Within the past two weeks, I have sent letters concerning
our annual Missionary Cooperative Program (MCP) to the pastors and
administrators in the Archdiocese of Boston. MCP
brings a mission speaker into every parish once a year. Its purpose is not only to raise financial
support for missionary activity, but also to bring the message of mission
education to every parishioner.
One of the mission dioceses that benefits from MCP is the
diocese of Machakos in Kenya, a relatively young African diocese founded in
1969. This week I received a letter from
the bishop of Machakos, Rt. Rev. Martin Kivuva Musonde, thanking me for the
support his diocese received from the 2012 MCP.
The Archdiocesan parishes who welcomed the Bishop’s representative were Holy Family, Lowell, St. John the
Evangelist, Chelmsford, St. James the Greater, Boston, and my own parish, St.
Gerard Majella in Canton.
In Bishop Musonde’s letter, he detailed how this money would
be spent:
As indicated in our
2012 MCP application, I am committing the donations from your diocese to
support the following needs:
1) Payment of tuition and fees for bright
children from poor families to complete their high school and/or college
education. We often find that if
students with potential are unable to complete their education, they turn to
drug abuse and undesirable lifestyles.
2) We will continue our support of our 21 group
homes which house children with disabilities.
We need to make the homes safer and more comfortable for them.
3) We will continue to support the 4 orphanages
in our diocese to provide the children with the necessities of life and a safe
and nurturing environment.
Although you may never leave the comfort of your own home,
you can fulfill your vocation as a missionary carrying the gospel message “to
the ends of the earth” by your prayerful and generous support of the Pontifical
Society for the Propagation of the Faith when your parish hosts a missionary
representative sometime during the next few months. Bishop Musonde closed his letter by writing May
God bless you abundantly for your support of this life transforming ministry. Although those words were addressed to me,
they are also meant for each one of you. During this Easter season, may the Risen Christ bless
you with his peace and with the ultimate gift of eternal life.
-Rev. Rodney J. Copp, JCL
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