In the central region of India, it is a struggle to survive. The dry season can be especially brutal, and the wet season produces devastating floods. For the poor, it is a daily contest that determines if there is enough food for the family.

It is all the more difficult when the nation’s culture makes it almost hopelessly challenging. This is the lot of the lowest castes of Hindus – the untouchables. Although the government promises to raise the standard of living for them, it does nothing. The ruling Hindu Nationalist Party insists that the untouchables are not capable of learning and prospering.

The region has not been hospitable to Christianity either. It is a courageous act for Capuchin missionaries to live and work among the untouchables. Their efforts are paying off. With the help of the Seraphic Mass Association, the mission started with a primary school. It is a great success and anticipates rapid growth, requiring more buildings.

The mission is expanding to offer medical services to the woefully underserved poor people. The missionaries will also introduce hygienic practices and facilities. Where infant mortality is tragically high, pregnancy and infant care will be in great demand when the health clinic is completed. Expansion plans are being readied.

Where there was a dry, empty field, the Seraphic Mass Association funded the construction of St. Veronica’s School. The residents of the region are in the danger zone – physically and culturally – of Islamic extremism from Somalia. Their children have a special need for the hope and light of our Catholic faith to overcome the violence and hatred of the fanatical intruders.

Missionaries in Kenya boldly placed themselves and a new school in this danger zone. Parents and grandparents, neighbors and villagers wanted this wonderful school to educate their children and to strengthen them in our Catholic faith. The Seraphic Mass Association is a continuing supporter of this school that stands as a beacon of light.

Even before a missionary is sent to the missions, there is much training and preparation. For priestly ministry, theology and scriptural studies are required. Lay persons who wish to be mission doctors or nurses need the full course of studies and to earn professional degrees. Pilots, architects, engineers, teachers and administrators need to be on top of their crafts before they are sent “to the ends of the earth” as missionaries.

While some missionaries bring experience, all will face new challenges in foreign cultures and languages, with specific needs and requirements depending on a wide range of conditions.

In addition to job-related requirements, it is essential to gain emotional and spiritual strength, as well as physical conditioning. Being a missionary is a demanding job.

Unlike 40 or 50 years ago when most missionaries were sent from Europe and North America, today missionaries are sent in great numbers from emerging countries, where vocations are flourishing. For instance, Tanzania, India and Kenya are among the highest missionary-sending countries in the world.

But the mission vocation is alive and well in the Capuchin community in the United States. Capuchin friars from several countries work together in the missions. They bring a wealth of talent, energy and enthusiasm.

It is a remarkable place of hope for children born with severe physical deformities. The Capuchin Children’s Centre accepts children of poor families, provides life-changing surgeries, and physical therapy to maximize the corrective procedures.

Founded by Italian Capuchins, today the Centre is owned and operated by the Capuchin friars of Tanzania. They continue the great work begun nearly 30 years ago. However, Tanzania is one of the poorest nations in the world, and the potential for local financial support is extremely limited. Thanks to the Seraphic Mass Association, the Centre will be able to treat nearly 100 children each year, children whose families could never afford the procedures.

Surgeons from Italy arrive at the Centre four times a year, spending three weeks in one of the finest surgery facilities in the country. After the surgery, children are given physical therapy for as long as it takes to gain full use of their reconstructed limbs. Most children stay for five months, receiving compassionate and professional care from the trained staff of friars and laypeople. The Seraphic Mass Association is proud to be a sustaining partner of the Capuchin Children’s Centre.

Here’s a story from Fr. Richard Owens after a recent visit to the Center:

“There’s a wonderful girl named Astella. She comes from a very remote and poor region of Tanzania. Her family is completely reliant on subsistence farming. They have a small plot of land on which they can grow vegetables and maize, and they have a few goats for milk. Their home is made of sticks. 

One day, while playing with the other children, Astella had a very bad fall and the back of her head hit a large rock. After a few hours, she lost her balance and a short while later she couldn’t move her legs. 

One of the villagers had heard about the Capuchin Children’s Centre and told her family to take Astella to Mlali. They knew that Capuchin friars would take care of her.

The next morning Astella’s father put her on his back for a three-day walk to Mlali. Her mother filled a sack with vegetables and maize for the trip, but she had to stay behind to take care of the other children and a sick grandmother. 

Fr. Gaudence, the director of the Children’s Centre, saw them as they approached the compound. Astella was on her dad’s back. 

After a hearty supper, they rested the night and would be seen by the doctor in the morning. 

The volunteer doctor from Italy discovered that Astella suffered nerve damage. He decided to operate. It was a delicate but quick operation. The doctor was confident that after several months of intensive physical rehabilitation, Astella would regain full function of her legs.

Astell is back at home and doing ver well. She’s going to school and is a bright student. She and her family will be forever thankful that our Seraphic Mass Association family keeps the doors open at the Capuchin Children’s Centre.”

Fr. Albert Alexandrunas loves to look at the hundreds of photos he took in Papua New Guinea. He served as a missionary there for 30 years.

Of course, Fr. Albert preached the Gospel, administered the sacraments, and was a great pastor, whom the people loved. But he was also a farmer, a mechanic, a jack of all trades who could fix just about anything. A missionary in Papua New Guinea needs a wide array of skills.

He loved and respected the traditions of the people he served. He was a keen observer and knew how to incorporate their culture in preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. 

When Fr. Albert returned to the United States he was appointed pastor of parishes in West Virginia, where he put his skills to work once again.

Fr. Albert is a robust, happy and engaging Capuchin friar. In recent years he has had to slow down a bit due to deteriorating leg strength. At 85, he deserves a slower pace, time to pray and remember. 

Fr. Albert is one of those remarkable missionaries who established the foundations, not just of buildings and parishes, but the Body of Christ. He brought many people to our Catholic Church, and those he served can now do the work that he began.