Faith

Necessity is the mother of invention: motorbikes must be rafted downstream for the bishop to continue on his treacherous journey of faith.

Propagation of the Faith

The Path to Evangelization is Not Always Easy

Friday, March 27, 2026Faith

Do you ever pray that God would reveal life's road in front of you and show you exactly where He wants you to go, who He wants you to meet, and what words He'd like you to use? It's a common feeling no matter your vocation in life; Bishop Aloysius Abangalo Fondong of the Diocese of Mamfe, Cameroon certainly attests to it.
Sometimes, his pathway is direct. He climbs into a car, drives to an outpost, celebrates Mass, and listens to the needs of the faithful. Other times, such as on a recent visit to Saint Francis of Assisi sub-parish, the unpredictable terrain can put him on what seems like an obstacle course. He overcomes those challenges, and more, because of his deep faith in God's providence and the support he receives from The Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
On this pastoral trip, he drove a long distance, crossing the Nigerian border and returning to Cameroon, before he reached a river. Bishop Aloysius and his team walked across precarious hanging bridges then climbed into dugout canoes. Once downriver, however, they still needed a different mode of transportation.
It was here that Bishop Aloysius thanked God and YOU, donors to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, for the used motorcycles that were loaded into a canoe separate from his own. Without your help, this last but necessary form of transportation would have been financially out of reach for the bishop, or any of his priests to reach the remote area.
You see, once they were far enough downstream, what the locals called "roads" were impassible pathways full of mud from the recent rains. Even four-wheel drive trucks would have been useless. Heavy-duty offroad motor bikes were their only choice after first slogging through some heavy mud on foot.
Although the motorcycles seem like unusual necessities for priests and bishops, the vehicles, funded by subsidies of about $2,000 each from The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, are vital tools of evangelization, especially in areas where lack of infrastructure and poor weather conditions combine to make travel nearly impossible.
During the forty days of Lent, your generous, prayerful sacrifice will bring the Eucharist to a remote outpost, no matter how difficult the journey. The people who receive Him will now be able to share the Good News of salvation with others, no matter how difficult a path God leads them on!
To help more mission bishops with transportation this Lent, go to www.propfaithboston.org or mail your gift to us at 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree, MA 02184.

- Maureen Crowley Heil is Director of Programs and Development for the Pontifical Mission Societies, Boston.