Summer 2012 [pdf] - The Mill Hill Missionaries

we imagine that in former times,in the ‘Ages of Faith’, it must havebeen easier to be a Christian. ButFaith has always been a challenge toChristians. “The believer is alwaysthreatened with uncertainty”wrote the young Joseph Ratzingerin an early work.Pope Benedict hasannounced a ‘Yearof Faith’, to beginin October this year.In an ApostolicLetter (‘Porta Fidei’,available from theCTS) he writes,“From the startof my ministry asSuccessor of Peter, Ihave spoken of theneed to rediscoverthe journey offaith.” Faith is notsomething static,but something thatis ongoing. We need the experienceof what the Holy Father calls ‘goingto the well’ (like the Samaritanwoman) “in order to hear Jesus,who invites us to believe in himand to draw upon the source ofliving water within him ...We mustrediscover the taste for feedingourselves on the word of God ...and on the bread of life...”“The true essence of Christianity“The trueessence ofChristianity isa love storybetween Godand humanbeings”is a love story between God andhuman beings” said CardinalRatzinger in 2004. He went on,“If one could only understandthis in the language of today,everything else would follow.” AsPope Benedict, in 2006 he said, “...knowing God is notenough ...knowledgemust become love.”Deepening andrevitalising our Faithis not just knowingmore about ourbeliefs; rather, it’sabout falling in loveonce again withour Beloved Lord.“Faith grows whenit is lived as anexperience of lovereceived and whenit is communicatedas an experience ofgrace and joy.”This is the Faith that underliesand inspires the missionary workof the Church. In this issue ofthe ‘Advocate’ there are manyexamples of faith in action, fromFr Crumblish in India, to BishopColin Davies in Kenya, to Fr JimFanning in the Congo, - and to thelate Fr Declan O’Toole in Uganda.May this Year of Faith awaken inus all a renewed and ferventmissionary spirit.Sixty Years aMissionaryOn the occasion of my celebrationof 60 years as a Priest and a Mill HillMissionary I have been asked to writeup an account of my life. It wouldbe my wish through this biographyto encourage others to follow inmy footsteps and be open to a callfrom Christ to share the happinessof following Him, that others might“have life and have it abundantly.”At my present age of 87 and after avery eventful life, it is quite difficult toknow what to write about, but I willdo my best.Parish Church, Ngong.by Bishop Colin Davies MHM OBEEarly YearsI was born in the Canary Islands(Spain), on 10th June 1924, andmoved to Madrid in 1926. In 1931,aged 7, my family settled in Argentina,which is my home country. I havelived in England for some 12 years,and in Kenya for 52 years. I was thethird-born of a family of three boysand three girls, and went to an Englishschool in Argentina, where I passedthe Cambridge School Certificate. Myfather was not able to send any of us toUniversity but that did not make any4 5