Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales - Empowering Communities for Sustainable Development

1. MISSION No.4 April 2019 www.msfstoday.org Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales Newsletter Development Office

2. Introduction…! My dear Sisters and Brothers Friends and Benefactors! Cordial greetings from Rome! Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales is an international congregation which was founded in Annecy, France by Fr. Peter Mermier 180 year ago. Today we work in 30 countries with about 1650 members. Besides traditional missionary works we are engaged in many human/social development projects such as education and formation of the youth, projects for the integral development of persons who live in vulnerable situations, and other projects like women empowerment, saving the environment and providing safe water. We stand and work for sustainable development. In our 151 schools in three continents we educate and train over 150,000 children. Out of them over 50,000 are from the marginalized sections of the society. The recently concluded XX General Chapter of our congregation exhorted all the confreres to venture into more ministries of human development in areas where it is most needed. We sincerely thank everyone who support us in one way or the other, by way of a prayer or by way of material support. The needs are plenty. We can do a lot more to create a better world where peace and justice reigns. In many parts of the universe, especially in Africa and Asia the effects of globla warming is drastically felt. In the middle of August last year, the states of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka in India were paralyzed by dangerous floods and landslides which took the life of over 150 people and destroyed over 20,000 homes and other infrastructure. Even now many people live there in camps. Again, in December, the state of Tamilnadu in southern India was hit by “Gaja” cyclone killing many people and destroying a lot of properties. In all these miserable situations, our Mission Development Office (MDO) in Rome together with the MDOs in the provinces, supported the confreres to help the affected people and did enormous rescue and relief ministries. With your support we are sponsoring the studies of over 675 orphan and poor children in Africa and India. We are involved in projects of providing safe drinking water to the poor villages especially in Africa. We thank you for being part of our mission of promoting dignity of human life. With your prayers and support we want to do more for this world. You are most welcome to part with us! In this latest edition of the MDO Newsletter, we are presenting you six stories from our missions which we are totally engaged in. These missions are situated in the most underdeveloped areas of Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya and India. These are some of the great examples of our mission of human empowerment. Fr. Thomas Varghese MSFS Director, MSFS-MDO, Rome

3. THE XX GENERAL CHAPTER AND THE MISSION DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Fr. Thomas Cherukat MSFS, Director MDO South West India Province A comprehensive report of the Mission Development Office in Rome was presented to the General Chapter 2019. The report was prepared by Fr. Thomas Chozhithara, the Director of MDO in Rome. I am happy to share with you a few highlights from the report. “Sponsor a Child in Need” is an ongoing project of the MDO at the global level. It is a modest program but the little help that is made available through this program is reaching some of the poorest of the poor in our missions. As of now the MDO has been able to reach out to 675 poor children in our missions worldwide and most of them fall under the category of orphans, semi-orphans or vulnerable children. Drinking Water Project is yet another ongoing program supported by the MDO especially in Chad-Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya and Mozambique. A number of boreholes/shallow wells have been completed besides the construction of a few water tanks and facilities for rainwater harvesting. Seminarians Support: A few seminarians from Mozambique and Chad-Cameroon are currently supported through the efforts of MDO. Support for some of the upcoming educational institutions in the African Missions is yet another initiative of the MDO. Contributions were made towards the construction of some of the new schools in Chad-Cameroon and Uganda and for a Kindergarten in Mozambique. Response to Emergencies: MDO has been able to respond to some of the emergencies such as the recent floods in Kerala and Tamilnadu and the fire accident in the Tato Mission in North East India. The General Chapter commended the efforts of the MDO and gave its approval for the several followup programs that were suggested in the report. The proposal of forming Support Groups in various countries in view of establishing NGOs and NonProfit Organizations was welcomed by the Chapter. As most of the Province-level MDOs are already in place, the Chapter gave its assent to insert an appropriate article in the General Directory and thereby making it a statutory body in the Congregation.

4. After the flood and landslide in Kerala and Karnataka, India Fr. Benny Koottanal MSFS, Provincial SW India Province The memories of the terrific flood and landslides which affected Kerala and parts of Karnataka are still lingering in our minds. The MSFS Congregation through the direct intervention of the Missionaries in South West India Province made a coordinated effort to provide assistance and relief to the flood hit victims of Kerala and Karnataka ever since the deluge hit these states. As an immediate response flood relief camps were organized, food materials as well as household goods were distributed. Funds organized by the members of the congregation from different parts of the world through different sources were channelized through the South West India Province to the most affected people. In Kerala under the supervision of the SFS Vidyashram (MSFS community in Aluva) seven new houses were built for the seven families who lost their houses and belongings. In Karnataka, through the instrumentality of FIDES India (an MSFS charitable/social development organization in South India) 14 houses were repaired and renovated, making them habitable. The whole congregation is thankful to all those people and organizations which supported this noble venture. There are still many people who live in broken houses.

5. Resurrecting from the “Gaja” in Tamilnadu, India Fr. Arockiasamy Selvaraj MSFS, Director MDO SE Province, India We the social work team of South – East India Province through the contributions of our Congregation, well-wishers, fathers from different parts of the world and donors, have begun our relief works for the people soon they are affected by the cyclone “Gaja”. Till now we have covered about 35 Villages. In our first phase of relief work, we had provided the people with purified drinking water, bed sheets, tarpaulins, saris, candles, mosquito-coils and also all the necessary house hold things. Electricity has been one of the bare needs of the people and all the electric polls and electric lines have been so badly dismantled and destroyed by the cyclone. In many parts especially in villages the power supply would return to normalcy after one or two months only therefore, In our second phase of relief work we have started to help the people in the villages, with solar electric lambs with the dual aspect of recharging the phones and lighting the house. In the third phase we have entered into Rehabilitation activities, like that of coconut plants, roofing the houses, irrigation activities and building new houses to those who have lost their houses. We wholeheartedly thank all the people who have generously supported us in doing the relief and rehabilitation works. We also earnestly appeal you to support us in our upcoming rehabilitation works as we have planned.

6. St. Joseph’s Vocational Training Center, Mlolongo, Kenya Fr. Lawrence Sebowa MSFS, Director Since its foundation in year 2000 by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales in Mlolongo, Machakos County in Kenya with the aim of providing quality education and entrepreneurship skills at affordable costs to the youth. It has transformed the lives of many young people from less privileged families by equipping them with necessary skills and knowledge to create and access jobs in Kenyan market and also become self-reliant. The institute offers the following courses; Motor vehicle mechanic, Tailoring and dressmaking, Embroidery, Computerized Secretarial and Front Office, Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) Diploma and Certificate, Computer studies in Applications, Graphic design, Accounting Packages and Hardware and software maintenance. The centre has provided many skilled young people into the Kenyan job market and also made many entrepreneurs by enabling many of the graduates to start up their own businesses. This has created jobs to many youths and assisted in reducing the levels of poverty and crime rate in the society. However, the increasing number of jobless youths who come to us for training is increasing and our financial resources are running dry. A boy or girl can attend a training programme with 400 USD in a year. Usually they require two complete a programme. Helping one of such youths is a great help to empower a family.

7. Mermier Kindergarten, Domue, Mozambique Fr. Aajo Therully MSFS, Parish Priest Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales took charge of St. Peter Claver Parish in Domue in the northern Mozambique about 18 months ago. It is a vast mission founded in 1973 but abandoned completely during the civil war. Now the young missionaries have started their multifaceted missionary works of wholistic empowerment. They have to start everything anew. The people are cooperative and hospitable. The people live hand to mouth from subsisting farming entirely based on rainfall. This year there was too much rains and flood which destroyed their homes and lands, making their lives more miserable. As over 75% of the population is analphabetic, we decided to start a Kindergarten in our mission in the available building which is old and broken. We have already 160 children at the moment who come to learn but our facilities are too minimal. To educate and enlighten these children who are coming from a very poor financial situation, we need your support.

8. Making of a house of God in Majia ya Chai, Tanzania Fr. Tomichan Perumanoor MSFS, Parish Priest Maji ya Chai is a growing parish in the region of Arusha in Kilimanjaro. In this slowly blooming township there are a lot of Christians, especially catholics. They do not have an adequate place to worship. At present we are praying in a small shed. Hence the majority of the faithful remain outside the church for the service. Therefore the immediate priority of the parish now is to construct the church, to accommodate the growing number of Catholics of the place. The new church will also enable us to have adequate space for other activities of the parish like, coming together of the lay leaders, catechists, catechumens, conducting renewal programs for the faithful, seminars, retreats etc…. The parishioners are very eager to build the church and they are working and dreaming day and night. We have finished the foundation and wall. However they look for some external support to complete the roofing and finishing of the church.

9. Starting a new Fransalian Mission in Malawi Fr.S.Susairaj MSFS, Superior Malawi is known as the warm heart of Africa and largely agricultural country. Since 17th October 2018 four of our confreres live in the diocese of Karonga preparing themselves to start a new mission in Livingstonia in northern Malawi close to the boarder to Tanzania. We were accorded warm welcome by the chiefs of the village and leaders of the Church. While attending the language course taught by Sr. Agnes (Sisters of the Holy Rosary) we started to celebrate the Mass and attend other spiritual activities in the local language called ‘Chitumbuka’. The Diocese covers the whole of Karonga and Chitipa civil districts, and some parts of Rumphi civil district. It is an area of 12,000km², with a population of about 500, 000 of whom over 60,000 are Catholics. Livingstonia, the proposed mission is on a hill top 1200ft above the sea level. It has 14 prayer centres or outstations. The official inauguration of our mission in Livingstonia takes place on 5th May. Rev. Fr. Abraham Vettivelil, our beloved Superior General and other confreres will grace the occasion.

10. There is no negotiating with the cross: One either embraces it or rejects it,” Pope Francis On Palm Sunday (14.04.2019), Pope Francis warned against the temptation of “triumphalism,” encouraging Catholics to follow Jesus’s way of humility and obedience exemplified in His Passion. “Joyful acclamations at Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, followed by his humiliation. Festive cries followed by brutal torture. This twofold mystery accompanies our entrance into Holy Week each year,” The pope prayed for the grace “to follow in faith our Savior’s example of humility, to heed his lesson of patient suffering, and thus to merit a share in his victory over the spirit of evil.” “Humility does not mean denying reality: Jesus really is the Messiah, truly the King,” Pope Francis said. Processing through the crowds with palms and olive branches in St. Peter’s Square for the first liturgy of Holy Week, Pope Francis said that Christ responded to the temptation of “triumphalism” in His entrance into Jerusalem by “holding fast to his own way, the way of humility.” Pope Francis explained that by “triumphalism” he means engaging in “shortcuts and false compromises,” without being “forged in the crucible of the cross.” “Brothers and sisters, there is no negotiating with the cross: one either embraces it or rejects it,” Francis said. “True triumph involves making room for God and the only way to do that is by stripping oneself, by self-emptying. To remain silent, to pray, to accept humiliation,” he continued. “Jesus shows us how to face moments of difficulty” with “confident abandonment to the Father and to his saving will, which bestows life and mercy,” the pope explained.

11. We seek Help! Many poor and orphan children wait for a sponsor and in many places they need safe drinking water. Your prayers and support can work wonders in the lives of many! Support a Seminarian to respond to the call of God and to become a missionary with 70 Euros per month at least for four years. A Missionary is not only a priest who celebrates Mass every day, but also a social worker, counselor, educator, leader and a developer. You can also support us by providing Mass Stipends or Used stamps. Published for private circulation by: Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS/Fransalian) Mission Development Office Via del Mascherino 46/2 00193 Rome, Italy Phone: +39 366 110 2383 Mail. msfsmdo@gmail.com www.msfstoday.org/amisales.org Our Bank Account in Italy Associazione Missionaria di Sales Onlus Banco Posta, Roma IBAN: IT38X07601032 0000000 8596744 BIC(SWIFT CODE): BPPIITRRXXX In the US we can be contacted and supported through: Living Waters International, Inc. - Aid for African Catholic Missions - P.O. Box 614 Antigo, WI 54409 Phone: 715.627.4782 Toll Free: 866.220.8981 Web: www.livingwatersinternational.org Email: livingh2o@livingwatersinternational.org