Category Archives: 2014 Lenten Gift

St. John’s was so happy to hear from Bishop Nestor, a message delayed due to danger and turbulence. Bishop Nestor shares what our extraordinary 2014 Lenten Gift of last year is making possible… certainly some NEW HOPE!

DIOCESE DE BOSSANGOA
B.P. 1728 BANGUI
République Centrafricaine

24th, February 2015

GRATITUDE
The crisis the rebels from the Seleka coalition started in December 2012 has plunged the whole Central African Republic in a complete state of chaos. That military crisis often presented, for some unknown reasons, as religious crisis opposing Christians and Muslims, has damaging consequences on the whole country and its population. The toll of destructions is horrendous: perpetration of criminal acts and violation of basic human rights. The Catholic Church has greatly suffered from this crisis: profanation of our churches, destruction of many parish houses and convents, acts of vandalism against most of our religious infrastructures (healthcare and education centres, development structures…).

The diocese of Bossangoa whose pastoral charge has been entrusted to my care has not been spared. In fact it has greatly suffered. Through the concern shown by Fr. Thomas Powers and the generosity of the parishioners from Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Wellesley, the proceeds from your Lenten project have been gladly allotted to the rehabilitation of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Batangafo. That town is located in the North-Eastern part of my diocese.

Following my kidnapping in that same town as I was taking back the pastor and his assistant on 16th April, 2014 and due to greater insecurity in the area, the project could not take place at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Batangafo. I transferred it to Bossangoa mostly to the parishes of Our Lady of Ouham and Saint Charles Lwanga. Bad roads and scarcity in the building materials have caused some delay in its implementation. I am grateful for your thirty five thousand ($35.000) US dollar donation which enables me to rehabilitate those two parishes.

On the behalf of the beneficiaries, I wish to record my gratitude to you for your kindness and your generosity.

Most Rev Dr Nestor Désiré NONGO AZIAGBIA SMA
Bishop of Bossangoa, Central African Repubic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Bishop Nestor,

Greetings and warmest regards from St. John’s Parish in Wellesley, MA. My name is Jim Miller and I am one of the members of the St. John’s Service Commission. You may recall that we emailed each other this past February. I am now writing this email to update you on St. John’s Lenten Gift effort. You and your diocese have been and remain in our thoughts and prayers. As you know, St. John’s Parish has used the season of Lent to direct our prayers and almsgiving to the people of the CAR. Specifically, we have been praying for solutions to the suffering and political unrest in our Prayers of the Faithful at each Mass during Lent. Additionally, each St. John’s religious education class has been opening class with a special prayer for the children and people of your diocese. Lastly, we have taken a special Lenten gift collection which will be donated to you for the aid and support of the people in your diocese.

Please know that many parishioners and the staff at St. John’s remember you well and feel a special spiritual connection with you and your people. The St. John’s Service Commission worked hard to educated our parishioners on the human suffering and political unrest in CAR and more specifically on your situation in the diocese of Bossangoa. We emphasized your desire to restore hope, give people back their dignity, offer reassurance and stress self-responsibility so people can return to their villages and rebuild their lives. Through the Grace of the Holy Spirit and because you are well known to us and your needs are so great and compelling, St. John’s parishioners have raised just over $30,000 to be given to you to address the needs of the diocese.

Fr. Tom will be contacting you over the next several days to communicate the final amount of the Lenten gift and discuss money transfer and the use of proceeds. We feel so blessed to offer our assistance. We pray that it will greatly assist you in your mission of restoring hope, rebuilding physical assets, restarting lives and returning people their dignity. Our best wishes to you
and all the people of your diocese for a blessed Easter Sunday and Easter season!

Sincerely,

Jim Miller & the entire St. John’s Service Commission

Thank you so much for your support of this year’s 2014 Lenten Gift for Bishop Nestor and the people of the Central African Republic. The final collection totaled just over $30,000 and resulted from big and small donations from so many parishioners as well as various CCD classes. This collection will go a long way to help Bishop Nestor give people back their hope and personal dignity as they restore property and rebuild their lives. Thank you for being a true witness to Christ’s love by giving of yourself to people you don’t even know because you have chosen to “love one another as I have loved you.” John 13:34.

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on Earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world.
— St. Theresa of Avila

THANK YOU!

With our Parish Lenten Gift,  the St. John’s community will collectively make an impact on the Central African Republic, where tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children are suffering from hunger, disease and lack of security after being displaced from their homes by warring rebels and local militia groups.  In solidarity with Bishop Nestor, we will collect funds to help the people of the Diocese of Bossangoa restart their lives. We at St. John’s have this opportunity to alleviate great suffering through our unique relationship with Bishop Nestor and the Catholic Church, the only institution still functioning across the CAR.

In the Words of Bishop Nestor

While the needs are great, Bishop Nestor says, “We have learned to cut our coat according to our materials…  We thank God for what we have already received and thank the parishioners of St. John’s in advance for their support and help offered to my diocese.”

Bishop Nestor’s efforts are focused on giving people hope and returning their human dignity. Bishop Nestor plans to use the funds for the most immediate needs:

• Helping people rehabilitate their burnt houses

• Helping people to restart new farms
• Equipping people with nonfood items
• Feeding the hungry

Pope Francis’ Call

Additionally, this gift aligns with Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to better focus on helping the poor and those living on the fringe.

Small yet strong in the love of God, like Saint Francis of Assisi,
all of us, as Christians, are called to watch over and protect the fragile world in which we live, and all its peoples.
–Pope Francis

Our Action

We have been praying for the people in CAR through our Prayers of the Faithful during Lent.  It is now time to offer our financial support. Please be as generous as you can.

By Mail: Donations can be mailed to the Rectory or dropped off weekdays during regular business hours.

To Donate Online via ParishPay:  Click this link and choose 2014 Lenten Gift under One-Time Donations (Please Note: you do not need to be a regular ParishPay user to donate online – anyone can make a secure, one-time donation with a credit card.)

To learn more about Bishop Nestor’s efforts and the ongoing crisis Central African Republic, please visit the 2014 Parish Lenten Gift page  where you will find the story in words and pictures, personal reflections on Bishop Nestor from parishioners, as well as many additional links and resources.

This weekend, April 5-6, the St. John’s community will collectively make an impact on the Central African Republic, where tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children are suffering from hunger, disease and lack of security after being displaced from their homes by warring rebels and local militia groups.  In solidarity with Bishop Nestor, we will collect funds to help the people of the Diocese of Bossangoa restart their lives. We at St. John’s have this opportunity to alleviate great suffering through our unique relationship with Bishop Nestor and the Catholic Church, the only institution still functioning across the CAR.

In the Words of Bishop Nestor

While the needs are great, Bishop Nestor says, “We have learned to cut our coat according to our materials…  We thank God for what we have already received and thank the parishioners of St. John’s in advance for their support and help offered to my diocese.”

Bishop Nestor’s efforts are focused on giving people hope and returning their human dignity. Bishop Nestor plans to use the funds for the most immediate needs:

• Helping people rehabilitate their burnt houses

• Helping people to restart new farms
• Equipping people with nonfood items
• Feeding the hungry

Pope Francis’ Call

Additionally, this gift aligns with Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to better focus on helping the poor and those living on the fringe.

Small yet strong in the love of God, like Saint Francis of Assisi,
all of us, as Christians, are called to watch over and protect the fragile world in which we live, and all its peoples.
–Pope Francis

Our Action

We have been praying for the people in CAR through our Prayers of the Faithful during Lent.  It is now time to offer our financial support. Please be as generous as you can.

At Masses this Weekend: Please give generously to our Special Second Collection at all masses during the weekend of April 5-6. (Checks can be made payable to “St. John Parish”; we will total all funds and send one check to Bishop Nestor.)

Donations will be accepted by mail and Parish Pay beyond this weekend.

By Mail: Donations can be mailed to the Rectory or dropped off weekdays during regular business hours.

To Donate Online via ParishPay:  Click this link and choose 2014 Lenten Gift under One-Time Donations (Please Note: you do not need to be a regular ParishPay user to donate online – anyone can make a secure, one-time donation with a credit card.)

To learn more about Bishop Nestor’s efforts and the ongoing crisis Central African Republic, please visit the 2014 Parish Lenten Gift page  where you will find the story in words and pictures, personal reflections on Bishop Nestor from parishioners, as well as many additional links and resources.

For many years in preparing for Lent, St. John’s parish has made the decision to reach out to one particular suffering amid so many in the world.  During this season of prayer and giving, our parish has a rich history of sacrificial giving.   Last year’s gift was to the parish of St. Margaret Mary on Staten Island, NY for Super Storm Sandy rebuilding.  Previous gifts were for famine relief in East Africa and rebuilding and medical supplies in earthquake devastated Haiti.  Our Lenten Gift strengthens each of us individually and the parish as a community of faith, as we give witness to Christ’s call to “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Lent’s clarion call to love extravagantly is what Lent is about.

Why Central African Republic?

• St. John’s parishioners connect with causes with great needs or suffering where we can provide relief.
• The Central African Republic (CAR) gift helps to relieve great need for shelter, food and basic materials to “restart” the lives of the thousands who suffer from hunger, disease and insecurity from being displaced from their homes due to civil unrest.
• St. John’s personally knows Bishop Nestor-Désiré Nongo Aziagbia of Bossangoa. He is a priest of the Society of Missionaries of Africa (SMA) who was in residence at St. John’s in summer of 2006 while attending Boston College for a master’s degree.  Reverend Fr. Tom Powers has remained in contact with Nestor as he returned to his country as a pastor and now as the Bishop of Bossangoa.  Bishop Nestor has testified at the United Nations and the US House Subcommittee on Africa.
• This project, so far away from Wellesley and to benefit those we will never know, seems to perfectly fit with Pope Francis call for practicing Catholics to realize the grace they have been given and accept responsibility for helping others experience the same grace — especially the poor, the sick and others left on the peripheries or margins of society.

What is the Central African Republic?

The CAR, located in the middle of Africa, gained its independence from France in 1960.  The country has a population of approximately 4.5 million, is about the size of Texas and has an average annual income of $800 (one of the poorest countries in the world).  The CAR was democratically ruled from 1993 until 2003 when there was a military coup.  The government has been marked by corruption, human rights violations and outside country interference.  The most recent instability commenced in December 2012 when political rebels, the Selekas, a coalition of rebel Muslim groups as well as mercenaries from neighboring Chad and Sudan, used force to overturn the government and installed their own President. The brutality of the Selekas who destroyed and stole property, killed, abused and tortured civilians gave rise to a large opposition group, Antibabalaka, a local militia groups who identify themselves with the Christians and have committed similar atrocities as the Selekas.

Christian and Muslim church leaders describe the conflict as political and not religious as each group seeks power and control over the country’s significant mineral and natural resources.  Newspaper reports put the number of displaced people at over 1.1 million with Bishop Nestor housing and feeding up to 30,000 people on the church grounds.  Violence has been somewhat reduced recently as France deployed 1,500 peacekeepers which joined 5,000 African Union peacekeepers. However, this large country remains a very unsettled environment with great need.

This Year’s Gift

We will offering our support to Bishop Nestor and the people of his diocese through Prayer (Petitions of the Faithful and in CCD classes) and a Lenten Gift collection on April 5/6.  Proceeds will be transferred to Bishop Nestor safely through his diocese bank account in France.  Bishop Nestor will have the discretion to use proceeds to meet immediate needs (food, shelter and medical supplies) as well as long term needs (rebuilding the church and homes) since he is in a fluid situation with such great needs.

How blessed we are to be able to act on Pope Francis’ message to use the grace we have been given to help others attempting to gain hope in rebuilding.

You can find more information on our 2014 Lenten Gift, Bishop Nestor, the Diocese of Bossangoa, and the Central African Republic on our website: Our 2014 Parish Lenten Gift: The Central African Republic

Next Week’s bulletin: Look for additional information on the Central African Republic and the needs.