Dhadim, 30 November, 2019 / 4:07 am (ACI Africa).
With 5,000 Euros a year, a religious missionary ministering among Ethiopia’s Borana community has been able to have an impactful apostolate that has included giving dozens of youth the opportunity to interact with peers from other cultures in inter-diocesan pastoral programs, evangelizing couples through the Sacrament of Matrimony, empowering women to become teachers of faith, among other activities that have kept faith alive in the Horn of Africa.
In a narrative to Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN) shared with ACI Africa Thursday, November 28, Nigerian Spiritan Missionary in Ethiopia, Fr. Kenneth Iwunna has given an account of the activities he has accomplished in his ministry in Ethiopia’s Holy Cross Parish in Dhadim, South of Ethiopia.
“Each year, 65 to 100 young people can take part in a three-day pastoral programme that is held in another diocese,” Fr. Iwunna said and explained in reference to the youth involved in the inter-diocesan encounters, “Most of them have never been anywhere other than their own village. For them it is an important experience to get together with young people from other tribes and talk about what they know.”
“Another advantage is that they are more motivated afterwards to learn another language such as English and to go to school,” he said and added, “These days are not only of benefit to them, but to the entire community because when the young people come back, they talk about their experiences at Church and the older people are also very interested in this.”
Besides engaging the youth in encountering their peers in other diocese, the Nigerian missionary has used the funds from ACN to provide necessities that enable the Sacrament of Matrimony in a context where weddings have become expensive affair.
