The impact of your generosity to the Mission of the Church

How you bring love and hope to so many
The APF worldwide supports all of the 1.069 mission dioceses in the world. In 2006 APF members in England and Wales directly supported hundreds of projects in 56 dioceses throughout Asia and Africa – that means up to 10 million people have seen the fruits of your prayers and generosity!

Here are some examples of those projects:

Imphal diocese in India
Archbishop Dominic Loumon of Imphal in India writes: ‘I take this opportunity on behalf of the priests, religious and faithful in the Archdiocese of Imphal to acknowledge our sincere appreciation and gratitude to you for your selfless service rendered to our people here. We remember you with affection in our daily prayers, for you touch our lives and help us grow. Our people profusely send greetings of love to the people in the dioceses of England and Wales. We accept with delight the love and concern you have shown to the growing Church in India and we appreciate your solidarity with the universal Church in reaching out to the poor and needy worldwide.’

Shimoga diocese in India
Bishop Lobo has sent a full description of life in his diocese and the ways in which your contributions will be used to help sustain the hopes of the people. The diocese is surrounded by a dense Hindu and Moslem population but is constantly growing. In just 18 years the number of priests has grown from 19 to 69 and there are 185 sisters who work in fields such as catechesis, education, healthcare and social work.

Bishop Lobo specifically mentions four areas where we have been able to help:

• Strengthening existing centres of evangelisation. Most Catholics are migrant workers entirely dependent on a daily wage for simple manual labour. They cannot afford to maintain their pastors. Thanks to your help, mission work can now proceed without interruption.

• Allowance to catechists who are an essential backbone of the Church. They visit the sick and prepare people for the sacraments. They lead people in prayer when the priest is not available to celebrate Mass.

• Help to needy children – orphans or those who have been engaged in child labour. There are 503 of these in the diocese and they receive education, boarding and lodging without which they would not survive.

• Construction of chapels. Most of the Church communities in this vast diocese do not have a place of worship. A portion of the monies we send will be used to build some small chapels.

Special report from Bishop Edward Risi of Keimoes- Upington Diocese in South Africa
After describing the culture and social conditions of the people of the vast diocese in the west of the country, highlighting the precious few resources at his disposal, Bishop Edward, with an optimism that can only come from deep faith lays out his basic pastoral priorities:

• Spiritual and liturgical renewal for the whole diocese

• Catechetical renewal for the diocese, based at parish level

• Religious education programme in the schools

• Renewal of married life and care of the divorced and remarried

• Renewal of the diocesan tribunal

• Formation of youth

• Care of the needy especially those with HIV/AIDS and children

• Development of self-sustaining parish communities

I would like to share with you Bishop Edward’s blessing. ‘May the Lord abundantly reward all the contributors and administrators who help make possible the sanctifying and salvific work of the Church in our rather abandoned part of the world at the southern tip of Africa’.

Total Money raised
Our total received from the Red Boxes was £3,143,551. This is divided 60% - 40% with Mill Hill Missionaries, so the APF share is £1,886,131. Our Mission Sunday collection of £502,257 maintained the huge leap forward from the year before. Our Gift Aid refunds from the ‘tax man’ were £146,926 and the interest on the account came to £120,277.

Comment from the APF National Director, Mgr John Dale
As you know, the Church in England and Wales is going through a process of transition – Mass attendance is rising in some parishes and falling in others. We are welcoming new parishioners from all over the world. It is an exciting time. The one thing which remains constant however is your support for APF/Mill Hill – thank you very much. Your prayers and example are a tribute to the enduring commitment of the Church to Jesus' missionary command

‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.’
(Matthew 28: 19 – 20)

The Lord is kind and full of compassion and we are privileged to share in his great work. We also rejoice with all those with whom we share this love.