2025 Mission Cooperative Appeal
Diocese of Miao in Northeast India
Deacon Rory Desmond, St. Cecilia’s Church
5pm Sat (May 31); 9am & 11am Sun (June 1)
Deacon Rory Desmond visited the parish to make a mission appeal for the Churches missionary work in India. Deacon Rory spoke to us about The Diocese of Miao which is in Northeast India.
Miao is a new missionary church it is up in the Himalayas in a region bordering Tibet, China and Myanmar (Burma). The Catholic Faith has only been in this area for the last forty years and for the first fifteen years of its existence the church was underground and persecuted.
This region of the Himalayas is extremely isolated and underdeveloped. The people here are a Mongolian Tribal people who are embracing the Catholic Faith eagerly and in growing numbers.
Most of the population lives in scattered isolated villages. The only reliable schools, clinics and social services are those provided by the Catholic Church. The region has little, or no infrastructure or development and the Church is the only provider of reliable education and health services as well as public health projects such as clean drinking water wells. Until the Church provided schools and teachers none of the tribal people had any access to education. The tribal people had no healthcare until the Church provided clinics, a hospital and trained medical personnel.
The people are flocking to the Gospel and the Church is growing in great numbers. It is a young vibrant and rapidly growing church spreading throughout the tribes to people hearing the Gospel for the first time.
To see the place, people and work please have a look at the link:
You can support the Diocese of Miao and other missionary efforts through the Mission Cooperative Appeal. Just pick up an envelope at the church and drop it off in the collection basket or at the church. Or you can donate by sending a check to Old St. Mary’s or donating online and putting “Mission Cooperative” in the memo line. Thanks for your support and for continuing the work of Christ to proclaim the Good News across the world.