A New Vehicle for a Remote and Far-Flung Parish

Zimbabwe is a landlocked nation in southeast Africa with a population of 17.6 million. The majority of the population is Christian, though three quarters of the people belong to various Protestant denominations. Catholics represent only about 16 percent of the population. 

Zimbabwe has long been plagued by a severe economic crisis, made worse in recent years by devastating droughts. The Catholic Church in the country urgently needs help, since it lacks the basic resources to minister adequately to the Catholic faithful, while also combating the proliferating sects.  

We have received an appeal from the parish of Saint Joseph the Worker, with a special recommendation from the Archbishop of Bulawayo. This parish is in the west of Zimbabwe, in a remote and neglected rural area.  

The priests in the parish face an arduous task, given that the parish’s 18 outstations are up to 30 miles from the parish center, with an average distance of 17 miles. The roads are very poor, and the sandy tracks are difficult to negotiate. Indeed, in the rainy season, they turn to mud and the vehicle often gets stuck fast and has to be towed free, a process that is frequently long and painstaking. Sometimes they get stuck again almost immediately after.  

The priests have just one car that is now over 20 years old and has driven over 550,000 miles. Needless to say, it is constantly breaking down. And so they urgently need a sturdy and robust all-terrain vehicle, so that they can minister to all the communities within the parish. We have promised them $38,391.

Will you join us in helping them?

144-01-29