Photo courtesy/The Pontifical Mission Societies of Malawi
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The October 21 edition of The Boston Pilot did a wonderful job of describing the pageantry of Boston's World Mission Sunday celebration held at St. Michael's in Lowell. As the flags of many nations processed in -- some carried by natives of the country, others by local teen volunteers -- we watched the universal Church come to life. Music, readings, and prayers were heard in languages from every populated continent.
In my remarks that day, I noted that World Mission Sunday is a day when every Catholic church, from the tiniest mission outpost to the grandest cathedral, pauses to celebrate and support the ministry of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Looking around at the beauty of St. Michael's, with its glorious stained glass, strong pews, and beautiful sanctuary, it was easy to imagine Masses around the world being celebrated in similar places.
I only needed to go home and open my Facebook feed to find something that lifted my heart even higher. The Diocese of Karonga, Malawi had posted the pictures of their World Mission Sunday celebration. With a hashtag of We_Shall_Go_To_Them, the post featured pictures of Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka making his way to an outstation called Menge (you won't find it on Google Maps -- I tried!). So-called "outstations" serve pockets of Catholics who live too far from an established parish to worship there regularly. Bishop Martin had already traveled over 60 miles to get to St. Matthias Mulumba Parish in Misuku, ironically about the same distance I drove to get to Lowell. I can assure you, the roads he traveled were nowhere near as good.
From the parish, the bishop and his local escorts set out on foot. They walked a steep, dirt path carved into the hillside by many travelers' feet. In his white cassock, he led the way, as his group picked up more followers. Soon, they came to a river crossing; three planks lashed together, balanced on rocks was their bridge.
As they approached the Menge Outstation, hundreds of people waited. There were too many to fit under the temporary leaf-fringed shelters they had built of posts and cloth for the occasion. I could imagine the cry of joy that greeted the bishop -- the first one to visit the place since 1990.
Bishop Martin vested for Mass and their celebration began. It was the same Mass with the same prayers as ours. And yes, they too, took up a collection for the Propagation of the Faith so that the Gospel that is so very precious to us all can be spread to the ends of the earth.
- Maureen Crowley Heil is Director of Programs and Development for the Pontifical Mission Societies, Boston.