Doing the will of God

In many mission dioceses there are increasing numbers of students for the Priesthood and Religious life. This is wonderful news, but it’s not without its challenges for impoverished communities.

It costs at least £700 a year to train a student. Because their communities are poor, it is a struggle for the seminaries to provide everything their students need. The local bishops, parishes and families manage to collectively raise £200 annually for each student, but it is simply not enough.

Missio is the only funding organisation in the Church which guarantees a place for all who are accepted for formation in mission dioceses.

This is a unique role the Holy Father has given to Missio.

Through Missio, you can play a vital part in creating a vibrant Catholic Church for the future.

Journey to Priesthood: Denis from Cameroon

When we met Denis, he was studying for the Priesthood at St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Cameroon. Here he shares some insight into his journey:

‘My father died when I was 8 years old. He was a ‘quarterhead’, which is a position two levels below the village chief. My father had three wives and my mother was his last. He was quite elderly when they married. My mother had 11 children, and I am the sixth.

‘My family isn’t Catholic, although both Christianity and traditional beliefs were present in my village.

‘I remember when I was about 11, a Catholic parish opened nearby and the village was welcomed to go to church. I went to Mass one day, as I was curious. Then I began to go more regularly. I started going to Sunday School which was where I learned about the Church.

‘I became Catholic in 1999, when I was 15. It wasn’t easy to become Catholic; I am the only person in my family who converted to Catholicism and not everyone was happy about it. But I was inspired by the Priests in the parish and the way they lived their lives. I wanted to know more about Jesus, and to be able to talk freely about him.

‘I’ve had help from so many people on my journey to the Priesthood and I am grateful. I’m inspired by the words Jesus speaks at John 4:34: ‘My food is that I should do the will of the one who sent me and to finish work’.

‘To me, faith means discerning what the will of God is for me’.

Join us to build a strong Church for the future

Together we can help train tomorrow’s Priests and Sisters and build a vibrant Catholic Church for the future.

By giving £42 a month (£500 a year individually or as a parish group), you can ensure a student’s place at seminary. £2000 will pay for his final four years of training.

Any help you can provide will be so gratefully received. The students pray for all our supporters and sponsors, as we also do here at Missio, and you will be remembered at Mass in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome every day.

Thank you!