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Build a Chapel in One of the Remotest Regions of Ethiopia Will you help build a chapel for this poor but growing Catholic community in one of the remotest regions of Ethiopia? The region of Benishangul-Gumuz in the far west of Ethiopia and on the border with Sudan is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped regions in the country. It has a population of almost 990,000, a little over one fifth of whom belong to the Gumuz ethnic group. Culturally, the Gumuz people are more closely related to the peoples of Sudan than to the other ethnic groups in Ethiopia. In the late 19th century and even into the first third of the 20th century, many of the Gumuz fell victim to the slave traders. Most of the Gumuz people have
only very recently come into contact with Christianity. Their traditional
religion has many different gods (or spirits or forces), including a river god,
an earth god, a sun god, a tree god, a god of a particular mountain and many
other gods besides. There is a widespread belief in witchcraft, and many superstition-based traditions are practiced which cause great suffering. Pregnant Gumuz women must leave their villages and give birth to their child alone in the woods, by a river or in the bush. They have to stay in this remote spot for at least three days, so if any complications occur, there is nobody to help them. But the people are convinced that the blood that flows in childbirth will bring a curse upon the family. The Catholic priests and religious who have recently come to this region have been welcomed with great joy by the people, who are happy to hear about the Good News of the Gospel. At the same time, their daily lives have improved, because the missionaries have brought with them medical care and set up schools for their children, and because they are also helping to overcome not only their worst physical sufferings but also their fears of evil spirits and witchcraft. The Comboni missionaries have been working in the region for twelve years now and have established two mission stations so far. They now have four very well-established Catholic communities, but none of them has a chapel yet. The Comboni Fathers have turned to ACN for help so that they can build a small chapel in one of the villages where they can celebrate Holy Mass, give religious instruction and conduct other prayers and liturgical ceremonies. Until now, all these actions have to be done in the open air, exposed to the elements and interrupted by scorching heat or torrential rainfall. A chapel would also strengthen the sense of community solidarity among the faithful and their sense of identification with the Church. At present the community has 120 already baptized Catholics, plus another 85 catechumens and 80 children. The local people have no money but are willing to contribute whatever they can in the form of locally available building materials, together with their own willing, if unskilled, labor. But more durable and permanent materials will also be needed, such as the steel for construction, and for this the Comboni missionaries have asked for help from ACN. The chapel will also need to be protected with an enclosure fence. We are proposing to help with a contribution of $21,300. Will you help build a chapel for this poor but growing Catholic community in one of the remotest regions of Ethiopia?
Aid to the Church in Need commits to invest your funds where they will have the greatest impact for the Church that we serve. Funds donated to Aid to the Church in Need’s projects will be used towards the greatest need in our programs to help keep the Faith alive. |
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Keeping the Faith Alive
