Mission Magazine Autumn 2023

A MAGAZINE OF
THE PONTIFICAL MISSION
SOCIETIES
AUTUMN 2023
BE THE
SPARK

This is Pauline Jaricot, a French laywoman who in 1822 founded the Society for the Propagation
of the Faith by asking her friends to pray daily for missionaries and make a small weekly donation
for the Church in faraway lands. Two-thirds of gifts collected during that first year were sent to
the dioceses of Louisiana, which then extended from the Florida Keys to Canada. Many parishes
in the United States today owe their existence to this generous support. Her legacy carries on,
particularly on the second to last weekend of October, with the World Mission Sunday collection
held in every parish throughout the world.
follow us at @TPMS_USA

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A letter from Monsignor Harrington,
our National Director
4
Archbishop Pierre: How the Societies Aid the
Pope’s Man in Mission Lands
6
Propagation of the Faith:
From Dreams of Stardom to Divine Calling
9
missio: In 45 seconds
12
Propagation of the Faith:
The Light of the Gospel Shines Brightly in the
Darkest Corners of Cameroon
16
Society of St. Peter: Ukraine:
The Resilience of David Against Goliath
20
MCA: WYD
22
The Missionary Union of Priests and Religious:
Why Would Anyone Come Back Here?
26
From the Dioceses:
Some give by going – others go by giving
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Editor’s note
The Pontifical Mission Societies USA
PUBLISHER: REV. MSGR. KIERAN E. HARRINGTON,
NATIONAL DIRECTOR
EDITOR: INÉS SAN MARTIN
PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL OFFICE OF
THE PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
IN COOPERATION WITH DIOCESAN OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES
On the cover
Everyone. Everyone. Everyone.
We welcome your ongoing
feedback and your “letters to
the editor,” ever grateful for
your prayers and help. If you
prefer to send an “email to
the editor,” you can send it to
contact@missio.org.
©THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
MEMBER, CATHOLIC MEDIA ASSOCIATION
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Visit us at our home on the web:
www.OneFamilyInMission.org

A letter from our
National Director
For over 25 years, Father Thomas
Lyon served as a curate (Parochial Vicar)
at Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in the
Flatlands section of Brooklyn. He was
beloved. When we met, I was newly
ordained, and he was in the twilight of
his years, having suffered a stroke that
badly impaired his speech and cognitive
functionality. He also looked very
disheveled. Nevertheless, the number of
people who requested him to celebrate
funerals and even weddings was
incredible. Frankly, it did a little damage
to my ego. One day, I asked a bride why
Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington during a visit to
Ukraine in Easter 2022.
she requested Father Lyons. She responded, “When my grandmother was at
home and couldn’t come to church, he faithfully brought communion, and
when my Dad was in the hospital, he came regularly to visit.”
To this young bride and so many like her, it didn’t matter that they couldn’t
understand Father Lyon’s homily or make out what he was saying at Mass. His
life was the sermon.
Over the summer months, priests from all over the world visit parishes in
the United States as part of the Missionary Cooperative plan. Sometimes, these
priests speak with a pronounced accent, and it can be a little exasperating to go
to Mass and not understand the homily. Yet, I would propose that their lives
are really the homily and the Mass.
The Holy Eucharist is a sacrifice, and the one who offers it is Christ through
the hands of the priest. Jesus is the sacrifice and the one offering the sacrifice.
We priests, despite our own unworthiness, act in the person of Christ, the head
of the Church. As such, our lives ought to be configured to His own. We priests
should live sacrificial lives; we should live a life for others.

In the mission countries, I have no doubt that our priests and religious do
live sacrificial lives. These men and women are by no means perfect, just as we
who serve here are not perfect. Yet their lives take on a special characteristic
due to the persecution, discrimination, and poverty that they endure. Many
have had the opportunity to travel abroad and serve in the United States and
Europe. They are keenly aware of the vast difference in the quality of life.
Most visiting missionaries could easily stay in more hospitable countries.
After all, we in the West are desperate for priests and religious to staff our
parishes and ministries. Almost all who come to the USA support the works
of their diocese or communities back home. And most seek to return and serve
their own people who do not have the opportunity to leave challenging and
sometimes desperate situations.
“Ite, Missa Est” are the concluding words of the Holy Eucharist and from
which we derive its more popular name, “The Mass.” In this year as we go
through a period of Eucharistic Revival ahead of the X National Eucharistic
Congress, I think of those missionaries who do not simply preach the Gospel
but, by their lives, demonstrate how we are called to live the reality of being
“Christ” sent forth into the world.
Thank you for your time and generosity, and may we remain united in His
mission.
Monsignor Kieran Harrington

A letter from Cardinal-designate
Christophe Pierre
Dear friends of The Pontifical Mission Societies,
It is a pleasure to address these few words to you as the envoy of Pope Francis
to the United States. Part of my responsibility is to foster unity and promote
the mission of the Church in this great nation. Today, I seek your support and
generosity in fulfilling that call.
Throughout my years of service to the Hoy See, in various parts of the world,
I have witnessed the Church’s transformative work in the lives of individuals,
families, and entire communities. The local churches in Mozambique,
Zimbabwe and Cuba, where I was posted in my early years of service, are
sustained to a significant extent by the World Mission Sunday collection. When
I was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti in 1995, months after the devastation
caused by Hurricane Gordon, I witnessed how the Pontifical Mission Societies
came to the assistance of the local dioceses.
In so many regions in our world, where the Church is still rather young or
lacking in economic resources, and unable to sustain unaided its vital ministries,
the Pontifical Missionary Societies step in to provide much-needed assistance.
On the second to last Sunday of October, in every single parish, the World
Mission Sunday Collection is held. The offerings of the faithful on that day
stand as a testament to the universal nature of our Church and constitute a
concrete act of solidarity with our sister Churches in need.
In particular, the generous contributions of the faithful in the United States
make it possible for the Pontifical Mission Societies to provide annual subsidies
to missionary dioceses, and to directly support mission seminaries and religious
formation houses, the education of children in mission schools, the building of
chapels and churches, as well as sustaining homes for orphaned children, the
elderly and the sick.
This support makes possible the proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration
of the Sacraments and service to the poor in mission dioceses.

Archbishop Christophe Pierre with Pope Francis, 2016.
(photo: Vatican Media.)
For the first decades of its
life, the fledgling Church in the
United States received essential
support from the Society for
the Propagation of the Faithsome
seven million dollars until
1908, the equivalent of some
$250 million today. Catholics
of this country have returned
that generosity in abundance.
And the missionaries whose stories you will read in these pages, need that
continued generosity.
I invite you, my dear brothers and sisters, to embrace the spirit of solidarity
and missionary discipleship that beats at the heart of our Church. Let us
respond to Pope Francis’ call to be a Church that goes forth, reaching out to the
peripheries, both near and far.
Together, we can make a difference. Your contributions, no matter the
amount, will have a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals
and communities. Through your generosity, you become an instrument of
God’s love, sharing in the mission of the Church and embodying the spirit of
compassion and mercy to which Pope Francis continually calls us.
Knowing personally just how much the Missionary Church depends on the
generous response of Catholics to the World Mission Sunday appeal, I would
ask you to do everything you can to promote its celebration in every parish in
the United States.
Fraternally yours,
Archbishop Christophe Pierre*
Apostolic Nuncio
*Pope Francis has announced that, on September 30, 2023, he will make Archbishop Pierre a cardinal,
during a consistory to be held in Rome. We rejoice with and pray for the Nuncio, an ex-officio member of
the Board of Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.

Propagation of the Faith:
From Dreams of
Stardom to
Divine Calling
Pakistan
By Inés San Martín
Father Faryadd Anser, who hails from
Pakistan, acknowledged that when he
turned 17, he dreamed of becoming a
famous singer and leading the life of a
wealthy star. But as he was reading the
Bible in the small local Church, his voice
was replaced by one much stronger.
TPMS destines over $650,000 a year
to Pakistan
Population: 231 million
Christian population: 2.6 million
40 percent of the population lives
with less than $4 a day
“I didn’t grow up seeing priests often, so I didn’t know what pastoral life
was until later in life,” he told MISSION Magazine. “During my childhood I
loved singing, I wanted to learn music and become a singer. But I also loved
being in Church, I was always either at school, in Church, or helping my mom
in the fields. Other children my age would join me, and we would read the
Bible together, and we would put our own music to the psalms.”
But one day, while reading the Gospel of Luke, he came across this passage:
“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits
himself?”

“And something happened to me that day,” Father Faryadd said. “I don’t
know from where, but I had the thought of becoming a priest, as if it was
revealed to me. Here I was, thinking about making a lot of money as a singer,
and I realized that that was not what God was calling me for. Nobody ever
suggested I became a priest, no priest ever advised me to do it. So it truly feels
like from my personal prayer life it was revealed to me that I was called to the
priesthood.”
Daily prayer and reflection are something he grew up with, even though
his family was one of 12 Catholic families in a village with some 500 Muslim
families. His small town within the Punjab region in Pakistan was one of 200
that a missionary priest had been tasked with ministering to.
“We didn’t have Sunday Mass,” he said. “We had Mass on the day the priest
came, and it was an incredible celebration.”
Every other day, however, he still found himself and the other Catholic
children his age going to Church, studying together, and learning their faith.
“But my love for Christ began long before I could actually comprehend that
I was praying: one of the happiest memories of my childhood was spending
an hour lying on my mom’s bosom, as she prayed in our home before going
to work in the fields at four in the morning,” he said. “I continued doing this
through my infancy, and then I would join her in prayer. Even if it was too early
in the day to stay awake!”
Father Faryadd is currently in Rome for the second time in his life: he was
first in the Eternal City in early 2010, earning his degree in Church history.
Today, he is back in school, getting his doctorate at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian
University, with the support of a grant from the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies and the one for which the
World Mission Sunday collection is taken up.
Entering the seminary, Father Faryadd embarked on a transformative
journey of growth and learning. While the experience was mostly positive,
he candidly acknowledged encountering both joys and challenges along the
way, particularly during the minor seminary. Yet the guidance of dedicated
formators, including a Belgian Capuchin who taught Biblical history,
profoundly impacted his spiritual development. The lessons he learned from
this missionary proved invaluable as he continued his studies in Rome to
become a formator of future priests.
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When asked about life for Christians in Pakistan, Father Faryadd’s tone
turned somber. He highlighted the difficulties Christians face, exacerbated by
the rise of radical Islam and the persistent indoctrination that portrays those
of different faiths as inferior. Discrimination, both subtle and overt, permeates
their daily lives. Limited employment opportunities exist for Christians,
typically relegated to menial positions considered beneath Muslims. Moreover,
the existence of blasphemy laws hangs as a constant threat, making it risky for
Christians to express their faith openly. Mere accusations, without evidence or
due process, can lead to violence and loss of life.
“Generally, life in Pakistan is not easy, but it is even worse for a Christian,”
he said. “It is not a very pleasant life... we have to be constantly careful, we do
not speak about our religion in public, even amongst our friends. We do not
feel free to discuss our faith because even if these incidents surrounding the
blasphemy laws don’t happen very often, they happen often enough that we
have to be afraid.”
Despite these challenges, Father Faryadd emphasized the importance of
interfaith harmony and understanding, calling for compassion and prayer.
In closing, Father Faryadd shared his prayer intention for readers of MISSION
Magazine. He earnestly requested prayers for mutual understanding and
compassion among all people.
“Christians in Pakistan, when they think of the Western world, we think of
you as our elder brothers and sisters in the faith, as the center of Christianity,”
he said. “We feel very connected with you all, in faith and spirit, strengthened
by your faith and your ability to live your faith openly. You can make the sign
of the cross in public and not fear you will be stoned. We hope to one day be
able to have this too, but until then, we ask that you value and appreciate this
right, not taking it for granted.”

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Missio:
In 45 seconds
By Monsignor Mounir Seccal *
On Monday, February 6, 2023, at 4:17 a.m., a 7.8-magnitude earthquake
struck our country, Syria, and neighboring Turkey, followed by three more
during the day. The city of Aleppo, very close to the epicenter, was hard-hit.
This massive earthquake was a devastating catastrophe, adding to the misery
and despair caused by eleven years of war.
The situation in Aleppo weeks after the earthquake was catastrophic with
chaos and desolation. The inhabitants had to flee their homes to take shelter
in their cars and in the streets amidst pouring rain. The first thing we did to
shelter the population was to open the churches and monastery gardens.
This nightmarish earthquake has added another thorn to the wounds of our
agonizing population. Syria is living through a real tragedy. According to the
latest UN reports, more than half the population is living in poverty, not to
mention the sanctions and Caesar’s law.

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The country is
suffering from a
shortage of products
vital to daily life: no
electricity, no heating
oil, no petrol, and
inflation due to the
devaluation of the
Syrian pound. It’s a
real state of despair
and anguish.
In this state of
generalized crisis
The tragedy in numbers:
People who died: 8,476 (in Syria alone, with another
50,783 dead in Turkey)
Families affected 91.793 (414.304 individuals)
Survivors rescued from the rubble: 1.553
Buildings that need to be demolished: 4.444
Buildings that need to be reinforced for safe return: 29.751
Buildings that are safe but require maintenance 30.113
and thanks to the mobilization of young citizens and scouts, we managed
to come to the aid of people in distress, providing them with blankets and
meals from our coffers, which are already empty due to years of war and the
difficulty, even the inability, of obtaining aid from compatriots abroad. Transfers
are forbidden and the blockade is
killing us slowly. Cold, famine and
insecurity are our forebodings.
Today, months after this disaster,
we are coming to terms with the
scale of the catastrophe and realizing
that we alone are unable to meet the
financial needs to repair the damage.
Most of the foundations of the houses
have been hit and are in urgent need
of restoration so that the inhabitants
can return to their homes in complete
safety.
We Christians in Syria, the cradle of Christianity, have been suffering for a
decade now, with a generation of teenagers who have known nothing but fear
and insecurity. We are the salt of this once-blessed land, and we hope to remain
so. (Before 2011, we made up 12% of the Syrian population. Today, Christians
account for less than 4%.)

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Help us support the faithful who
have stayed to protect the cradle of
Christianity by helping us financially
and psychologically. Help us to make
our cries of distress heard by the deaf
ears of the world’s leaders, so that their
bruised hearts and blinded eyes may
open and feel for a people who have
suffered martyrdom and continue to do
so.
Pray that we servants of the Church
may have the strength to give comfort to
our people so that they may rediscover
faith and hope for better days.
I would like to close my humble testimony inviting you all to join me in
imploring the Virgin Mary and Saint Anthony of Padua to keep our country
at peace:
“O Saint Anthony, the kindest of saints,
your love of God and His creatures has
earned you miraculous powers on this
earth. We implore you to intercede on
our behalf. Whisper our request in the
ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved
to snuggle in your arms. Protect our
country and our people from natural
and humanitarian disasters. O Saint
Anthony, saint of miracles, whose heart
was filled with human compassion, we
pray to you. Answer our prayers, and
we will be grateful to you forever.”
*The author is the National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies Syria. Immediately following the
earthquake that impacted [country], TPMS USA launched an online campaign through our crowdfunding
platform, www.missio.org. Close to $900,000 was raised, making it the most successful project on the
platform thus far. This was accomplished in great part thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Catholics
in Los Angeles and the local Mission office, which raised $425,000. The funds raised are being allocated to
help rebuild churches in both countries.

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Propagation of the Faith:
The Light of the
Gospel Shines Brightly
in the Darkest Corners
of Cameroon
By Father Gervais Levis Kamwa Kouam, CM
I am Father Gervais Levis Kamwa Kouam, CM, a missionary priest from the
Congregation of the Mission, commonly known as the Vincentian Priests and
Brothers, recognized in the USA. I belong to the Vice-Province of Cameroon,
which serves the Republic of Chad and Equatorial Guinea, where we also
have missions. Before I delve into my missionary experience, particularly
highlighting the tangible impact of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
in our evangelization efforts among the impoverished in Cameroon and how
the support from Catholics in the United States is aiding my Vice-Province in
spreading the message of the Gospel, I would like to provide a brief overview

of my home country and the presence of the Catholic Church in Cameroon.
Cameroon, located in Central Africa on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea,
holds a profound place of importance within my heart. This diverse nation
is home to 240 ethnic groups, categorized into three main groups: the Bantus,
Semi-Bantus, and Sudanese. The population is divided in their language usage,
with 70% speaking French and 30% speaking English. Additionally, Spanish
and German are also spoken by many.
However, Cameroon currently faces numerous crises that threaten its social
fabric. Food and military insecurity loom large, especially due to internal
conflicts in the Southwest and Northwest regions, as well as the ongoing
war against the Islamic group Boko Haram in the North. The Cameroonian
constitution establishes the country as a secular state, with provisions
prohibiting religious harassment and ensuring freedom of religion and
worship. Although Islam is practiced alongside Christianity, it is the latter
that holds the dominant position, with 70% of the population identifying
as Christian. Of this Christian population, 38.4% are Roman Catholic, while
26.3% belong to Protestant denominations. Consequently, the Catholic Church
wields significant influence and maintains a strong presence throughout
various communities in the country.
With five ecclesiastical provinces and twenty-one dioceses, the Catholic
Church in Cameroon plays an active role in education and healthcare. It runs
numerous schools, colleges, high schools, universities, hospitals, clinics, and
health centers. These Catholic institutions spare no effort in contributing
to the education and well-being of the population, leaving an indelible
mark. Many of Cameroon’s current decision-makers, including the head
of state, have passed through minor seminaries run by diocesan priests or
religious missionaries. Although these leaders may not always meet the
expectations placed upon them, the Catholic Church has undeniably shaped
the education and training of the country’s elite. Furthermore, the Church is
extensively involved in social and charitable initiatives, actively participating
in implementing community development projects.
Yet, the work of evangelization in Cameroon is not solely the result of
the Catholic Church’s efforts but also a testament to the commitment and
missionary presence of various religious congregations. Each congregation
brings unique charisms and spiritualities that bear visible fruit in the growing
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work of evangelization and the flourishing of priestly and religious vocations.
In Cameroon, there are over a hundred religious congregations, with women’s
congregations comprising 75% and men’s congregations making up the
remaining 25%.
The Vincentian Fathers and Brothers is one such religious congregation that
has been present in Cameroon since 1980. The story of my vocation within
the Congregation of the Mission is a captivating combination of mystery and
gift. Pinpointing the exact origin of my vocation remains a mystery to me,
but I primarily perceive it as a divine gift. Throughout my life and journey
of faith, I have encountered numerous individuals at decisive moments, each
contributing to the unfolding of my vocation. These encounters kindled within
me a profound desire to become a priest, a passion that lay deep within my
soul. I attribute a significant part of this calling to my service as an altar boy in
the Church.
However, the specific call to become a missionary within the Congregation
of the Mission, rather than a diocesan priest, emerged from my attraction to
their unique way of life and work. These priests, with their distinctive style,
impressed me greatly through their closeness to the afflicted and the poor.
Witnessing these missionary priests’ tireless
dedication in serving others, laboring with
their own hands, and observing the positive
impact they had on the lives of the faithful
within my parish, left an indelible impression
on me. Their spirituality resonated deeply with
my own personality, which inherently despised
injustice and suffering in my surroundings.
The impact of the Society for the Propagation
of the Faith on the evangelization work of the
Vincentian Fathers and Brothers in Cameroon
is immeasurable and profound. The support
provided by the Propaganda Fide (also
known as the Vatican’s Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples), made possible
through the generosity of Catholics in the
United States empowers the Vincentians in

Cameroon to continue their
tireless efforts in spreading
the message of the Gospel
among the impoverished. This
support has tangible effects on
the ground.
Thanks to the generosity of
Catholics in the United States,
the Vice-Province of Cameroon
can offer full scholarships to
children from the poorest families, ensuring that their education is not hindered
by the lack of financial resources faced by their parents or grandparents.
Additionally, this support enables us to conduct popular missions, which are
impactful evangelization campaigns, reaching out to Christians in remote
areas who may have limited access to spiritual guidance and resources.
Furthermore, the assistance from Christians in the United States through the
Society of St. Peter the Apostle greatly aids in the training of seminarians in
theology, as they prepare themselves for sacred orders. This training is vital for
nurturing future priests who will carry the torch of faith and serve the Church
and its people with devotion and compassion.
In essence, the Vice-Province of the Congregation of the Mission of Cameroon
is profoundly grateful for the unwavering support received from Christians in
the United States. Your selfless generosity enables us to continue our mission
among the poor, following in the footsteps of our revered patron, St. Vincent de
Paul. The impact of your contributions is felt deeply, as lives are transformed,
hope is restored, and the light of the Gospel shines brightly in the darkest
corners of Cameroon. Together, we are instruments of God’s love and mercy,
bringing solace and salvation to those in need.
May God bless each and every one of you who, through your support and
prayers, make it possible for us to carry out our mission. Your partnership
strengthens our resolve, ignites our passion, and fuels our determination to
bring the joy of the Gospel to those who need it the most. With heartfelt gratitude,
we continue to serve, guided by the love of Christ and the unwavering support
of our brothers and sisters in the United States.
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Society of St. Peter: Ukraine:
The resilience of
David against Goliath
By Inés San Martín
“I think it’s a miracle, David standing up to Goliath. It is not natural, it is
supernatural,” said Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Metropolitan-Archbishop of
the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia when speaking about
what he has seen during his six visits to Ukraine following Russia’s February
2022 invasion.
In an exclusive interview with MISSION Magazine, Archbishop Gudziak
shed light on the dire situation in Ukraine and the vital role of the Ukrainian
Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in providing support and hope to those
affected by the conflict.
“Every visit is tougher than the previous one, but at the same time, it isn’t,”
he said. “The way the people are resilient, there is a lot of humor, there are
songs, there are memes, it is awe-inspiring.”

“Obviously, there is incredible exhaustion and the suffering is cringeworthy,”
Archbishop Gudziak said. “But people understand very clearly that
if Russia is allowed to occupy Ukraine, there will be genocide, in addition to
the ongoing ecocide. And there have been genocidal manifestations and crimes
against humanity in the past 18 months.”
He has visited Butcha, a city near Kiev, the country’s capital, occupied
by Russia between March 4 and 31, 2022, and what he has seen there “is
devastating,” as is the witness of the first respondents he spoke to, those who
first found the mass graves for the 1,400 people tortured and killed in a span
of a month.
“It is devastating,” he insisted. But “there is this other side of the coin,
incredible valor, which makes you straighten up because how can we falter
when those living in Ukraine today are standing tall?”
Since the war started, the UGCC has been at the forefront of humanitarian
relief efforts. Archbishop Gudziak’s Archeparchy, for instance, raised nine
million dollars to support various projects aimed at assisting those in need.
From providing medical supplies like bandages and tourniquets to offering
aid to the six million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and eight million
refugees, the Church has been a beacon of hope for the vulnerable.
The UGCC is not
foreign to persecution
and martyrdom. On the
contrary, as Archbishop
Gudziak pointed out, every
time Russia has occupied
Ukraine since the 18th
century, his Church, the
largest of the Eastern Rite
churches in communion
with Rome, has been
banned. In the Soviet era,
the UGCC was the largest
illegal religious body in
the world and suffered
mightily for it.
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18
When the Soviet Union dissolved and Ukraine regained its independence, the
Church experienced a rebirth: After driving 3.5 million faithful underground
and confiscating almost all of its property, a post-Soviet Ukraine allowed
the UGCC to reemerge. From that point, it rose from the catacombs with
miraculous growth: Over 3,000 priests died in the gulags, and by the time
Ukraine regained its independence, only 300 were left, and not all of them in
Ukraine. Today, this Church claims more than seven million faithful and 3,000
priests, with 100 being ordained each year and more than 800 seminarians.
Archbishop Gudziak highlighted the challenges faced by the Church in
occupied territories today, where Russian forces once again seek to abolish
the UGCC. Arrests, torture, and disappearances of priests have been reported,
highlighting the ongoing persecution. The contrast with the Russian Orthodox
Church is striking, as the archbishop points out that not a single Orthodox
bishop has spoken against the war, and less than one percent of the clergy has
voiced opposition.
The legendary Ukrainian Cardinal Josef Slipyj, who spent two decades in
the gulags, once said that his Church had been buried under “mountains of
corpses and rivers of blood.” During his 2001 visit to Ukraine, John Paul II
beatified 27 Greek Catholic martyrs under the Soviets — one of whom had
been boiled alive, another crucified in prison, and a third bricked into a wall.
Yet despite this persecution, or perhaps because of its resilience in the face
of oppression, the UGCC has long been among the most important prodemocracy
forces in Ukraine. And this, Archbishop Gudziak believes, is
directly tied to Cardinal Slipyj and his articulation of Catholic Social Doctrine,
which he summarizes as “God-given human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity,
and the common human good.”
“The Church in Ukraine went underground during WWII having lived
under his leadership, and we remained underground for two generations,”
said Archbishop Gudziak. “When we were finally free to come out from the
catacombs, with our hands clean for not having collaborated in any way with
Russia, the UGCC became a strong moral voice. And we have remained such
for the past 35 years.”
Referring once again to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, this Syracuseborn
son of Ukrainian immigrants said that it was during a recent visit to New
York that it dawned on him the solidarity he had witnessed in his parents’
homeland.

19
Archbishop Borys Gudziak in Ukraine, during a pastoral visit in 2022. Picture courtesy of the Ukrainian Catholic
Archeparchy of Philadelphia, by Oleh Hryb.
“Seeing a homeless man in New York, I realized that I had encountered none
in Ukraine during my visits following the invasion,” Archbishop Gudziak
said. “And this is explained by the incredible solidarity we have seen in this
country since the invasion began. People have opened to each other, just like
Poles have opened up to Ukrainians.”
As the war rages on and the Ukrainian people face unimaginable hardships,
may Archbishop Gudziak’s words serve as a call to action. The bravery and
resilience of the Ukrainian people, coupled with the unwavering support of
the UGCC, its priests, religious and seminarians, highlight the strength of the
human spirit in the face of adversity.
“Please, continue praying, continue advocating, explaining what is going on,
and continue helping in whatever way you can,” Archbishop Gudziak said,
urging the family of The Pontifical Mission Societies to continue making a
difference and bringing hope to a nation in need.

20
WYD:
Todos, Todos, Todos
By Isabella Wagner *
“Todos, todos, todos.” This is a phrase that
Pope Francis repeated throughout his time
in Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day.
Approximately one and a half million other
pilgrims- myself included!- were asked to
consider these words during our pilgrimage.
Translated to “everyone, everyone, everyone”
in English, these three words hold tremendous
significance not only in relation to my
experience at World Youth Day but also to the
missionary vocation to which we’re all called
as members of the Church.
I traveled to World Youth Day to educate young pilgrims about the work
of the Pontifical Mission Societies in over one thousand mission territories
worldwide and their own baptismal call to be missionaries, bringing Christ to
every corner of the globe. As a first-time attendee of the event, it was a beautiful
sight witnessing the universality of the Church and recognizing that we were
all joined together in prayer for the Church and each other.
Todos. Everyone.
The crowds of young people flooding the streets of Lisbon stand as a
testament to the bright future of our Church and its capability to stay true to
its values while embracing everyone eager to experience Christ’s love. I met
pilgrims of every age from every continent, brimming with passion for their
faith. I found myself praying alongside individuals I had only known for a
fleeting moment and who didn’t speak my language. Yet, we were united by
our universal family, the Church, which transcends both time and space—
todos.

21
Pope Francis’ words resonate not only with the experience of World Youth
Day but also with the role of Catholics as missionaries. “Todos, todos, todos.”
Each one of us is named and called by God to know and love Him—todos. This
calling is a testament to God’s love for every single one of us—todos. Since we
are cherished by God, we are driven to share the truth of Christ’s life, death,
and resurrection with all nations—todos. This missionary call propels us to
learn and express our faith daily, guiding others in our orbit to do likewise.
Moreover, we empower others to discover and embody their faith in mission
territories, especially where the Church’s presence is minimal or financially
constrained. Sharing God’s love introduces them to His essence, and through
your prayers and contributions, you endow those in the Missions with an
opportunity to recognize the Church as their spiritual sanctuary. You help
disseminate the joy of missionary zeal.
Being in Lisbon with the Holy Father and over a million devout Catholics
was thrilling and humbling, seeing the fervor with which so many embrace
their missionary call. As Pope Francis expressed, “la alegria es misionera” or
“joy is missionary.” Sharing Christ infuses joy into the world and our lives.
God’s love, Pope Francis imparted, is “the starting point of World Youth Day,
but above all, the starting point of our lives. We are loved as we are, unadorned.
Do you grasp that? And each one of us is beckoned by name.”
May every single one of us- not only those who participated in this youth
festival, remember that God calls each of us by name. And we are asked to do
our best so that everyone knows this truth, especially those who have never
heard of Christ’s redeeming love.
*The author is the Development and Stewardship Coordinator of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA.

22
The Missionary Union of Priests
and Religious:
Why Would Anyone
Come Back Here?
by Paul Franzetti
A bishop once said, “If you want to be remembered by the Church, become
a saint.” The Book of Ecclesiastes says: “A good life lasts a certain number of
days, but a good reputation lasts forever.” This will be so for Sr. Anne Credidio.
In 1997, my son James joined Rostro de Cristo (Face of Christ) as a volunteer
missionary and spent a year among the poor in Ecuador. He served the poor
in schools, soup kitchens, and the Damien House, located in one of the most
dangerous parts of Guayaquil. He and other volunteers used to wade through
piles of rotting fruit behind the supermarkets of Guayaquil to pick out edible
pieces for the patients.
But the lepers in her hospital were cheerful and content.
When I met Sr. Annie, I saw the truth in what my son said about her: She
lived to serve the poor. Like all saints, she radiated joy. And she worked hard.
One time, she lugged seven large duffle bags to the airport filled with medicine.
In 2006, I visited the Damien House. I asked her about a room filled with
toys; she answered, “We’re running a raffle to raise money.” To put it another
way, the Wolf is always at the door.
Leprosy is as old as humanity, but it is the same cruel and dreaded scourge
today as it was in ancient times. It is also called Hansen’s disease, after the
Norwegian scientist Gerhard Hansen, who identified the leprosy bacillus.
Most people believe that leprosy is a thing of the past. However, it exists
where there is poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, contaminated water, and
little medical care.

23
León, one of the residents of Damien House, a residential hospital for over 30 Hansen’s patients (people with leprosy) in
Guayaquil, Ecuador, run by missionary Sister Anne Credidio.
And it is still feared. Jesus cured the lepers. Unable to do so herself, Sister
Annie hugs them.
Born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in 1949, she joined the Congregation of the
Sisters of Charity. Before making her final vows, she volunteered to spend a
year in South America.

24
The event that changed her life occurred on Christmas Eve of 1984, as she
waited for Mass to begin. She saw a woman crawling along the floor. The
woman dropped her shoes because she had no toes. The woman, whose name
was Emma, was a leper; the bridge of her nose was collapsed; her eyes were
clouded over. She stretched out the stump of her hand to Sister Annie, smiled,
and said, “Welcome.”
“She had the most beautiful smile, and I
knew I was looking at the face of Christ.”
Seeing the sadness in the eyes of those around
her, Annie began to hug them. “That Mass
changed my life.”
At the clinic, she witnessed firsthand the
deplorable situation, the degradation of the
patients: most slept on mats on the floor,
where rats crawled in the night; the food was
inedible, full of vermin. When Sr. Annie went
into the hospital kitchen to get food, a rat
jumped on her foot. Then she looked up at a
hole in the ceiling, and a cat dropped down.
Clearly, the officials had marginalized these
Brooklyn-born Sister Anne Credidio.
patients.
Traditionally, governments don’t handle some diseases well. Fear rules
their laws. In the 1860s, for example, the Hawaiian government quarantined
thousands of lepers to the Island of Molokai, which became a sort of tropical
madhouse—until a Belgian priest, Fr. Damien Veuster, came to live, work, and
die there.
Sr. Annie walks in Fr. Damien’s footsteps.
When she had to return home to complete her vows, she promised the
patients she’d be back. They looked at her: “Yeah. That’s what they all say. But
you won’t come back. Why would you? Why would anyone come back here?”
She prayed for direction. She found her vocation: “After that, I never doubted
my vocation.”
Back in Guayaquil, she battled South American bureaucracy and hostility.
“They dragged me through the mud. I had no voice. I had three strikes
against me. I was a woman, a foreigner, and a nun.”

25
She persisted, they relented. In 1995, the government allowed her to take
over the clinic.
Thirty years later, when other charitable institutions have closed down, the
Damien House remains. As she always says, “It’s God’s work, not mine.”
Like Damien isolated on Molokai, today Sr. Annie lives in her hospital. She
trusts in God. She is stable, determined, and joyful. She inspires everyone who
visits her hospital. One doctor from the Midwest, Richard Schwend, uses his
vacation time to do nerve restoration surgery there.
People in the neighborhood revere her name. I saw this for myself.
The Damien House website will give you information about what they do
and how you can help. But it won’t give you the most important detail, it is run
by Sr. Annie, a missionary nun and a living saint, a woman who, like Joan of
Arc, can say: “I am not afraid. God is with me. I was born for this.”
Another one of the residents of Damien House.

Photo credit: Nancy Wiechec/CNS
26
From the Dioceses:
Some give by going –
others go by giving
By Michele Meiers, TPMS Philadelphia
The home was one room made of
dirt with a roof of corrugated waferthin
tin panels. It was so dark that
one could hardly see anything. The
blackness was all-encompassing.
We encountered Michael, a sick
and suffering man, in this dark room.
His stomach was enlarged, and no
one could determine the cause. He
had no money, and he relied on the
support of the local priest to survive.
He depended on this community to
take him to a local clinic for further
testing.
Kenya
Population: 53 million
Catholics: 10 million
83 percent of the population lives
with less than $6 a day

He had no diagnosis. No electricity. No running water. No bed: he spent his
days and nights lying atop straws and leaves to cushion the dirt floor.
The tin roof and the lack of windows under the scorching Kenyan summer
sun also meant there was barely any air to breathe.
And yet, when you entered this home, where Michael’s outline was barely
identifiable, his large, unforgettable eyes shone like two beacons full of hope.
Michael is one of too many people who live in Makuru, a collection of 30
slums in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. These “informal settlements” that
occupy a five-mile area are home to over 750,000 people who live in one-room
dwellings stacked atop each other. Families of four, six, and up to ten people
live in corrugated tin boxes with nothing but mud for the floor. For the tens of
thousands who left their rural homes fleeing poverty and dreaming of a better
life with jobs “in the big city,” a river of sewage serves as a road, unmapped by
Google Street View cars.
Michael, whose eyes filled to the brim with hope I cannot forget, is but one
of the people I encountered during my mission trip to Kenya. Soon after the
oppressive experience of visiting this man, we went to Saint Mary’s parish,
which was also located in one of Nairobi’s “informal settlements,” but in a
beautiful mountain oasis that reminded me of the story of the Transfiguration
of Our Lord.
I felt God’s loving presence the second I set foot in this parish for Mass.
He was there among His people. A choir of angels was singing, and all were
dancing, praising the Lord, accompanying the choir with these beautiful, birdlike
African sounds. In a language that escaped me, the meaning behind these
words was clear: “God, we love You, please, hear our prayer!”
The vibrancy of this congregation was contagious. Despite the sweltering
heat of the mid-afternoon sun, everyone was dressed in their Sunday best.
Crisp white shirts, ties, hand-made skirts, and lovely simple dresses adorned
each person, whether 18 months of age or eighty. Seeing them dressed to the
nines, I couldn’t avoid wondering how they managed to have their clothes
spotlessly clean in a village without electricity or running water, much less a
washing machine.
None of the people I was traveling with understood a word of Swahili, the
language used during the three-hour Mass. Yet the love for God the faithful
had was palpable. They praised Him in every motion and with every word. As
27

28
the choir—at least a third of those in attendance—sang anthems of praise, as a
group of young dancers praised to the rhythm of the music that had everyone
glorifying the Lord, it was easy to forget that this incredible spiritual experience
was taking place in a poorly ventilated church, with no fans on the roofs, much
less air conditioning.
And just when I thought the experience couldn’t be more moving, the climax:
a young boy held high on the shoulders of an older man, lifting the Holy Book,
came marching down the church’s center aisle. This procession of the Holy
Word of God visible from all the corners of Saint Mary’s spoke volumes: “God
is with us in His Word, listen.”
During this extraordinary, beautiful Mass, I couldn’t help but feel like
the great fathers of the Church, Moses and Elijah, must have felt during the
Transfiguration when Jesus was presented to them as the Son of God. In this
parish church in Kenya, I felt all three figures were alive, well, and present.
The contrast between these two experiences—the suffering, helplessness,
and seeming despair of Michael’s situation and the glorious hope, joy, and
deep faith during Mass at Saint Mary’s—poses many questions. One can easily
understand how the Eucharist can be such a life-transforming experience.
But as I was there, and even to this day, I struggled not to question how it is
possible that so many people in the world live in the conditions Michael does.
Why can’t we fix it?
And yes, even “where is God amidst this much suffering and injustice?”
Three out of five Catholics in the world live in hardship: families barely
have one meal a day; there’s no
water to quench their thirst or
clean their bodies, and more often
than not, when there is, they have
to walk miles to retrieve it and
neither you nor I would be able to
stomach drinking it. Corrugated
tin, dirt, and cardboard shelter
them from the elements, and
children often have to drop out
of school before they have even
Michele Meiers during her mission visit to Kenya.
learned to read and write.

29
But I could see God’s reflection in Michael’s eyes.
I worked in Philadelphia’s Pontifical Mission Societies office for many years
before I embarked on this life-changing mission trip to Kenya. Up until that
point, much like the patroness of the missions, Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, or
the founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Blessed Pauline
Jaricot, I was moved to action after hearing the stories of missionary priests and
religious brothers and sisters, who over the phone or visiting our archdiocese,
shared their lives and ministries with me.
Upon hearing from them, I made it my mission to echo those voices, inspire
others to pray for the missions, and sacrifice to help others proclaim Jesus’ love
for all, like Saint Thérèse and Blessed Pauline did, despite never leaving their
native France.
In Nairobi, I was able to touch the wounds of Christ and also experience his
redeeming glory. The hope in Michael’s eyes, the joy in Saint Mary’s church,
can only be explained as a gift from God. If that joy they radiated wasn’t a gift
from Christ, rooted in the knowledge of His love, it would not last a minute
under that oppressive sun.
My visit to Kenya forever changed my life and helped me understand what
we mean when we say that God calls us all to service, even in different ways.
We are all called, by our baptism, to be missionaries and to “go and make
disciples of all nations”, being witnesses and giving testimony of our faith.
And we are each called to answer this command in different ways. As my good
friend and fellow Pontifical Mission Societies director, Maureen Heil from
Boston, says, “Some give by going—others go by giving.” And sometimes, we
get to be both!
No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, what God has planned for those who love.
No human heart nor human mind can pierce the mind of God above.
The Lord has stored up treasures great for ev’ry women, ev’ry man
Who perseveres in Christian life, who remains faithful in God’s plan.
Corinthians

30
Editor’s Note:
Hearts on Fire,
Feet on the Move
Dear readers,
As we come to the close of this Autumn edition of MISSION Magazine, I
want to begin by once again thanking you for the support, positive feedback,
and generosity you have shown following the last issue of MISSION Magazine,
which was dedicated to India.
I also thank all those who submitted stories for this edition, particularly those
we couldn’t feature: As promised, however, they will be published on our
website, www.onefamilyinmission.org. It’s been an honor to be overwhelmed
by so many wonderful stories, which I do hope you will continue to send to
contact@missio.org.
As we set to produce this edition, deeply rooted in World Mission Sunday,
which will be celebrated in every single parish in the world on Sunday, October
22nd, Pope Francis’ message for this day, under the theme “Hearts on fire,
feet on the move,” made our work easy. His words draw inspiration from the
encounter of the disciples with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, capturing the
essence of missionary discipleship and its transformative power in our lives.
“Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way
and opened the Scriptures to us?” is what the disciples said to one another
following their encounter with Christ, whom as Pope Francis wrote, “is
Himself the living Word, who alone can make our hearts burn within us, as He
enlightens and transforms them.”
The Pope reminds us of the critical role of the word of God in illuminating
and transforming our hearts. Like the disciples, who experienced a shift from
confusion and dismay to burning hearts, we too are called to let the Scriptures
guide and inspire us on our mission to spread the Gospel where it has yet to
take root.

We are called to be missionary disciples, actively sharing the good news,
breaking the bread of life, and inviting all people to join us on the path of peace
and salvation.
If you have gotten this far in this issue of MISSION Magazine, then you
have read about the men and women missionaries who, despite challenges
and hardships, remain steadfast in their commitment to the mission of
evangelization. Their generosity and sacrifices are a true testament to their love
for Christ and their desire to bring His light to distant lands.
This October, World Mission Month, can you support them with daily
prayer as Blessed Pauline Jaricot urged her friends to do? She also asked them
to generously contribute a penny a week, which was a big sacrifice for many at
the time. Those pennies helped build the Church in the United States. Can you
help us pay it forward?
31

32
Listen now!
“The thing that I find in the areas that we work,
that people appreciate most, is that there’s priests
there full-time to not only to offer Eucharist, but to
be present,” said Father Terry Kersch on the fifth
episode of Frontiers of Faith, the weekly podcast of The Pontifical
Mission Societies. “They appreciate having a priest for births, deaths,
weddings, the entire cycle of life.”
According to this Basilian priest, in most mission territories in Latin
America, where he served in the 90s, people are used to seeing a
priest “once every six months,” so one of the things that moved him
the most during his years as a missionary in Colombia and Mexico
was the constant request that the religious community send a priest
there to stay.
“We work in communities where people cannot sustain a priest,
much less a community of priests and religious sisters, hence the need
for the mission appeals,” Father Kersch said.
For regular stories on missionaries and how, through your prayers
and generosity, you are helping them spread the joy of the Gospel,
join Msgr. Kieran Harrington and Katie Ruvalcaba in the weekly
podcast of The Pontifical Mission Societies, premiering each Friday
in most podcast platforms.
Journey with them as they talk with missionaries from Asia, Africa,
Latin America about the modern-day impact of mission work in these
regions. Gain new perspectives on faith, cultural encounters, and
spiritual transformation as they share their experiences and wisdom.

In support of those spreading the Gospel…
The money needed to support those serving in the Pope’s missions comes
from loving Catholics like you.
Won’t you send whatever contribution you can in the enclosed envelope
today so that the priests, religious and lay pastoral leaders in the
missions may not only survive, but thrive, in their ministry?
Dear Monsignor Kieran,
Enclosed is my gift of:
Thank you for supporting our missionaries.
Please be assured of my prayers for you and your family.
Monsignor Kieran
$250 $100 $75 $50 $25 Other $_____
$700 (one year’s help, mission seminarian)
$300 (one year’s help, Religious novice)
$5,000 $2,500 $1,000 $500 Other $____
I want to be a monthly donor to the Missions!
I would like information on a Gift Annuity.
Please contact me about remembering The Society for the Propagation
of the Faith in my Will.
Name
email
Address
City State Zip
Send your gift, in your MISSION envelope, to:
Monsignor Kieran Harrington
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
70 West 36th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018
Your diocese will be credited with your gift;
your gift is tax deductible.

Are you a priest, lay person or religious who is interested in being an
ambassador for The Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States?
You can sign up by filling this form, sending it back to us:
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