brings strength and grace to all missionary
endeavours. Working environments can
often be difficult, as modern mission
experiences readily testify in these turbulent
times.
As a mission bishop told me some years
ago, ‘If Missio/APF could no longer support
me, my diocese would have to close down.’
Canon Brendan MacCarthy
My mother, Florence Boyle, died in
September at the age of 93. When
I was eight and we were living in Co.
Durham, Red Boxes were given to us
at school shortly before Christmas in
1955. I wrapped mine up and gave
it to Mum as a Christmas present
and she used it faithfully ever since.
She also loved to go to the annual
APF-Mill Hill Mass in Maidenhead
when she could.
I am proud to have inherited the
original Red Box and will put my
plastic one aside for as long as the
wooden one lasts.
Best wishes,
Ann-Marie Vimpany
Consultant to the Missio Trustees
For further information or to become a Red Box holder,
please visit: missio.org.uk/RedBox
Mission Today l 13
Mill Hill News
Fr Anthony Chantry, General Superior
of the Mill Hill Missionaries, reports on
the latest news from overseas dioceses
where Mill Hill Missionaries (MHMs)
share the Good News
Logo expressing the Joy of the Gospel
Father Dominic Nyachoti in Cameroon
Opening a new chapter for MHM
Every five years the Mill Hill Missionaries
hold a Chapter meeting to review their
missionary work throughout the world,
plan for the future and choose new leaders.
Chapter 2015 will be held in London in June
and will be attended by delegates from fifteen
countries around the world. The theme of
the Chapter, ‘Joy to the World’, echoes the
teaching of Pope Francis in his wonderful
apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel.
The logo above reflects this.
In the words of Fr Ivan Fang, the Mill Hill
Missionary who designed it, ‘The Chapter logo
is a representation of the world engulfed with
the fire of love as a result of the proclamation
of the Word of God to all nations.’
Please pray for us and the success of
the Chapter.
First fruit of a bountiful harvest
Fr Dominic Nyachoti, a Kenyan Mill
Hill Missionary, took me to Konene, one of
the outstations in his remote mission in the
Archdiocese of Bamenda, Cameroon. We
visited the grave of the first Catholic Christian
in the area. On the grave is written, ‘In Memory
of Papa Patrick Bangsi, 1927–1983. He brought
the Catholic Faith to Konene’.
The Catholic community has grown quickly
and was very happy to welcome us into
their small brick chapel where they sang and
danced. The community is growing so quickly
they now want to build a bigger church.
I was even more impressed to hear that
one of Papa Bangsi’s grandsons is training
to become a Mill Hill Missionary and will
hopefully be ordained in Konene. It is
amazing what happens when people discover
the joy of the Gospel!
14 l Mission Today
Sharing the gift of faith in Cameroon
Joyous celebrations of Mass in South Africa
The joy of mission
It took Fr Tiberius Vuni, a Ugandan Mill
Hill Missionary, three hours to drive me to
Fonfuka, our newest mission in Cameroon.
The road was one of the worst I have ever
experienced, invoking my admiration for the
driver and gratitude for arriving shaken, but
not stirred.
As always the people came out in
force to welcome us and make sure we
understood how important it was to them
that they now had a permanent priest to
serve them. In my very simple guest room
I slept surprisingly well in the company of
three very large spiders on the walls and
ceiling. I persuaded myself that even they
were there to welcome me!
We celebrated Mass with the community
early in the morning during which the people
joyfully shared their gifts of faith and hope.
The essence of the Gospel can be summed
up as love and service, which happens to
be our MHM motto. All of this would not be
possible without the generous support of the
Red Box supporters who can be very proud
of this, one of their many achievements.
The joy of township hope
During my recent visit to South Africa,
I was once again really impressed by the
way people worship. In Britain we tend to be
very reserved in the way we celebrate Mass,
to put it mildly. In parts of South Africa, the
people express their joy in celebrating with
great energy, singing and dancing their way
through the liturgy.
I once asked a parishioner, ‘How can
you always be so joyful, week after week,
especially with all the problems people face
here: violence, poverty, unemployment,
drugs and crime?’ Her reply has stayed
with me as she said, ‘In the midst of all our
problems and difficulties it is Jesus alone
who can give us hope for the future. He is
the only one we can trust. He is the only one
who can help us. How can we not be joyful?’
I marvelled at her strong faith and knew she
understood the meaning of the Gospel.
Mission Today l 15
Praying together
The Holy Father’s
Mission Intentions
© Marcin Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
16 l Mission Today
Please join Pope Francis and
the whole Church in praying for
these monthly mission intentions,
particularly for ten minutes on
Fridays at 12.30pm
Be a missionary through prayer
Whoever and wherever we are, we can
all be missionary: joining together in prayer
with the wider Church, volunteering for
Missio or giving generously through the
Red Box.
Morning Offering
Eternal Father, I offer you
everything I do this day –
my thoughts, works, joys
and sufferings. Grant that,
enlivened by the Holy
Spirit and united to Jesus
in the Eucharist, my life
this day may be of service
to you and to others. And
with Mary and the whole
Church I pray especially for
the Pope’s mission intention
this month. Amen
These are all valuable ways to further
the work of mission. You can find out more
about what we do, and discover additional
suggestions for prayer, by taking a look at
our website missio.org.uk
MARCH
That the unique contribution of
women to the life of the Church
may always be acknowledged
and valued
APRIL
That persecuted Christians may
feel the consoling presence of the
Risen Lord and the solidarity of all
the Church
MAY
That Mary’s intercession may help
Christians in secularised cultures
be ready to proclaim Jesus
JUNE
That the personal encounter with
Jesus may give rise to the desire
in many young people to offer
their lives in the priesthood or the
consecrated life
Mission Today l 17
Mission martyrs Lives of faith
The increasing number of Catholic
missionaries who have died this past
year is a solemn reminder of the risks
people face daily as they spread God’s
message of peace
The Vatican-based official news agency of
Missio worldwide, Fides, recently made it
known that 26 pastoral care workers were
killed worldwide during 2014. The victims
of these crimes died under heart-breaking
circumstances and Missio would like to
offer our condolences to all those affected
by these horrific losses.
These missionaries gave their lives carrying
out the mission of proclaiming the Gospel
through witnessing to their faith in daily life.
‘Let us go forth with hope!
The many missionary martyrs
of the faith and of charity
show us that there is victory
only in love and in a life spent
for the Lord and neighbour,
starting with the poor.’
Pope Francis, IV National Missionary
Convention, 22 November 2014
18 l Mission Today
Rev Eric Freed
Fr Frans van der Lugt SJ
Rev Eric Freed, 57, an American priest
ordained as a member of the Salesians of Don
Bosco, was murdered on 1 January within
the rectory of his parish in Eureka, California,
USA. For some years he was a teacher and
chaplain in Japan, although in 2011 he was
appointed parish priest of San Bernardo
where he carried out his pastoral ministry.
Fr Jesus Erasmus Plaza Salessi, 80, and
Br Luis Edilberto Sanchez Morantes, 84,
both Salesians of Don Bosco, were attacked
with knives in an attempted robbery and died
as a result of their injuries on 16 February. The
incident took place on the premises of Don
Bosco College in Guaparo, Venezuela.
Fr Rolando Martinez Lara, parish priest
of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Canalejas,
Mexico, was killed during a robbery on 19
February. Ordained priest in 2000, he worked
for the Episcopal Commission for SocialPastoral Caritas.
Fr Lazzaro Longobardi, 69, parish priest of
St Raphael the Archangel in Sibari, Italy, was
murdered on 2 March. Ordained in 1971, the
priest was passionate about the marginalised,
especially immigrants in search of work.
Fr Juan Francisco Blandón Meza, 42,
an American pastor of the Immaculate
Conception of Mary in Wiwilí, Nicaragua,
was shot on 6 April. He was known for his
commitment towards social groups and for
the defence of human rights.
Fr Frans van der Lugt SJ, a Dutch Jesuit
who had been living in Homs, Syria, for the
past forty-eight years, was abducted and
killed on 7 April in front of the residence
of the Jesuits in Homs. Known for his
involvement in interreligious dialogue, Fr
van der Lugt also worked with children with
mental disabilities.
Fr Christ Forman Wilibona, pastor to
the mission of Paoua in the Central African
Republic, was shot and killed at a roadblock
in Bossangoa on 18 April by rebels.
Samuel Gustavo Gómez Veleta, 21,
a student at the Archdiocesan Seminary
of Chihuahua, Mexico, was kidnapped
and later murdered in the town of Aldama
where he carried out his missionary service,
on 15 April.
Fr Gilbert Dasna
Sr Juliana Li
Fr Gerry Maria Inau and a lay extraordinary
minister of the Eucharist named Benedict,
were killed while walking to a remote area of
the Diocese of Bereina in Papua New Guinea.
Although the pair belonged to two different
tribal groups, they both worked together
giving a witness of unity.
Fr Gilbert Dasna, 32, of the Congregation
of the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy,
Assistant Pastor of St Paul’s Cathedral in
Alberta, Canada, was shot and killed on 9
May. Originally from Cameroon, Fr Dasna
had been living in Canada for three years.
Sr Juliana Li, 69, of the Congregation of the
Infant Jesus, died a week after a violent attack
in Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, on 14 May. She
and Sr Mary Rose Teng, 79, were beaten
while in the Church of the Visitation.
Mission Today l 19
Mission martyrs Lives of faith
Fr Kenneth Walker
Sr Mary Paule Tacke
Rev Paul-Emile Nzale, 76, was killed
alongside eighteen people during an attack
on Our Lady of Fatima parish church in
Bangui, the captial of the Central African
Republic, on 28 May.
Fr Kenneth Walker, 29, of the Priestly
Fraternity of St Peter, was killed at the Mater
Misericordiae Mission in Phoenix, Arizona,
USA, on 11 June in a suspected robbery.
Sr Mary Paule Tacke, 82, of the
Congregation of the Missionary Sisters
of the Precious Blood, also known as the
Missionaries of Mariannhill, was abducted
and killed near Mthatha in South Africa
on 15 June whilst on her way to one of the
orphanages she founded. Originally from
Idaho, USA, she had been working in South
Africa since the 1950s.
20 l Mission Today
Sr Lucia Pulici, Sr Olga Raschietti, and Sr Bernadetta Boggian
Sr Clecensia Kapuli, 50, of the
Congregation of Our Lady Queen of Apostles
was shot and killed during a street robbery in
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 23 June. She was
the treasurer of a secondary school run by
her congregation.
Sr Lucia Pulici, 75, Sr Olga Raschietti,
82, and Sr Bernadetta Boggian, 79, all
Italian Xaverian missionaries, were savagely
killed in the mission of Kamenge, Burundi, on
7 September. The three had spent their lives
in Africa and had just returned to Burundi to
be with ‘their people’.
Fr José Acuña Ascencion Osorio, 42,
parish priest of Arcelia, Mexico, was found
drowned in the river Balsas, near the village
of Santa Cruz de Las Tinajas, far from his
residence. He had been missing since
21 September.
Fr Reinaldo Alfonso Herrera
Lures
Fr Andrés Duque Echeverry
Fr Reinaldo Alfonso Herrera Lures,
who served in the Diocese of La Guaira,
Venezuela, as a military chaplain, disappeared
on 25 September and was found dead on
27 September. He was also a parish priest in
various parishes and was Chancellor of the
Diocese of La Guaira and chaplain of Colegio
Champagnat in Caracas.
Fr Andrés Duque Echeverry, parish priest
of San Buenaventura in Medellín, Colombia,
was murdered on 3 October. He was robbed
and killed at the exit of a train station.
Fr John Ssenyondo, a Comboni missionary
of Ugandan nationality, disappeared on 20
April and was later found in a mass grave near
the town of Chilapa, Mexico, on 29 October.
He had arrived in Guerrero in 2008, after
having carried out his pastoral ministry in
Tlacotepec in the Heliodoro Castillo area.
Fr John Ssenyondo
Fr Gregorio Lopez Grosotieta
Fr Alfonso Comina Zevallos, 56, parish
priest of St Andrew the Apostle in Pisco,
Peru, was beaten to death in the rectory of his
parish on 24 December.
Fr Gregorio Lopez Grosotieta, 39,
disappeared on 21 December and was
found dead on Christmas Day in Colonia
Juárez, Mexico. The priest was a professor
at The Anunciacion Major Seminary and was
apparently kidnapped prior to being shot.
‘We are called to go forth with zeal, with
courage… with sensitivity, reverence
for others, a desire to share with them
that word of grace which has the power
to build them up. We are called to be
missionary disciples.’
Pope Francis, 2015
Mission Today l 21
Prayer and mission
The spirit of the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes help us reflect on how
we live our lives, and how we are called
to take up the challenge to live them out
as best we can
Whenever I’m examining my conscience,
perhaps at the end of the day, or preparing
to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
there is often a temptation for complacency.
I’m not aware of having done anything
seriously wrong. I have a few positives in
my favour. I’m not such a bad chap after all!
Then I measure myself against the spirit of the
Beatitudes and complacency is out the door
as I realise that I still have a long way to go.
The Beatitudes have been described as ‘The
identikit of the true disciple of Christ’.
In Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5 to 7
contain the essence of Jesus’ teaching. The
Scripture scholar, William Barclay, calls the
Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) the essence of
His teaching. Here we find the qualities of the
true disciple. The introduction to chapter 5 is
important. Jesus went up the hill, which is a
reference to Moses who went up Mount Sinai
to receive the Ten Commandments. Here
is Jesus, Our Redeemer, not just accepting
those commandments but inviting us to a
much deeper level of commitment.
On a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we
visited the Mount of the Beatitudes and I
read the text to our small group slowly and
reverently. It was easy to imagine the original
scene on this hill overlooking Lake Galilee,
22 l Mission Today
Jesus addressing His disciples with those
immortal words, words which challenged
the whole culture of the time and the many
accepted values of that or any age.
The deep search for happiness is at the
heart of every person. It is not to be satisfied
by achieving power or wealth or indulging in
pleasure. St Augustine reminds us, ‘You have
made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts
are ever restless until they rest in Thee.’ The
first of the Beatitudes tells us, ‘Blessed are
the poor in spirit’ referring to those who seek
happiness by trusting in God alone.
Most of us like security,
achievement, worldly success,
and that is understandable, but
we need to remind ourselves
that the Incarnation of Jesus
was a step into total insecurity.
The three temptations of Christ were all
basically temptations to act from a position
of power, to use His divine power to achieve
His mission. He rejected them because that
was not the way of salvation. ‘Get behind me,
Satan,’ was His severe rebuke to Peter who
had protested that the Lord should not suffer.
Redemption would be accomplished by
letting go of everything that we hold dear. On
Calvary, stripped naked on the cross, Jesus
was bereft of everything except His total trust
in a loving Father: ‘Father into your hands I
commit my spirit’ (Luke 23:46).
We need to be poor in spirit. Whatever
our success in life, our material possessions,
our various achievements, it is important that
we should thank God for these and for all His
blessings, provided we remember the great
paradox of life. At the end of our days, the
only treasure we will have is what we have
given away, not only material gifts, but our
love, our time for others, our forgiveness, our
concern and kindness. All that will weigh us
down at the end of our days is what we have
held onto: our possessions, our pride, our
ambitions, our grudges, our refusal to forgive,
our many attachments to earthly values.
When Jesus proclaimed the Beatitudes,
He was not speaking in abstract terms. He
was thinking of the lives of His mother and
foster father and I’m sure many good men
and women that He knew. It has been my
privilege as a priest to have known many
men and women who, to a greater or
lesser degree, embodied the spirit of the
Beatitudes. They are at the heart of any
Christian community.
When we view the headlines of our daily
papers today we see how necessary that
spirit is to counteract the many false values
of modern life. So when I feel challenged in
reading the Beatitudes, I look on that as a
grace from God. At least I keep these ideals
before me knowing that the only failure
on my part will be to stop trying to live up
to the ideal.
You can write to
Father Chris at:
Mill Hill Missionaries,
Orwell Park, Rathgar,
Dublin 6, Ireland
Mission Today l 23
Mission and the Bible
Saint Joseph
Guardian of Jesus and
Protector of God’s Church
Fr Thomas Venki is a Mill Hill Missionary
working in Pargi Mission in India and
reflects below on St Joseph and his role
as the Guardian of the Universal Church
St Joseph has many titles attributed to
him. As we celebrate the feast of St Joseph
on 19 March, the most outstanding title that
catches my attention is ‘St Joseph – Guardian
of Jesus and Protector of God’s Church’.
Meditating upon that title has reminded me
of Pope Pius IX who named St Joseph as the
Patron of the Universal Church because of his
dignity, holiness and glory as the spouse of
the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of
Jesus Christ.
The Bible mentions St Joseph fifteen
times and he is recognised as being a ‘just’ or
‘righteous’ man (Matthew 1:19). It is a very
rare description used for anyone besides
God Himself. Although St Joseph received
extraordinary revelations from God, the
Church principally holds him in high esteem
because of his relation to Our Lord and Our
Lady and most importantly because of his
own exemplary life and the role he played in
the history of salvation. Pope Pius IX seemed
to have had a special devotion to St Joseph,
and sought his intercession when the Church
24 l Mission Today
was facing difficult and challenging times.
Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, founder of the
Mill Hill Missionaries, while desperately
searching for a place to start a college for
training priests for foreign missions, sought
the intercession of St Joseph and to his
surprise got the Holcombe House in Mill Hill,
eleven miles away from London.
A closer look at the life of St Joseph in the
Bible also reveals that from the beginning he
was assailed by trials and tribulations and all
kinds of tests. After being engaged to Mary,
soon came the disturbing news that she was
pregnant. He must have been disappointed,
shocked and must have spent many sleepless
nights whilst praying for light and guidance.
Finally, as the Gospel tells us, he decided to
divorce her privately.
Here we see him as a sincere
and kind-hearted person, a man
of honour.
Then in a dream Joseph received the
angel’s revelation and reassurance, ‘Do not
be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because she has conceived what is in her by
the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son
and you must name him Jesus’ (Matthew
1:20-21). What a relief!
Joseph had hardly married Mary and
suddenly news comes of a census and the
need to go to Bethlehem. He coped with
these turbulent events with silent strength
and a deep belief that God walked with him.
After the birth of Jesus, he was asked to take
the child and his mother and escape to Egypt
to save the life of the newborn. Prophets
often received calls from God: ‘arise and
start’. There was no time for discussion; no
time to plan. Promptness and dynamism were
demanded. Marching forward with faith in
the providence of God was expected. There
was no time to waste because ‘Herod intends
to search for the child and do away with him’
(Matthew 2:13). St Joseph proved to be
strong and responded promptly – he swung
into action without any delay. What gave
Joseph the strength to endure all the trials his
vocation brought him? Philipp Melanchthon
says, ‘Trouble and perplexity drive me to
prayer and prayer drives away perplexity and
trouble.’ This is how St Joseph picked up the
pieces of his shattered dreams – through his
firm faith in God.
In this modern world of ours, the Church
and the family (the domestic Church) are
under threat and are constantly assailed from
every side. But St Joseph, as the Guardian
of the Holy Family and the Protector of
God’s Universal Church, shares his paternal
protection as he watches over Christ’s
Mystical Body here on earth. The foster
father of the Son of God is also a father and
protector to us who have become sons and
daughters through our Baptism.
Each year the Mill Hill Missionaries
prepare for the feast day of
St Joseph with a special Novena of
Masses and prayers. Please turn
to the centre of this magazine for
further information on how you
can participate.
Mission Today l 25
Your letters
We love to hear your news and receive your comments on Mission Today
and related topics, so please continue to fill our postbag
Dear Editor
Dear Editor
Marion Nelson was a true friend to APF-Mill
Hill for many years. She died peacefully in
October two days before her ninety-eighth
birthday. A zelator since her early twenties,
Marion continued to empty Red Boxes until
mid-2014, despite being housebound. Her
contributors would bring their boxes to her
house to be emptied. When asked if she
wanted to stop collecting she replied, ’While
ever there’s a breath in my body I shall go
on collecting for the Missions!’ She was as
good as her word. May her dear soul rest
in peace.
This is a story from one of our parishioners
who, with her husband, is a Red Box holder.
Unfortunately, their home was recently
burgled. The thieves took phones, laptops,
computers, car keys – then drove away
in their cars, too. They were naturally
devastated.
Sue Clark
West Yorkshire
Editor: Thank you for sharing this with
us – we are truly touched by her dedication
and selflessness, and inspired by her passion
to serve the mission of our Church. We will
include Marion in our prayers for all our
supporters who are remembered at Mass in
our chapel.
The police came round to take fingerprints
and found a really good one on the little Red
Box! Nervous that the print might belong
to me (the Parish Secretary) they were
reluctant to let the police take the box away
without first warning me that the police
might be knocking on my door any day to
take my fingerprints!
Luckily, that wasn't necessary. The culprit
was traced from the print on the Red Box!
Even more proof that 'no home should be
without one'!!
Best wishes
Jeannette Vale
Somerset
Editor: That’s incredible! Who would have
thought that a humble Red Box would be
instrumental in solving a crime?! Although
we are happy to hear of a heroic Red Box,
our thoughts and prayers go out to those
who were affected by this robbery.
Do write to us: Please send your thoughts and comments to:
The Editor, Mission Today,
23 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1NU
or email: [email protected]
26 l Mission Today
Father Peter
Our original blessing
Dear Editor
I was very interested to read the story of the
99-year-old Red Box and the photo of it is in
your Summer edition of Mission Today. The box
I have is identical to the one shown. It originally
belonged to my grandmother who was married in
1911 and who may have got the box soon after. If
you know the years that this box was issued that
would help me determine its approximate age. It
has always been in use and was passed from my
grandmother to my mother and now to me.
Mary Cushing
long term supporter of APF-Mill Hill
Editor: It is so lovely to hear that your Red Box
has been passed down through the generations;
a real sign and symbol of ‘handing on the faith’
and support for the mission of the Church. After
checking with the Mill-Hill archivist, we think
the box may have been produced between 1910
and 1920.
One day I was in Nairobi, Kenya, and
I happened to pass by the Ministry of
Defence. Outside the gates there were a
couple of soldiers standing on guard, rifles
in hand. The expression on their faces was
grim and stern, unsmiling and joyless, as
they watched passers-by. When I walked
past, one of the soldiers suddenly smiled
broadly and an expression of joy lit up his
face. He had recognised me as one of his
teachers of long ago!
Despite a grim and forbidding
appearance, which many people display
to others, there is always buried inside a
joyful, loving self – one’s original blessing,
one’s Christ-Self which, if given the
chance, will surface and flourish. This is our
true self which, unfortunately, sometimes
gets blocked by destructive habits,
childhood scripts and the ego of our false
self. The true self often gets obstructed by
the roles we need to play in life – like my
friend the soldier, who I’m sure outside of
his role is a joyful, bubbly character!
When we do live out of our true self we
are one with the God of unconditional love
– the God of Jesus Christ deep within our
own being.
You can write to Father Peter at
41 Victoria Road, Formby,
Liverpool L37 1LW
Mission Today l 27
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
(John 11:25)
All living and deceased members of the APF
are remembered at Mass in our chapel.
Mill Hill priests each offer Mass for deceased
members in November and they are
remembered at Mass every Sunday
and in their Daily Office
We have received notification of the deaths
of the following members:
A
Barry Abbott, Danny Adams, Donald Allen,
Ellen Allen, Irene Mary Allen, Sheila Anderson, Canon
Stewart Ansbro, David Armstrong, Mrs MM Arnold,
Moira Ashton, Edward Ashurst, Helena Atherton,
Muriel Atkinson, Teresa Awere
B
We ask you to remember in your
prayers Fr Denis Treacy MHM who died
in October of last year. Since 2008, he
had been an APF-Mill Hill Organiser
for the Dioceses of Brentwood and
Northampton and had built up an
extensive network of contacts and
supporters across these dioceses and
beyond. He was well known for his kind,
unassuming and genuine ways.
Fr Treacy was ordained priest in June
1972 at St Mary’s Church, Clonmel, by
Bishop Mahon and spent many years
building up the local Church in Kenya.
Throughout his life as a Mill Hill
Missionary he consistently demonstrated
his commitment to the wellbeing of
the people he served by giving gently
and generously of himself to them.
He influenced many people’s lives
by the kind and friendly manner he
communicated the love of God to others
and will be sorely missed.
May he rest in peace.
28 l Mission Today
Sheila Baker, Elizabeth Balfour,
Lord Balleydmond, Richard Bamber, Mrs EH Barnes,
Joyce Mary Barnes, Mr AJ Barrett, Jeffery Barrington,
Albert Sydney Basford, Walter Battison, Mrs
Baxendale, John Beedle, Pat Begley, Charles Blackwell,
Eileen Blaker, Violet Bolam, Una Bolger, John Bolton,
Irene Boyle, Terence Brace, George Bradford, Imelda
Bradshaw, Anastasia Brady, David Bramlay, Barbara
Brennan, Fr Michael Gerard Brennan, Lord Brett,
Richard Bridger, Kathleen Briggs, Joan Brown, John
Brown, Mary Patricia Brown, Bert Bruce, Joseph Bryan,
Charles Buky, Christina Bunhill, Arthur Burnett, George
Burney, Mrs MID Burston, Mrs MF Burton, Joan
Bussey, Josie Butterworth, Veronica Butterworth,
Miss MM Buxton, Vincent Byrne
C
Martin Hammond Cabourn-Smith, David
Cairns, Sheila Caldwell, Betty Callan, Maureen Calvert,
Malcolm Campbell, Mrs L Cannon, Helena Carpenter,
Thomas Carson, Helen Cassidy, Irene Cassidy, Gary
Daniel Caswell, Mrs E Cavanagh, Doreen Cavender,
Alma Charles, Margaret Charlton, Kelly Chisolm, Francis
Christian, Peggy Clark, Helga Clarke, Nobby Clarke,
P&E Clarke, David Coffey, Mr GL Coleman, Jack Collins,
Michael Congdon, James Brian Connolly, Kathleen
Connolly, Eileen Connor, Delia Conroy, Secondo Paul
Conti, Anne Cookson, Marie Corner, Thomas Coyle,
Sidney Cranny, Doreen Craven, Gloria Craven, William
Crawford, George Cross, Bernadette Crowther,
Norah Cummins, Gerald Joseph Curran
D
Herbert Daly, Margaret Darwin, Winifred
Davenport, Joan Bernadette Davie, Mr BF Davies, Mrs E
Davies, Margaret Davies, Rita Davies, Brenda Mary
Davison, George Davison, Jessie Davison, Eileen Dean,
June Dewhurst, Ian Dias, Gwen Dickinson,
Mr JB Dobbin, Jim Dobbin, Malcolm Dodwell, Lawrence
Dolan, Alice Donnelly, Frances Donnelly, Lesley Dowie,
Patrick Dowling, Mr JW Doyle, Richard Doyle, Michael
Duffy, Agnes Durkin
E
Gerard Earley, Mrs L Eastwood, Miss PM
Ebrill, Sheila Edwards, Stanley Edworthy, Terence
Michael Egan, Eleanor Elliott, Sonia Ensom
F
Barney Noel Fagan, Jack Fairhurst, Betty
Fairlamb, Ms E Fairlie, Oliver Farrell, Richard Febre,
Raymond Anthony Fella, Desmond Fernandez, David
Fernback, Silvo Ferrari, Mr RF Ferraro, Miss R
Fitzsimmons, Thomas Flood, Mrs K Foley, June-Ann Fox,
Eric Franklin, Pat Freemantle
G
John Gallagher, Richard Garrington, Mary
Phyllis Gee, Barbara Geary, Paul Geraerts, Sheelagh
Geraghty, Jenny Gibson, Joan Gidlow, Henry Gillett, Mr
JF Giltenan, Mr PC Gleeson, Joan Glynn, Michael
Goonan, George Gosling, Mrs I Graham, Philip Grant,
Joan Greenhalgh, Peter Gregory, Agnes Griffiths
H
Monica Hadlington, Brian Haggart, Peter
Raymond Hairs, Mrs Hall, Patricia Hallas, John Hamblin,
Jerome Hanratty, Kathleen Hardy, Olwen Harland, Bill
Harrigan, Robert Harriman, John Harrington, Eileen
Harris, Maureen Hart , Mr PCH Hasslacher, Jessie
Hatton, George Hazard, Eileen Hearty, Mark Heaton,
Bridie Henley, Madeline Highton, Marjorie Hillman,
Margaret Mary Ann Hince, Patrick Hodgson, Michael
Hogan, Terry Hogan, George Hogarth, Ian Holbinson,
Derek Holliday, Mavis Hollinshead, Anne Hollywood,
Jim Hollywood, Maureen Holt, John Hopwood, Julie
Horgan, Rose Howard, Shelagh Howard, Louise
Howells, Dolores Hubbard, Alan Wesley Hughes,
Joseph Hughes, Patrick Hunt, Elizabeth Hurley
I
Michael Igoe, David Isaac
J
Hazel Jackson, Mrs BA Jeffries, Katherine
Johnson, Ann Jones, Mrs D Jones, Denis James Jones,
Ellis Jones, John Jones, Richard Jones, Stephen Joyce,
Grace Judge
K
Patricia Kavanagh, Teresa Kay, Michael
Robin Keane, Vincent Kearns, John Keegan, Anne
Keenan, Norah Keene, Tom Keily, Dick Kelly, Mary
Teresa Kelly, Ms B Kemp, L&H Kemp, John Kennedy,
Thomas Kennedy, Julia Kent, Mrs M Kerin, Ann Kidd,
John Kier, Margaret Kilkenny, Martin Killoran,
Mrs C Kinsella, Mrs Kirkpatrick, Dr J Kirton, Gerard
Koller
L
Anita Laine, Martin Langan,
Kathleen F Leadbetter, Frances Leathard,
Mr JC Linfield, Thomas Linford, Margaret Loader,
Simon Lobo, Catherine Lockey, Stephen John Lodge,
Gerard Lovelady, Miss M Lynch, Peter R Lynch, John
Lynn
M
Charles Maber, Catherine Mackintosh, Mary
Maddox, Winnie Magee, Kathleen Magill, Michael
Maguire, Philomena Mahoney, Margaret Mallaley, Mike
Malloy, Margaret Manley, John Mannion, Amelia Marre,
Mary Marshall, Amy Martin, Tom Martin, Mr DH
Mason, George Maughan, Miss C Maw, Barbara
McCarter, John McCarthy, Norah McCarthy, Valerie
McClare, Norma McCluskey, Margaret McCormack,
Sadie McCourt, Alan McCurragh, Mrs D McDonald,
Francis Edward Mcdonnell, Henry James McElroy,
Frances McEntee, Mary McGee, Angela McGill, John
William Mcglone, Tess McGovern, Pat McGrath, Ann
McGreal, Margaret McGuinness, Charlie McHugh, Tom
McLoughlin, Ellen McMahon, Pauline Theresa
McManus, Mary McNamee, Alan McNerney, Bernard
McNerney, Thomas McSorley, Josephine Mellotte,
Mrs M Michaelides, John Adrian Mildner, Peggy
Millard, Mr JV Miller, Vera Mooney, Deirdre Moore,
Mission Today l 29
Winifred Moran, NFL Morgan, Pat Morgan, John D
Moss, J Desmond Mulderrig, Maureen Mullan, Eileen
Murphy, Dr FA Murphy, Mr FJ Murphy, Florence
Murphy, Kathleen May Murphy, Kathleen Murphy,
Moya Murphy, Marie Murray, Mr PJ Murray
N
Mary Nannery, Mariah Neary, Marion
Nelson, Betty Newman, Bernard Nicklin,
Mrs Nightingale, Richard Norman, Josephine Norton
O
Niki Oakes, Angela O'Brien, Mrs S O'Connell,
Sheila O'Connell, Fr Tom O'Connell, Joan Mary
O'Connor, Alan O'Donnell, Vincent O'Donnell, Agnes
O'Driscoll, John Ogden, Linda O'Keefe, Harold Oliver,
Mary (Molly) O'Loughnan, Michael O'Malley, Mr
O'Neill, Michael O'Neill, Ann O'Nell, Mr S O'Rahilly,
Timothy O'Sullivan, Barry Outhwaite, Garth Owen,
Vincent Owen
P
Tara Pack, Dorothy Page, Gerry Paget, Leila
Parker, Josephine Parry, Alan Pearson, Marion Peck,
Sheila Peddie, Terence Phillips, Vibeke Phillips, Carol
Pinder, Philip Pinder, Teresa Pinnington, Madeline Platt,
Pauline Porter, Maureen Potter, Mavis Potter, Joan
Poulton, Mrs PM Pritchard, Ellen Purfield, Peter Purfield
Q
Francis Quinn, Margaret Quinn
R
John Alfred Richard Radford, Rose Rainey,
John Rawlinson, Mary Cecilia Rawlinson, Sylvia Mary
Rees, Tom Reilly, Ann Winifred Reynolds, Pauline
Reynolds, Jean Richards, Allison Richardson, Hazel
Richardson, John Walter Ray Ricketts, Neil Rimmer,
Mary Winifred Roberts, Ellen Robinson, John Robinson,
Ann Robson, Mary Robson, William Robson, Honorah
Roderick, Mick Rooney, Adeline Rosario, Miss MA
Rose, Rona Ross, May Rotherham, Dennis Rowe, Mary
Teresa Ruane, Marjorie Rumsby, Phyllis Rushton
S
Uno Saaramets, Mrs Sach, Olga Savoury,
Agnes Scarth, Winnie Schuck, Mr Seddon, Hilda
Seeney, Deacon Peter Seeney, Josie Sewrey, Albert
Shaw, Tessa Sheild, Eileen Sherrington, Margaret Simm,
Sheelagh Simms, Marie Singleton, James Smethurs,
Harry Smith, Leonard Smith, Paul Smith, Winifride
Smith, John Smithers, Margaret Smithers, Philomena
Somerville, Billy South, Patricia Spellman, Mr Spicer,
30 l Mission Today
Mary Theresa Stanley, Pat Stannard, Mary Steele, John
Stephenson, Peter Stephenson, Raymond Stonehouse,
Arthur Joseph Stout, Doug Stowar, Gerry Stratton,
Grahame Sutherland, Madge Swan, Pauline Swash,
Eileen Sweeney, Hannah Sweeney, John Sweeney,
Winifred Sweeney, Doughie Swindles
T
William Brendan Taggart, Monica Tavender,
Danny Taylor, Brian Tetlow, Teresa Theobald, Edna
Thorley, Lesie Thurling, Elizabeth Tipping-Alston,
Sheila Tipton, Sheila Titley, Norah Toland, Teresa
Toland, Irene Tompsett, Meta Tracey, Mary Trenchard,
Mary Turner, Helen Tzouvanni
U
Michael Usher
V
Mr F Valentine, Flo Valentine, Mildred Verity,
Alan Vinall
W
Mrs WP Walker, Joseph Wall, Mary Wallace,
Katie Walsh, Nora Walsh, Hettie Ward, Shirley Ward,
Stephen Ward, David Watson, Eileen Mary Watson,
Thomas Watson, Margaret Watts, Heather Weaver,
Marie Webb, Richard Clive Weeks, Laurence Welsh,
Tommy West , Mary Westby, Anthony Whaley, Mr J
Wheen, Charles John Whitehead, Bill Whiteside,
Brendan Whittle, Winnie Whittle, Frank Wilcock,
Derek Wilcox, John Wilkie, Mr Henry Will, Mr PR
Williams, William Williams, Gwen Wilson, Julie Wilson,
Tony Wilson, Ellen Woodhouse, Lorna Woodward,
Lynn Worrall, Gordon Wright, Lesley Wright, Frank
Wrigley
Y
Ann Yates, Harry Yates, Margaret Yates,
Sydney Young, Veronica (Vera) Young
Founded in 1860, The Catholic Universe is the
most popular Catholic weekly newspaper in the
UK. Its news coverage is second to none, and it
enjoys a considerable reputation for
campaigning on a wide range of Catholic
concerns.
Its regular columnists include Fr. Shay Cullen,
Chris Whitehouse KSG, Managing Director of
Westminster’s leading political consultancy,
Professor Simon Lee, Director of the Cambridge
Theological Federation, Caroline Farrow, a
member of Catholic Voices and ‘The Secret
Parishioner’, plus regular contributions from
Westminster MPs.
Does your church sometimes sell out of copies of The Universe?
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Then the answer is to join online
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Follow us on facebook, search for ‘Catholic Universe Newspaper’
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Mission Today l 31
Join us at a Mission Mass
this Summer
Together with family and friends, you are
invited to Mass and refreshments to thank
you for your support and to provide you
with an opportunity to hear how your Red
Box donations sustain APF-Mill Hill’s work
throughout the world.
The celebrations are a wonderful way to meet
other APF-Mill Hill supporters and to join in
prayer and solidarity for our Church overseas.
Visit our website for more details:
missio.org.uk
Hexham and Newcastle Diocese
Saturday 13 June 2015 at 3pm
St Joseph’s Church, St Paul’s Road,
Hartlepool TS26 9EY
Cardiff Archdiocese
Sunday 5 July 2015 at 3pm
Llantarnam Abbey,
Cwmbran NP44 3YJ
Plymouth Diocese
Sunday 21 June 2015 at 3pm
Cathedral Church of St Mary
and St Boniface
Wyndham Street West,
Plymouth PL1 5RZ
Southwark Archdiocese
Tuesday 7 July 2015 at 2.30pm
St George's Cathedral,
Lambeth Road,
London SE1 7DQ
Liverpool Archdiocese
Sunday 28 June 2015 at 3pm
Herbert House, 41 Victoria Road,
Formby, Liverpool L37 1LW
Association for the Propagation
of the Faith (APF)
Missio, 23 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1NU
Reg. Charity No. 1056651
Tel: (020) 7821 9755 (office hours only)
Fax: (020) 7630 8466
Email: [email protected]
Web: missio.org.uk
Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM)
APF-Mill Hill, PO Box 163, Liverpool L37 1WW
Reg. Charity No. 220690
Tel: (01704) 875048 (office hours only)
Email: [email protected]
Web: millhillmissionaries.com
Birmingham Archdiocese
Sunday 12 July 2015 at 11am
Church of the Immaculate Conception,
The Causeway,
Bicester OX26 6AW
/MissioUK
@MissioUK
Mission Today is the magazine for supporters of APF-Mill Hill.
Published by APF. © 2015. ISSN 0967-8379. Mission Today is
printed on paper from renewable resources – managed forests
in which new trees are planted for each one felled