The Diocese of Charleston may be small, but it has certainly done big works in the missions of the world.
Msgr. Edward D. Lofton, director for the Propagation of the Faith, has been to many of the poorest places himself. He has seen firsthand their needs, their faith, and the guiding hand of Christ in diocesan parishioners who are helping.
“I could not be more proud of the generosity of the people in our diocese for their support of the missions throughout the world,” he said.
The Pontifical Mission Societies are an international group that continues to remind Catholics of their missionary call to help the less fortunate, not just on World Mission Sunday, which is Oct. 23, but throughout the year.
Prayers, missionary work and financial help are needed across the globe every day. But on World Mission Sunday a brighter light focuses in on that call.
Catholics of the world unite to recommit to their vocation, through their baptism, to be missionaries.
Through prayer, participation in the Eucharist and donations, each person can make a difference.
Some of the works that have been accomplished by our diocese in the past include:
Fiji Islands of Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Rabi
– Supported the building of a local village on the Island Vanua Levu.
– Helped build a nursery on the small island of Rabi.
– Supported the building of a nursery at Wairiki school.
– Presently building a church for the village of Naselesele on Taveuni.
– Paid for emergency repairs at the mission parish at Wairiki on the island of Taveuni.
India
– Built a homeless shelter in Bangalore, which safeguards and educates women who are victims of domestic violence.
– Built a rectory for parish priests in Dharmasagar, India.
– Rebuilt a water tower in Thimmaraopet, India, which serves the entire, predominately Catholic, village.
Latin America and Caribbean
– Subsidized the Catholic education of students in San Salvador at Immaculate Conception Church in Ataco.
– Contributed to the Hands on Earth project in Quito, Ecuador.
– Supported the Consolata Missionaries in Latin America.
– Supported clinics in the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica, that care for the sick and those with HIV.
– Supported Father Don Gorski in mission work in Zorritas, Peru.
Africa
– Helped the Diocese of Tshumbe, Republic of the Congo, to rebuild after major destruction resulting from civil unrest.
– Supported the Diocese of Uyo in Nigeria in updating their Catholic hospitals that were run by the government.
– Supported the Archdiocese of Juba in South Sudan in rescuing victims of the Sudanese war. These were mainly women, children and the elderly dying from starvation and diseases.
– Supported the Diocese of Wa in Ghana working with teens and children.
Afghanistan
– Supported the Diocese of lslamabad, which has over 250,000 Catholics, in the education of children, especially in the Catholic public school in Sangota.
Eastern Europe
– Supported St. Francis de Sales missionaries in their work in Lviv which is in the western part of the Ukraine.
These are some of the missionary works that you have supported by your generosity to the Mission Cooperative program and the World Mission Sunday collection.
Your help is vital in continuing these important works of making Christ present throughout our world. On Oct. 23 remember that the world needs you.
Be a missionary for Christ on this World Mission Sunday. Support the work of our worldwide missions, which are changing lives every day.