Faces and Scenery from Katire

Fourth of July morning found me heading through the teak forest into the mountains toward Katire for Sunday Mass. In between time, when there’s no mission team or other special event to prepare for, direct or recover from, my life becomes a little more routine.

I was surprised to see that in the three weeks since my last visit there, quite a bit of work had been done widening and leveling the road. On the Fourth of July I was happy to be informed by a newly posted sign that the road improvement was being sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). I offered Mass for the United States, and invited the villages to join me in praying for my country, that it would be blessed because of its generosity – including improving the road to Katire – but also that it would turn its heart back to God from the ways in which it has strayed from Him.

We got there a little early, and – as usual – there were a group of boys sitting in the front row watching us prepare for Mass. Since I had some time to spare I took their photos, as well as those of the others who had come early for Mass.

After Mass we showed a film on the life of St. Maria Goretti, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow. There was much in her life with which the people from Katire could identify: farming for a living, struggling with poverty, the threat of malaria. The message of St. Maria Goretti’s life meshed beautifully with the theme of readings: God’s gift and promise of peace that comes to us through the power of the Cross of Christ.

Before leaving I was able to sneak down to the stream and snap this photo of a wild banana grove.

Back in Torit we had a late lunch at the home of Phil and Linda Byler, an American couple who coordinate the African Inland Mission efforts in South Sudan. A few other Americans and some other missionaries were also invited. Linda is a great cook and made really good pizza for the occasion - a taste of America on the Fourth of July. Unfortunately Phil was away in Uganda on mission-related work.

Finally we showed the first half of a film on the life of the patriarch Abraham at Mercy House.

To donate online, please CLICK HERE.