Shuwuu, Mongolia, 15 October 2020 -- Since 2016 the Salesians of Don Bosco (Mongolia Delegation) have been entrusted by the Catholic Prefecture of Mongolia with a rural place called Shuwuu, some 40 km from the capital of Ulanbaatar. Since the early days of the Catholic mission, Shuwuu was under the care of ICM Sisters with a social work, kindergarten and some kind of agriculture. Then the late bishop Wenceslaus Padilla, CICM (+2018, RIP) entrusted this promising community to the Salesians.
During the last 4 years this small Catholic community has been slowly growing thanks to the care of two Salesians - Fr. Mario and Fr Jaroslav. As you can see on the Facebook video, for the 76 parishioners, every year they struggled to find a proper place for worship and the local people can't afford to build a decent house of God with their own means. Now they have a Ger-like Church.
The parish is not just about prayers or catechesis; there is a simple Oratory for the local children and youth. And for the local population the Shuwuu Catholic community offers potable water on the street side, and shower facilities are also available. Shuwuu parish is open to serve the surrounding people.
The best expression of gratitude for the almost completed Church building comes from the first of the baptized, a quite senior member of the parish: 'My God, I'm praising you for our new beautiful Church. Soon our bishop will arrive and bless it and it will become a real Church, where we will listen to the Word of God, learn from Him, spread it around the world and experience that is True.'
In the name of all Mongolia confreres, their Delegate Fr. Paul Leung introduced the parish priest, Fr Mario and expressed our satisfaction and gratitude to all benefactors: "Dear friends, that our new Church construction is finishing and we are grateful to all donors and believe that also in the future you will support us as you did from the beginning. May God bless you all!"
We rejoice with our parishioners and also ask your prayers for the faith of our very young Catholic community and for new missionaries to Mongolia.
NB: At this moment, the first abundant snow is already all around Mongolia and in spite of the pandemic impact on the economy of the country, the Catholics of Mongolia rejoice thanks to the arrival of their new bishop, Giorgio MARENGO, ICM who, after 3 weeks of arrival quarantine reached his Ulanbaatar Catholic Center just a few days ago. Bishop Giorgio hales from Cuneo (Italy), and since 2006 has been a missionary in Mongolia, recently as parish priest of Arvaikheer. He was consecrated bishop on 8 August at the Consolata Shrine (Turin) by Cardinal Louis Antonio Tagle.
Gratitude report video made especially for the benefactors
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