Propagation director retires

After ten years as diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Holy Childhood Association, Rev. Paul Tartaglia has passed the torch to a new bearer.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is the Pope's official agency for providing resources to developing countries, explained Father Tartaglia, who is retiring from administrative work.

The experience of directing these efforts locally have been positive for the priest. "It's been a privilege sustaining awareness of the Church throughout the world," he said.

Long before Father Tartaglia headed the Propagation office, he reported "an interest and love for the missions." As a seminarian, the priest even served as president of his seminary's mission society.

During his tenure, Father Tartaglia found the personal contacts he had with both missionaries and local Catholics to be rewarding.

"They have an extraordinary and beautiful faith dimension," he said. "And the people here have been sacrificial in their giving. I enjoyed the messages they sent."

During his tenure, Father Tartaglia found local Catholics generous in their support of the missions. "They've been absolutely, incredibly supportive," he said.

Not only do local Catholics contribute on World Mission Sunday, but they respond to Father Tartaglia's weekly column in The Evangelist. The number of bequests also increased under Father Tartaglia's leadership. He cited the "unusual kindness" of Catholics of the Albany Diocese as the reason for this financial success.

The most interesting aspect of working with the Society for the Propagation of the Faith has been maintaining a worldwide perspective on the Church, he said. Working with the missions has allowed him to broaden his views. "It's not a limited view," he said. "There can be a tendency to see here only."

As director, Father Tartaglia made three trips to India to assess the needs in that country and to offer retreats. The experience left a lasting impact.

"I witnessed real poverty," he said. One year on Mission Sunday, Father Tartaglia was in India preaching at a cathedral: "They are in dire poverty but they took up a collection. They still put their pennies and nickels in."

He was struck by the fact that although these people were poor, they still saw the need to contribute to the development of the Church in other emerging nations.

Catholics in these missionary countries have a lot to teach us, said the priest. "They teach us they have something to communicate," he said. "They have joy and peace. They find contentment in things other than the material. They have a beautiful sense of peace and amazing joy."

Although he is retiring from his position, the priest stated that "I'd like to stay involved" in mission work in some fashion.

(04-10-97) [[In-content Ad]]