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Mission Mentions

Colombian Nun on Road to Beatification

Mother Laura of St. Catherine of Sienna, a nun who “became an Indian with the Indians to win them all for Christ,” might soon become a blessed. The Vatican has approved a miracle attributed to her intercession. In her youth she was dedicated to teaching, but her real aspiration was to take the Gospel to the Indians of land.” 

Laura Montoya y Upegui was born on May 26, 1874 in Jerico, Colombia. She received her academic formation at the Holy Spirit School of Amalfi and a school in Medellín. From her first missionary trip in 1908, Mother Laura was inspired always by the missionary ideal. She catechized the Indians of the Uraba and Sarare jungles. 

She organized a group of young women in the service of God and of the neediest in 1914, giving life to a congregation, the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and St. Catherine of Sienna, that over the years spread to several Latin American countries. Mother Laura died in Medellín in 1949.

Basilian World Youth Day Organizer Joins Catholic TV Network

In July, Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, the National Director and Chief Executive Officer of World Youth Day 2002, became CEO of Canada’s first national Catholic television network, Salt and Light Television. Before his work on World Youth Day 2002, Father Rosica served as Executive Director and pastor of the Newman Center Catholic Mission at the University of Toronto and lectured on Scripture at universities in Toronto, London and Windsor. Salt and Light Television was relaunched as a not-for-profit, charitable organization starting in March. The Catholic network, currently available in Ontario, plans to expand nationally and become multi-lingual.

Dr. Seuss Anyone?

In a recent issue of the Mission Bulletin from St. Lucia, they printed a clever little rhyme written in Dr. Seuss’s inimitable style about saving used books for their library reading program. Father Clair Watrin hoped to catch the eye of readers of the Bulletin and get them to donate used children’s books. Many people in Father Watrin’s parish are illiterate and Father and his sturdy lay volunteers hope to encourage some of their more literate parishioners to read to their children. They know that literacy and a love of reading begins in the home.

Goodbye, Island Girl

Hazel Alphonse, of St. Lucia, spent the last four years studying at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, on a Basilian scholarship. Congratulation to Hazel for attaining her college degree. She has returned to St. Lucia. We wish her well as she begins her new life back home and hope to hear from her soon. 

"The missionaries have been angels for our island."

- Hazel Alphonse, St. Lucia, graduate of St. Thomas University, Houston, Texas 

Where Does the Money Go?

Your alms, sent in support of our missions, partially or totally fund many projects. Below is a list of only a few of the projects that your aid has helped to establish. One of our goals is to encourage the local people of our mission territories to help themselves as we provide them the means and the stimulus to become more self sufficient. In many cases, although the much needed primary funding comes from mission funds, the people have picked up and continued projects. One good example of this is the new church project for Ecce Homo. We are very proud that the people of this parish, although in one of the poorest barrios of the city, have begun contributing their own funds and have raised several thousand dollars on their own. This is quite an accomplishment in an area where more than 70 to 80% of the people are unemployed! Each gift you send not only supports but encourages these worthwhile projects of temporal improvement. Each prayer you say is like adding another brick to the universal Church.

Colombia

Bogota:

“Loaves and Fishes” - Father Vincent Thompson reports that in Bogota, bread, milk, and rice are distributed to over 220 poor families in the area. Family representatives come in small groups to a rented garage that has been converted into a food pantry, listen to a brief talk, and take home the food that they need for sustenance. About 10% of the food is donated by the Salesian Fathers; the remaining 90% is provided by the Basilian Fathers through the generous help from our co-missionaries.

Cali:

Children of La Playa. “La Playa” is the name of the poorest sector of the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Cali. A team of committed lay Christians, together with the pastor of the parish, have begun a formation-educational project which involves many of the children from this destitute area, many of whom do not go to school and whose families lack the bare necessities. The project includes basic education, games, outings, and nutrition.

School Lunch Program. All of the students at the Instituto Nuestra Señora de la Asunción are from poor families. Father Frank Amico reminds us that it’s difficult to study when you are hungry! Often many come to school hungry or at best with very poor nutrition. The School Lunch Program is a concrete way to “feed the hungry”. Students are given free hot and nutritious lunches, thanks to those who sponsor to feed a student through this program. 


Community Soup Kitchen, organized and operated by the Sisters of Mercy and a group of committed women of the parish along with the Pastor, provides daily nutritious warm meals at noon (the main meal in Colombia) to the very poor at very low cost or free! Thanks to the generosity of folks from the North, many meals are provided daily to the hungry.

In addition to the above programs, mission funds help support the Basilian run schools. Last year our generous comissionaries donated books to help build up the school library.