Because the Marians performed dedicated work in other parts of Africa, Bishop Jan Ozga of Cameroon invited them to take over a parish in Atok. The parish had been abandoned — without the sacraments or spiritual guidance — for more than five years. Upon assuming the parish, the Marians found that the faith of many baptized Catholics had waned.
Many other problems exist, both as a result of extreme poverty and the lack of Christian faith and morals. Adequate food, clothing, housing, and education are not available. Children are treated as second-class citizens, often receiving only the scraps of food left over from their parents' meals. Handicapped children are abandoned by their families. Marriages are not sanctified, which compounds problems of abandoned women and children.
The parish includes 25 villages that are connected by roads that are impassable during much of the year due to severe contrasts of rain and drought. To address many of these problems, we are building a Pastoral Formation Center. This center will be used as a home for orphans and handicapped adults. It will also be used to train catechists from the various villages. Once trained, these catechists can return to their villages and teach their neighbors about our faith.
Suggested offering:
$25, $50, $100, $500.
Gifts of any amount will be gratefully accepted.
Suggested offering:
$50 to educate a Cameroon child for half a year. $100 to educate a child for one year.
Gifts of any amount will be gratefully accepted.