For many years, St. John’s Parish has made the decision to reach out to one particular suffering amid so many in the world. As you know, our 2014 Lenten Gift was for the Central African Republic (CAR) to Bishop Nestor, a priest of the Society of Missionaries of Africa. Long after Lent ended, our parishioners kept responding. Now we have sent our completed gift to Bishop Nestor. It is our great joy to tell you the extraordinary news that the amount of our Lenten Gift was $34,800 sent to Bishop Nestor’s Diocesan bank account in France. Bishop Nestor will have the discretion to use our gift to meet immediate needs (food, shelter and medical supplies) as well as long term rebuilding. How blessed are we to be able to so share our gifts! Thank you one and all!
The situation in the Central African Republic continues to be dangerous and unsettled, even as displaced families begin the long and arduous process of returning to their homes, farms and lives, and as the Church begins to rebuild. During Easter Week, Bishop Nestor and three of his priests were briefly kidnapped by Seleka rebels who planned to execute them; they were freed unharmed on Holy Thursday after one of the Seleka commanding officers, described by Bishop Nestor as “a good man with a good conscience,” ordered that they be released. You can read more about this incident on the CAR News and Resources page on our website, which we continue to update with news from CAR and Bishop Nestor.
