Spring reminds us that all the great things that come from God’s green Earth begin as tiny seeds and shoots, needing time and care to emerge and grow. Our Spring issue of Missionhurst Magazine is centered on the small beginnings of our missionaries’ gardens around the world: gardens full of pastoral works and evangelization. Social outreach, youth apostolates, lay training and preaching the Gospel… With patience and care, these missionary endeavors hold the promise of blossoming into healthy, mature, and faithful fruit. Indeed, the beginnings are always small—but as Paul states: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6) We invite you to read about God’s presence in the small beginnings under Missionhurst’s hopeful stewardship.
Missionhurst Magazine
The San Isidro Labrador parish is located in Agusan Del Sur, Mindanao, one of the poorest provinces of the Philippines. It is comprised of eight villages with nearly 30,000 citizens. The number of children aged 0-6 years old is around 5,000: among those, some 370 children present with moderate to severe malnourishment. This is the official data given by the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) of the region. These statistics, as well as witnessing the poverty of the people living among our 34 chapels, inspired us to help these little ones—the favored ones of Jesus. In consultation with the community, our missionary faith leads us to action.
I arrived in Zambia as a young missionary in 1994. It’s hard to believe that was twenty years ago now! In the ten years that I was in the country I ministered in four different parishes: Kapisha, Luangwa, Chambishi and Kamushanga. Though I left Zambia in 2004 because I was asked to move to Rome to become the Treasurer General, I still feel a strong connection to the projects I was involved with there.
There are ten specified regions of Cameroon that are divided into 58 departments. The Kadey department, in the East region of Cameroon, is where the village of Gadji can be found. It is located virtually halfway between the cities of Bertoua (largest and capital city of the East region) and Batouri (the second largest city of the region): Gadji is roughly 30 miles from each. Gadji’s population is approximately 3,850, where the majority are young people under the age of eighteen. Currently, there are five religious groups with a presence in this area: the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Islam, the Presbyterian Church, and traditional indigenous religion.
A 14-year-old parishioner came to my office one day, accompanied by his mother. The mother asked me to talk with her son because apparently he had been caught vandalizing a restroom in his school. I then saw a 15-year-old girl who came in with both of her parents. She was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior while at a friend’s house. A different mother brought in another14-year-old boy: he had been caught hanging out with a group of teens smoking marijuana. And then there was a distraught 16-year-old girl who came to my office crying: ever since her parents decided to divorce she has engaged in cutting/self-harm behavior. These are just a few of the stories and challenges that we face in ministering to the youth of today in our parish. All of them came to the office to seek advice, spiritual guidance, a sincere listener and prayers.
My first three years of pastoral work in eastern Cameroon were spent as a diocesan youth chaplain. I was involved with at-risk youth during my years of ministry in the CICM formation house in Cameroon as well. Each of these experiences awakened in me a passion for the spiritual mentoring and attentiveness needed to work with young people. For various reasons and often despite their goodwill or intent to live a decent life, many of today’s youth find themselves in desperate need of positive influences and guidance.
