Mission Magazine Autumn 2023

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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 <strong>Mission</strong> 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 <strong>Mission</strong> 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
Page 1 and 2: A MAGAZINE OF THE PONTIFICAL MISSIO
Page 3 and 4: 2 A letter from Monsignor Harringto
Page 5 and 6: In the mission countries, I have no
Page 7 and 8: Archbishop Christophe Pierre with P
Page 9 and 10: “And something happened to me tha
Page 11 and 12: 9 Missio: In 45 seconds By Monsigno
Page 13 and 14: 11 Help us support the faithful who
Page 15 and 16: of my home country and the presence
Page 17 and 18: Cameroon to continue their tireless
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Page 23 and 24: 21 Pope Francis’ words resonate n
Page 25 and 26: 23 León, one of the residents of D
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Mission Magazine Autumn 2023

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