Missioners bring world to Diocese

Parishioners of St. Gabriel the Archangel parish in Rotterdam heard something a little different at a recent Mass.

Instead of a homily from their pastor, an unfamiliar priest spoke with a clear but obvious accent about six small villages in Cameroon, where he serves as a missionary.

That scene is repeated in many parishes across the Diocese during the summer, when missionary priests and sisters come to preach about and raise money for their causes through the Diocesan Missionary Cooperative Plan.

Many into one

Up to 350 mission-sending organizations compete for 43 parish assignments each year, said Rev. Michael Farano, director of the diocesan Office for the Propagation of the Faith.

The green light is given to organizations that have both a foreign or domestic mission component, and members working and living within the Diocese.

But some organizations, like Maryknoll, are considered even if they don't have members working in Albany "because they're such a presence," Father Farano said. "Maryknoll was founded in this country and are the mission-sending society for the United States."

Others invited to speak this year were the Sisters of Saint Joseph, the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement, the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus and Missionhurst.

Getting to know you

Rev. Francis Caguioa, a Missionhurst priest, "did very well" at St. Gabriel's, according to the pastor, Rev. Leo Markert.

His visit had an extra bonus, he added: "It was good that in the midst of the vocation crisis, the people were able to meet a young priest."

Father Caguioa stayed for coffee hour and met other parishioners directly. That often isn't the case if the missionary has a tight speaking schedule, which may usher them in right before Mass and out directly after so they can make a second or third speaking assignment.

Mutual benefit

While one goal of the program is to raise funds for missionary efforts worldwide, another goal affects parishioners in the Diocese: connecting with their fellow Catholics around the world.

"The importance of these collections for the missions cannot be understated. We want to help raise consciousness of the existence, needs and sufferings of the missionary Church," Father Farano explained. "It is very important to sensitize ourselves to the life of the Church outside the developed world, as the missions represent the future of our Church. There, the faith is growing leaps and bounds.

"The missionaries tell their stories and how they preach the Gospel -- and their stories represent the unfolding life of the Gospel in developing countries," he said.

Big impression

Father Farano remembers the distinct impression a missionary from Brazil made at St. Pius X. The priest told about how missionaries taught Brazilian women to crush eggshells and mix them into a children's drink to strengthen young bones. They learned about programs such as the training of catechists and seminarians, the development of well-baby care classes, and the construction of new chapels and worship spaces.

To this day, Father Farano noted, parishioners still ask about the progress of the mission.

"I've seen the villages there," said Father Farano, who recently visited the missions. "Believe me -- there's no money there. We've been blessed in the Albany Diocese with people who seem to really love the missions -- who give because they connect with the cause."

Father Markert added: "You get 50 weeks a year to listen to the pastor talk on homilies -- and once or twice a year to expand your horizons and learn that the Church is not just here, but worldwide."

(The net proceeds from a second collection for missionaries can vary from $3,000 to $9,000, according to Father Farano. In 2002, $281,000 was raised for mission organizations, an amount that shows the "great generosity on the part of parishioners in this Diocese," he said.)

(8/14/03) [[In-content Ad]]