Mission Today issue 20

A CATHOLIC MISSION MAGAZINE ISSUE 20

" I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

(John 10:10)

Leading Mission, Building Hope

MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

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Australians Leading the Way in Mission

In this issue…

THE FRANCIS EFFECT, LIVING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL

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A SAFE HAVEN AND A HOME

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MORE THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR

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FROM PORRIDGE TO THE PRIESTHOOD

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MISSION IN ACTION

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JAMAICA FINDS NEW LIFE

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be aware that this publication may contain images or names of people who have passed away. Catholic Mission acknowledges the traditional owners of the land.

I am very proud of all the contributions to Catholic Mission from so many people—our supporters, staff and volunteers.

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ost importantly you—our supporters—have recently contributed a record income of over twenty million dollars throughout 2013-2014. As a result we will able to support more than 600 projects, which will have an incredible impact on the lives of more than two million people. Additionally, we have involved more than 560,000 people in mission education and formation.

Last year, wonderfully, Australia was the country contributing the most funds in the world to Catholic Mission projects for children. Over three and a half million dollars was sent to children’s projects in Africa, Asia, South America, Eastern Europe and the Pacific.

Whether it is through our work with children, with missionaries and their communities or with the training of Church leaders, it is thanks to your generous support that Australia is a leader in the fields of mission and evangelisation.

On a recent visit to Kenya, I was fortunate to witness how your vital funds are directly helping our sisters and brothers overseas. In Nairobi I saw the work of the Amani Na Wema Children’s Home where the sisters care for orphans and reach out to families that are poor in a holistic way. Many of the children who were suffering through incredible poverty now have hope of an excellent Catholic education and good health leading to potential employment and a brighter future.

The Catholic Church in Australia has enormous ability to carry out the mission of Jesus within our country and throughout the world. Never underestimate what can be achieved if we work towards Jesus’ goals with prayer and determination. God never gets us to do more than He has given us the resources to achieve.

Thank you for being a key part of the mission of Jesus in Australia and to the ends of the Earth!

Martin Teulan BA Dip Ed, MA Th. St. National Director PO Box 1668 North Sydney NSW 2059 T: 02 9919 7800 F: 02 8904 0185 E: admin@catholicmission.org.au

Freecall: 1800 257 296 catholicmission.org.au

The Francis Effect, Living the Joy of the Gospel Catholic Mission’s formation and professional development services provide high quality, transformative learning experiences that engage the heart, hands, mind and spirit, and empower each person to continue building God’s Kingdom, whilst living the ‘Joy of the Gospel’ and leading mission. communities and families. With nearly 3000 copies already sold, it has been recommended by Congregational Leader and President of Catholic Religious Australia, Sister Annette Cunliffe rsc, as “a must-read for all those with a heart for mission who work to bring God's love to the world with joy.”

Expanding upon the success of the book, Catholic Mission and CRAMN continued the partnership in 2014, hosting colloquiums in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. More than Sister Kari Hatherell, sharing a practioner's perspective

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n November 2013, Pope Francis released his first Apostolic Exhortation entitled Evangelii Gaudium: Living the Joy of the Gospel. Acclaimed as a beautifully written, easily understood, visionary and inspirational document, it challenges the contemporary global church to unite against a world where there is a growing “indifference to the poor and vulnerable.”

400 people came together at these events to explore Pope Francis' new vision of leadership; one based on stewardship and collaborative engagement, rather than control and command. The presentations and workshops provided unique opportunities for those passionate about mission and evangelisation to explore the blueprint set out by Pope Francis for recalibrating the purpose and direction of their own workplaces, communities and organisations.

Additional colloquiums are scheduled for dates later in 2014.

For up-to-date information, visit www.catholicmission.org.au/ educationformation

…a must-read for all those with a heart for mission who work to bring God's love to the world with joy.

To tailor specific programs for your organisation’s professional development and formation needs, contact Lana Turvey at lturvey@catholicmission.org.au, or by phone on 02 9919 7800.

Responding to Pope Francis’ call to “move forward, boldly take the initiative, [and] go out to others…”, Catholic Mission joined with Catholic Religious Australia’s Mission Network (CRAMN) to publish a book aptly named ‘The Francis Effect, Living the Joy of the Gospel.’ Inspired by the words of Pope Francis, twelve prominent Catholic leaders from a variety of sectors and ministries offer perspectives and insight on Evangelii Gaudium.

‘The Francis Effect’ encourages readers to better understand teachings from Evangelii Gaudium and apply them to their own lives, ministries, workplaces,

Colloquium participants discussing the 'Francis Effect' in Brisbane

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UGANDA

St Elizabeth's—a safe haven for vulnerable girls in Kampala

A Safe Haven and a Home When night falls, the streets of a big city are often a terrifying and dangerous place for an unaccompanied child. Kampala is no different. Yet many children still sleep—often alone—in the streets and alleyways of the Ugandan capital.

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oung and vulnerable girls are often abused and mistreated. While they will try to gather in groups in an attempt to find safety in numbers, their security is never guaranteed. For many it is often just a matter of time before they are forcibly exploited. However, one very special congregation of sisters is striving to make a difference in the lives of these vulnerable young girls, and with the support of Catholic Mission, is providing them with a safe place to call home.

In 1998, realising the gravity of the situation, the Ugandan Sisters of the Good Samaritan established the St Elizabeth’s Girls Home in the southwestern suburbs of the nation’s capital. Their aim was to provide young girls in Kampala, as well as elsewhere in Uganda, with a safe haven and a happier childhood.

Sixteen years on, the centre’s six nuns and twenty eight support staff now care for 139 girls in need.

Sister Catherine Akiiki has been at St Elizabeth’s for fourteen years. A Sister of the Good Samaritan herself, Sr Catherine says the centre aims

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to provide a full range of support so the girls can make the transition from the streets into education and employment: “They learn skills such as catering, tailoring, entrepreneurship and computer skills.”

Further, explaining that the girls are mostly rescued from extremely dire situations, Sr Catherine says: “One of the main reasons these girls are on the street is because they have lost parents to HIV/AIDS and often they, too, are infected. Many others are born on the street and are drugaddicted from birth. They need treatment.” The Sisters at St Elizabeth’s offer care, guidance and support while the girls learn skills to improve their employment prospects. Such is their fondness for St Elizabeth’s and the sisters that, upon finding jobs and moving out, many graduates continue to return to visit the centre and mentor other young girls.

Mary Nabutomo chose to come to St Elizabeth’s two years ago. An orphan who never knew her parents, Mary was found collecting rubbish in the streets of Kampala in order to earn just

enough to feed herself. Abused and mistreated, eleven-year-old Mary had nowhere to go; the streets were her home. Then she was offered a lifeline.

“She had been staying with other kids and there was a leader who

Sister Catherine Akiiki with Mary

MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

Work with Children forced them to drink, so they became submissive,” explains Sr Catherine.

“When the leader died and the kids were threatened and chased from the town, they came to Kampala, not knowing what else to do. After two months in the streets, we found her and offered her food as she was so hungry.”

Now aged thirteen, Mary is happily enrolled in school. She had begun studying tailoring and hairdressing at St Elizabeth’s but the call of an education in a school environment was too strong and she was soon crunching numbers with her friends in Maths, her favourite subject.

daily, the centre struggles to pay the bills. Food alone costs over A$3000 per month, while accommodation, training and formation expenses amount to almost the same.

In addition to the financial burdens, St Elizabeth’s is no longer big enough to sufficiently cater for the 139 children living there. Some girls have to share beds in the two dormitories that each house over fifty young residents, and there remains a lack of some

equipment essential to certain classes, including electric cookers, hairdressing equipment and sewing machines.

Through your generosity, Catholic Mission aims to continue its support of the centre as it addresses these challenges. St Elizabeth’s Girls Home looks forward to remaining a safe, happy and empowering environment for Mary and other girls in need across Kampala, well into the future.

When she is older, Mary aspires to be a famous singer like her idol Michael Jackson. “When I become a big singer in Kampala, I want to build my own house,” she says. For this young girl, studying, singing and playing netball at St Elizabeth’s is a far cry from the fear of living day to day in the seedy streets of Uganda’s biggest city.

Abused and mistreated, eleven year old Mary had nowhere to go; the streets were her home.

Then she was offered a lifeline...

Mary can allow herself to dream, as the centre has crafted many success stories in the past sixteen years, thanks in part to the generous support of Catholic Mission donors. The Sisters see the strengths in each girl and tailor their education and training accordingly.

One alumna now works for a bank, while another studies for her Masters degree. These are just two examples of the positive outcomes achievable by girls in the care of St Elizabeth’s.

Urgent support is needed, however, to allow girls like Mary to enhance their skills and become fully self-reliant.

With the cost of living increasing MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

Mary Nabutomo—happily enrolled at St Elizabeth's Girls Home

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UGANDA Parishioners in Mabanda gather outside for Mass until a new church can be built

More than Bricks and Mortar

The sun is yet to rise over a village on the outskirts of Kampala as a small community awakens and sets out on a three kilometre trek along a muddy road. It is a Sunday, and the Catholic folk of rural Mabanda, located one hour north of the Ugandan capital, are making their regular voyage to the nearest church.

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here are some two hundred Catholic families in this small outstation in the diocese of KasanaLuweero; most are without access to cars or transport, meaning the only way to get to Mass on Sunday is by foot. On a weekly basis, they will hike for hours through often treacherous PAGE 6

conditions, and when the heavy rains hit, the path becomes impassable, leaving parishioners stranded far from home. A spiritual community, the people of Mabanda knew a local church was essential; so, two years ago, they began building it. Held together by their faith, they get by

knowing that soon, with the ongoing support of Catholic Mission, Sunday worship will be a whole lot easier.

Father Matthias Jjooga, the parish priest in nearby Mulajje, is the project manager. “Having a church is a great need,” he says. “With no church, it is MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

Work with Communities

Father Matthias Jjooga

hard to bring the community together in the same place.” Fr Matthias says the villagers contribute what they can to the effort, though with such limited funds and resources, it is a long and drawn-out process. Nevertheless, the townspeople have banded together to raise funds for the purchase of 40,000 bricks, forty bags of cement and ten truckloads of sand. They pay for hired labour as well, even though many also get their hands dirty helping with the construction.

The project costs are expensive, but the commitment of the people to the completion of the job remains steadfast. Despite mostly being subsistence farmers, the workers in the parish have managed to raise over A$1200 through the sale of crops, beans, coffee, mangoes and sugar cane. It is a tremendous effort given the average annual wage ranges from only A$200 to A$400.

This is very much the same selfless community spirit possessed by Joan Nansubuga, one of the parishioners.

Mabanda has been Joan’s home for many years; as a retired farmer herself, she understands the people of her community and the daily challenges they face. One of these is the great need they feel for a church of their own so the ninety-two year old donated her own block of land to be the site of the new construction.

Although she can no longer help with the heavy lifting and manual labour, Joan contributed what she could.

MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

Not long ago, Joan lost the use of both legs as a result of a stroke.

Remarkably, even at ninety-two, she still makes it to Mass every Sunday to receive Communion. Joan has a great connection to Mabanda; she moved there after her husband of many years passed away. Now living with a carer, Joan is also supported financially and physically by the community. She wants to give something back, and she knows what it will mean to Mabanda to have its own place of worship. “It is crucial to have a local church,” she says. “I donated the land so our people can have a place to pray.”

Through the church, the people of Mabanda hope to have more services, such as schools and health clinics. The people here rely on the church.

Father Matthias believes that the new church building is greater than simply bricks and mortar. For the people of Mabanda, it has a far more significant connection. He speaks of the benefits: “It will become easier for church leaders to know parishioners’ lives better and this will allow them to move among the community and give better advice on important issues,” he says.

“Through the church, the people of Mabanda hope to have more services, such as schools and health clinics. The people here rely on the church.”

While Mabanda is only small, the Catholic population awaiting completion of the church is significant.

Of the roughly seven hundred Catholics in the area, between thirty and sixty attend Mass regularly.

At major feasts, such as Easter and Christmas, the attendance can swell to five hundred. With the ongoing support of Catholic Mission, the project nears completion, and the parishioners know the wait will be worth it. The new church will finally provide an ample space for the parish to celebrate Mass, however much it rains outside.

Ninety-two year old Joan Nansubuga donated her own land for the new church

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UGANDA

From Porridge

to the Priesthood It is early evening, but already the cold is biting as a little boy sits down at the table with his parents and six siblings.

Weak from hunger, he glances from bowl to bowl, wondering how much he will eat tonight. The boy cannot hide his disappointment as his mother spoons a small serving into the bowl: porridge, again. His stomach growls, but his heart breaks as he watches his mother, tears in her eyes, try to make the food extend to each of her children. He also wonders if she’ll eat at all tonight.

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his is a snapshot of life in a Ugandan family struggling with severe poverty. Robert Kayiwa was once that little boy. Every night the same story played out for him and his family, and although he is now twenty-three and studying to become a priest, he is still saddened by those particularly painful memories of his childhood. “My parents were farmers

Robert Kayiwa—demonstrating peristent hard work and strong faith

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and I grew up in very poor conditions.

Porridge was all we could afford to eat,” he recalls. With three brothers and as many sisters in his family, making ends meet was a constant, heartbreaking struggle for Robert’s parents.

On the cold mornings in the rainy seasons, Robert would resent trudging to school without shoes. His feet freezing and caked with mud, he blamed his mother and father, wishing they had the money to buy him boots or sneakers. “I was only in my fifth year of primary school before my parents could afford a pair of shoes for me,” he explains. “They could barely afford to send me even to a government school.

They had to sell their own crops to raise enough money.”

Robert would often spend months away from the classroom until his parents could afford to send him.

Lonely at home, and missing his friends at school, Robert would read his sisters’ textbooks voraciously to keep pace until he could return. His sisters would teach him when they could. When they couldn’t, he’d teach himself. Despite long spells out of school, his natural flair for study and his steadfast work ethic meant Robert was soon excelling academically.

Robert is grateful to his supporters in Australia

A British school was so impressed by his strong marks that they offered to sponsor his studies from abroad.

By the time he graduated, remarkably, he was the top student in his class.

For this largely self-taught student, it was the end of an incredible stage of the journey. Given his

Robert would often spend months away from the classroom until his parents could afford to send him. Lonely at home, and missing his friends at school, Robert would read his sisters’ textbooks voraciously to keep pace... underprivileged background, Robert was tempted by university and the chance at a well-paying career. However, he had always been devoted to Jesus. It was a quality that his peers spotted in their friend early on. “My classmates recognised a spiritual element in me, which I myself MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

Work with Church Leaders had not yet acknowledged,” he says.

He became an altar boy in year five, a position which he cherished. “At that age, and as I grew older, I found myself wanting to pray and serve at the altar,” he says. By the time he was eighteen and finishing school, Robert had listened to his calling, and he was accepted into the seminary soon after finishing school.

Fast forward to an unseasonably sunny day at St Mbaaga’s Major Seminary just outside of the Ugandan capital Kampala. Robert is now twenty-three; his hands dirty and calloused as he loads vegetables into a waiting truck to be transported to the market. He shouts instructions to friends he has drafted in to help on a particularly busy day on the seminary’s farm.

Having once so resented a similar environment, Robert is now a team leader as he works on the farm to pay his way through seminarian studies.

“Because I grew up in a farming family, I have experience with this work,” he says. “I am glad I can use my skills to help cover my fees.”

As a priest I want to serve the needy people of my country. I know what it is like, so I want to help people with their problems.

No longer dependent on his parents, Robert now realises the sacrifices they made to help him on his way. As he continues on his path to priesthood, he draws on them for inspiration, as well as his favourite Bible verse, John 10:10: ‘I have come that they may have

life, and have it to the full.” The verse sums up Robert’s personal mission: “As a priest I want to serve the needy people of my country. I know what it is like, so I want to help people with their problems.”

Despite the challenges that Robert faces in the seminary, including a lack of materials such as current textbooks and computers, and overcrowding of the seminary—often meaning room-sharing is necessary—Robert continues to remain positive, which is not difficult since he has been here before: “I am from a poor family, I am used to it,” he shrugs. Even in difficult times when his ‘spirit is low’, Robert finds inspiration in those around him, in his calling and in the support he has received from Catholic Mission donors.

To them, he says: “Thank you very much. Without you, we would lack facilities; we could not manage.

We pray for you, thank you!”

Early experience has prepared Robert (centre) for leadership

MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

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Mission in ACTION

Since 2012, Catholic Mission has been encouraging school, church and community groups to take action to end the immigration detention of children. This call comes from the very heart of the Catholic Church’s teachings and is especially urgent in the case of children as they are the most vulnerable.

The public, community and religious leaders and celebrities were invited to symbolically free a child by removing a doll from the cage and sending the postcard message attached to the doll’s wrist to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

Students from Mt Alvernia College in Kedron, Queensland volunteering to 'Take a Detention for Children in Detention' Photo credit: Quest Community Newspapers

According to the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, “The Catholic Church teaches that anyone whose life is threatened has the right to protection. The demands of human dignity always come before the national interest.” As a signatory to the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Australia is responsible for protecting the rights of all children, including those seeking asylum.

Determining a child’s refugee status is clearly an immigration issue; the treatment of that child in the meantime is a human rights issue.

In 2014, there are over one thousand children detained in Australian immigration facilities which have been described as 'factories for mental illness' by psychiatrist, Professor Pat McGorry, Australian of the Year, 2010.

Catholic Mission, through End Child Detention Australia, is calling on communities to put their faith into action and stand up for children in detention.

Best of all, everyone can take part!

Pray—Catholic Religious Australia has produced a National Lament, available on their website, which is being used throughout Australia at prayer vigils and other events calling for compassion for refugees and asylum seekers.

Visit www.catholicreligiousaustralia. org.au/index.php/justice-network/ campaigns-and-events/item/1260national-lament

Any church, school, community group or household can set up their own cage—small or large—with dolls inside, to be in solidarity with children who are in detention. Signage can be downloaded from the below link and used to send a clear message that the detention of children is wrong.

For further information and downloadable materials visit www.endchilddetentionoz.com Alternatively, contact Jenny Collins-White at jcollins-white@ catholicmission.org.au, or by phone on 02 9919 7800.

Benjamin Gilbert's design for the 'Free the Children' installation outside Sydney's Queen Victoria Building

Take Action—In June an artistic installation consisting of a metal net containing 1106 dolls, one for each child in detention, was set up at Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building.

Catholic Mission Immersions A Catholic Mission Immersion is a life-changing opportunity to experience another perspective of culture and faith; spending time with the local community and engaging with inspirational church ministries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Please contact John Kerrigan at jkerrigan@catholicmission.org.au, or by phone on 02 9919 7800.

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PROPOSED DATES:

Depart 20 September 2014 Return 4 October 2014 (fifteen days) TEAM TYPE:

Adults

ESTIMATED COSTS:

$5800 per person (based upon six people) REGISTRATIONS CLOSE:

20 June 2014

MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

COMING SOON, 2014 WORLD MISSION APPEAL

Jamaica Finds New Life This year, Catholic Mission’s World Mission Appeal, held during the globally-celebrated World Mission Month in October, focuses on the crucial work of the Jamaican Catholic Church. It aims to help those trapped in a desperate and perilous existence of gangs, drugs and crime to turn away from this empty and dangerous life, and seek a new future through the power of education and the love of Jesus Christ.

Distressingly, Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world1.

The number of shootings continues to increase every year2, due in part to flourishing illegal trade with Haiti, where illicit drugs are exchanged for firearms. With guns so easily available, violent crime is widespread, with shootings and murders a daily occurrence, especially in the larger cities of Montego Bay and the capital of Kingston.

As part of this year’s Catholic Mission World Mission Appeal, we will share the powerful stories of children, youth and families who witness this violence on a daily basis. With the help of Catholic Mission and the Jamaican Catholic Church, they are steering their lives towards an alternate, positive path.

Sister Teresia Tinanisolow, who lives and works at the Holy Family Self Help Centre in Mount Salem, an incredibly

dangerous suburb of Montego Bay, regularly wakes up to the sound of fighting and gun shots during the night. She is one of countless missionaries who have dedicated their lives to reach out to the people of Jamaica, both spiritually and practically.

Despite attempts on her life... Sr Teresia remains dedicated to continuing her life-changing programs.

With her fellow Marist Missionary Sisters, Sr Teresia runs a vocational skills program offering training in areas such as cooking, hospitality, sewing and computers. By enhancing their skills in these areas, students can go on to find employment in Jamaica’s rapidly growing tourism industry, and achieve a better standard of living.

As she fervently serves the community of Montego Bay, Sr Teresia is a true inspiration to us all. Despite attempts on her life by the very people she helps, and a constant struggle for funding, Sr Teresia remains dedicated to continuing her life-changing programs. Her story will truly move you to reach out to the people of Jamaica with the gift of hope and new life.

Please look out for the appeal this World Mission Month!

1 Henry, M, ‘The Commissioner, Gangs, And The Occult’, The Gleaner, 9 June 2013, http://jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20130609/focus/focus4.html

Sister Teresia Tinanisolow—reaching out to Jamaican families

MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine

2 The Gleaner, ‘Murders shoot past 100’, 18 February 2014, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/ gleaner/20140218/lead/lead2.html

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If you would like to see the full range of gifts, please visit catholicmission.org.au/gifts

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MISSION TODAY A Catholic Mission Magazine