A quarterly newsletter on missionary efforts from around the world.
July 2024
Winning Hearts One Testimony at a Time
The youth play a crucial role in the evangelization of other young people in our parishes and communities.
As peers, they have a significant influence on each other. Their dynamism, creativity, and passion for the faith are powerful catalysts for encouraging others to take an interest in spirituality.
Our youth are ambassadors for Jesus Christ, sharing their personal testimonies and organizing events that lead their peers to discover God.
In this ministry of evangelization, our youth face the same challenges that we encounter in our work as missionaries called to serve places far from our home countries.
We face similar barriers including a lack of communication, limited means to reach people in their living environments, and the inability to share our faith with others. Additionally, basic necessities like access to clean water, electricity, and safe housing also complicate our evangelization efforts.
Despite all these difficult situations, our youth at St. Apolonia Parish in Malawi, Africa do not get discouraged. They are committed to bringing Christ to young people, especially those living in remote villages. Together, we go out to meet with them in their villages, walking up to four hours to reach them and share the Good News.
For example, we travel to the small Christian communities of Chenga, Msipita, Mphuwu and Ngorowain. These are far, remote areas, located atop mountains and roughly 20 to 25 miles away from our parish.
As we visit each community, we organize numerous activities including soccer games, choir concerts, and cultural activities. With the enthusiasm and energy generated from those activities, we move to catechesis, and some concrete spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
The Power of Youth’s Personal Testimonies
Many youth speak from their hearts as they share their experiences of seeking God. One young man’s story, in particular, brought tears to the eyes of many. After the death of his parents, Fyabupe was left orphaned and abandoned, facing the world alone. Despite this tragedy, Fyabupe made a decision. Rather than succumbing to despair, he resolved to find a better life for himself by committing to God. Through this journey, he discovered that true happiness cannot be found without Christ.
Now, he says he has found his true fulfillment in dedicating himself to serving and leading other young people to God.
“Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity”
- Ecclesiastes 1:2
How Do We Shepherd Youth Evangelists?
To us, the importance of accompanying youth evangelists means mentoring those who are called to continue the mission of bringing other young people to Jesus Christ.
Children in our programs are cared for, nurtured, educated, and instructed. As they grow up, they are trained and given responsibility for new tasks. They are fully empowered to make a real impact in the field. As the program grows, we see more and more young people joining the ministry and becoming agents of evangelization, to the great joy of their parents and the community.
Within the framework of faith, youth become witnesses of the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. By evangelizing the youth, they are bolstering the Gospel in others, and from generation to generation, Jesus Christ will be known, loved, and proclaimed.
In the Bible, we read that Jesus chose His disciples and sent them out to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God (Mark 16:15). Those first disciples did just that. Today, our young people are continuing that mission.
Making Disciples That Make Disciples
Youth today are key players in our society. Their impact, positive or negative, depends on how well we serve them.
Youth in our program can enhance their lives and society once they recognize the value of their education, especially a faith-based one like ours. The community of St. Apolonia and its surrounding villages is now growing in faith and thriving with joy, eagerly anticipating the visits of our young evangelists who bring joy and new life.
- Fr. Jean Marie Ntumba, CICM
Missionary Spotlight: Fr. Geraldo
I was born in 1966 in Minas Gerais, Brazil. My father and mother managed to send all four of us children to school, with great sacrifice.
When I was 18, I began to read about the missionary life in Africa and realized that God was calling me to serve others in a far land. My passion was to help the needy and proclaim the Gospel to non-Christians.
Answering the Call
I found an article in a magazine about the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) and wrote to them inquiring about their formation. For months, I was very disappointed to receive no answer. So I decided to talk with a priest in my city about becoming a diocesan priest.
I was shocked to discover that this priest, Fr. Rafael Dhont, belonged to the very Congregation I’d written to! Fr. Rafael shared many stories about his CICM mission work in the Philippines and later on in Brazil. The more I heard, the more eager I became for the missionary life.
Developing a Love of the Poor
I studied Philosophy in Rio de Janeiro and then began working with poor children in Rio suburbs. During that season, I sensed part of God’s call for me was working with children. After Rio I spent one year in Brazil’s Amazon region, walking through the forest from one community to another with Fr. Louis Rymen.
Though it was a challenging experience, I witnessed the zeal of the missionaries dedicating their lives to the poorest of the poor.
I went on to study theology in Mexico City. While there, I worked with street children who called themselves “Las Moscas” because they lived in the trash yet were free like the flies. I learned much with those children and my call to work with youth was affirmed.
Finding a Home in the Phillipines
In 1996 I finally reached the Philippines — my mission country. I first worked in Saint Mary’s University and then moved to work in Manila, where I spent two years at an institution that worked with street children. They helped me learn the Tagalog language and I decided to dedicate my life and work to them.
In 2000, I began to study psychology, specializing in children, with the hope of providing emotional healing to as many of them as I could. Then in 2003, we founded the Saint Louis University Sunflower Children’s Center in order to help abandoned, neglected, and abused children.
To this day, I serve the Lord in the Sunflower Center.
Discover more about the Sunflower Center and the vital ministries they provide to vulnerable youth in the Philipines.
Summer is well underway, and students, parents, and teachers are looking ahead as the return to school appears on the horizon. New backpacks, freshly sharpened pencils, and blank notebooks, eager to be filled with new knowledge, stand ready for the start of a new year.
For many across the world, this anticipation is non-existent, as education is severely lacking or inaccessible. According to recent data, as many as 250 million children go without access to education. This staggering statistic leads to devastating consequences, including increased poverty, poor health outcomes, child labor, and more.
Breaking the Cycle
A core pillar of our mission at MercyWorks is to bring mercy and meet the basic needs of some of the world's most marginalized children. In the little town of Chisankhwa, Malawi, we are combating this issue our new school, St. Charles Primary.
A New Year
Due to the diligent efforts of this community and the generosity of our partners like you, the vision of St. Charles Primary School came to life and opened its doors for the first time in September 2022.
Prior to its construction, children in this area had no access to education within reach. The majority could not travel the long, arduous journey on foot to the nearest school. This led to the harsh reality of increased child labor.
St. Charles is quickly approaching the start of its third school year, welcoming even more students than it's full opening in 2023. This year, anticipation is not a distant dream but a reality for these students. Learn more about St. Charles Primary School and how you can help more children gain access to this vital education.
We are delighted to welcome Fr. Pascal Kumanda, CICM as the new Director of Development at MIssionhurst CICM. We are deeply grateful for all of Fr. Andre Kazadi, CICM's selfless service and wish him well in his new position.
Prayer Request: Students returning to school
Please pray for the safety of all our students returning to school, specifically those at our St. Jean Bosco School in Haiti, St. Charles Primary School in Malawi, and The Fr. Mpiana School in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Pray for students around the world
As the starting line of a new school year draws near, let us join together in prayer for all the students and young people of the world! Pray with us the St. John Bosco Novena for a safe and thriving school year for all students!
As you may have heard from Fr. Andre Kazadi last month, I was assigned by our CICM Religious Order to serve as the Director of Development in the Office of Missionhurst. I humbly accepted this task, knowing that I can count on God’s wisdom and guidance but also on your prayers and valuable support.
I want to first thank you for the prayers and support you have extended to CICM missionaries and the people we minister to around the world. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are all missionaries: some are on the front line, as we are in this part of the world. Regardless of the location which we live and work, we are all contributing to Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the Gospel and saving people’s lives and souls.
As I begin this ministry as the Director of Development, I consider this a team work: Jesus is the coach and we are all players. I consider each one of you as players who have been drafted “Number 1 (one) Pick.” You are the number one pick simply because you are the best.
Imagine a team made of number one picks in all the positions. Imagine such a team being coached by Jesus Christ…The truth is such a Team is just a Dream Team! A dream Team that can do miracles, miracles in the name of Jesus Christ, for God’s glory and the salvation of His most vulnerable people.
I am deeply humbled and inspired by the powerful testimony of the young people in Malawi who, despite their poverty, took it upon themselves to evangelize to other young people. Your prayers, support, and generosity to our missionaries did indeed bear fruits by empowering those young people to become missionaries and proclaim the Gospel.
My dear sisters and brothers, my dear teammates, I am humbly honored to be part of your team, to work and minister alongside each one of you to bring Hope and the Light of Jesus to the needy and the poor that we serve.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Mary our Mother, I pray that the Lord who has called us to this beautiful mission, may continue to bless you, your families, your work, and may He keep you safe.
- Fr. Pascal Kumanda, CICM
Novenas, Prayer Resources, and Stories from MercyWorks
Around the world, the MercyWorks community is praying and sharing stories to support our missionaries. Click below to read & pray with us 🙏🏽
