Mass Stipends for 44 Priests in Zimbabwe

The Diocese of Chinhoyi in northern Zimbabwe covers a vast area of over 20,000 square miles – considerably larger than some whole countries, like Switzerland or the Netherlands, for example. As a result, the diocese’s 22 parishes all cover very large areas, with numerous scattered villages that the priests have to minister to.

The people here urgently need the support and guidance of a priest in their faith life: someone to bring them the sacraments, to help them grow in faith and, at the same time, little by little, to improve their own concrete living conditions. Unsurprisingly, the priests are on duty at all hours. And yet they receive no fixed salary for their hard work of service and sacrifice, since the diocese itself simply does not have the necessary resources. Consequently, it is very difficult for the priests to provide for their own support while attending to the pastoral needs of their parishes.

There is no way they can expect support from the ordinary Catholic faithful, who themselves are far too poor to cover the livelihood of the priests through the scanty Sunday collections. Most of them barely make ends meet from the harvests on their fields, to say nothing of the frequent droughts. And then there are communities in some regions which
– like their ancestors – are still hunter-gatherers, quite literally living from hand to mouth.

And so, thanks to the generous help of our benefactors, we are able to provide regular support for the 44 priests of the diocese by means of your Mass offerings. This is a huge help for them and really eases the financial burdens they face. As a result, they tell us, they can afford the fuel they need and visit the remotest villages more frequently, which can sometimes be up to 140 km away, on rough and lonely roads. And the priests can also obtain the vital food, medicines, and medical treatment which they could otherwise not afford, and even purchase religious literature for their own personal spiritual development and for the ongoing training of the lay catechists. Because of this, their pastoral ministry is better and more intensive; the people‘s faith is strengthened; and the bond between priests and faithful grows deeper and stronger.

So, this year, once again, we are planning to pass on your Mass stipends to the priests of the Diocese of Chinhoyi. Can we count on you once again to help these “good shepherds” with your financial and spiritual support?

144-08-99