A Vehicle for a Vast Rural Parish in the Central African Republic

Over 70 small villages widely scattered across the African bush belong to the parish of St. Michael in Bozoum, in the northwest of the Central African Republic. It is a vast, underdeveloped area where most of the people live in great poverty. The Church is with them, supporting them in all their spiritual, psychological, and material needs. But the distances are extreme and the priests regularly have to face perilous adventures across rickety bridges and dirt roads, transformed during the rainy season into a veritable sea of mud. And essential supplies, such as medicines for the mission dispensary, likewise have to be fetched from far away, sometimes even involving journeys into neighboring Cameroon.

Some time ago, Italian Carmelite Father Marco Poggi asked our help for an urgently needed all-terrain vehicle able to cope with the challenging conditions. The repair costs on his old vehicle were becoming an “unsustainable burden,” he told us. The motor was worn out and the suspension ruined by the rough potholed roads, and the constant breakdowns were crippling his parish ministry and frequently leaving the faithful waiting in vain for their priest. 

Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors we were able to find the $42,681 needed for the new all-terrain vehicle, which has now arrived – to the great rejoicing of all concerned. Father Marco has written to thank you all: “It is not simply a vehicle that you have provided us with: rather, your help has made it possible for thousands of people to find new hope, receive the Sacraments, access vital medical supplies, receive an education, and experience the concrete reality of our presence among them.

Every mile we can now drive will likewise be the result of your generosity. We thank you not merely with our words but with our daily prayer. Every day, we remember before the Lord all those who are helping to make our mission possible. May God bless you, protect you, and fill you with all good things.“

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