Last weekend one of our relatively new volunteer speakers, Joan, was
making an appeal for SURVIVE-MIVA in my own Parish. I couldn’t do the appeal
myself because I had other commitments for one of the two Sunday Masses, and
anyway, the parishioners have heard me speak before, and many knew me as a
child and, as the saying goes, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’! So, I decided it
would be better not to attend the second Sunday Mass that I was free for but go
to one of the neighbouring parishes. Checking the Mass times in the Diocesan
Directory I was reminded of how blessed I was with the choice of Mass times as
there were several churches that were in very easy travelling distance for me
(a car owner!).
I thought again of places I had visited where people are not so
fortunate. I remember some years ago, before I worked for SURVIVE-MIVA, I stayed in a village in a mountainous area of the Philippines where the priest
was able to visit only once a year. On his annual stop-over he would celebrate
Mass, baptise all the babies born in the past year, marry engaged couples etc.
Also, when I lived in Zimbabwe, working as a science teacher in a rural
school, I would walk about 4 miles once a month on a Saturday to attend Mass in
an outstation (a small hut) – often to find that the priest did not turn up! No
doubt the contact person at the outstation had been informed that the monthly
Mass was not possible that weekend but I wasn’t in the ‘communication loop’ so
would make the journey blissfully unaware.
Recently a report was received at SURVIVE-MIVA from Fr. David Okullu,
with accompanying photographs, highlighting the improvements in pastoral care
that have been achieved in Palabek Parish, Archdiocese of Gulu, Uganda thanks
to the availability of suitable transport - a motorcycle funded by SURVIVE-MIVA
(for £3,750). Before the motorcycle was purchased the priests travelled around
the Parish on bicycles, which, was extremely tiring and not very time-efficient.
The two priests based in Palabek Parish, Fr. David and Fr. Joseph, are
responsible for the pastoral care of people living in 30 villages/outstations.
Many of the people in the area are deeply traumatised following the 22 year war
in northern Uganda between government forces and the Lord’s Resistance Army.
The priests therefore offer the people counselling and spiritual direction, as
well as administering the Sacraments. On top of this, Fr. David acts as Chaplain
to the youth in the Parish (including pupils in 5 schools) and to staff at a
Health Centre. In recent times there has also been an influx of refugees from
South Sudan due to the conflict there, so the mobility the motorcycle has
provided is also enabling the priests to reach out to these suffering people.
With the motorcycle in action Fr. David reported that the frequency of
pastoral visits to the people, including the youth groups, has increased and ‘we
can now see and feel our parish is alive through the various pastoral
activities with the easy coordination of the programs.’
It is uplifting here in the SURVIVE-MIVA office to see the generosity of
our volunteers and supporters (such as Joan, our volunteer speaker, and the
parishioners in my own parish) transformed into a means of transport for
parishes such as Palabek Parish.
‘From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
work.’ Ephesians
4:16
Theresa
Assistant Director (Development), SURVIVE-MIVA
