Fr. Mariusz Kasperski OMI preached Lenten retreats in many of our Polish parishes in Ontario last year. After returning to his mission in Madagascar, he began a new work, which he writes about below.

“Greetings from the hot city of Toamasina on the Indian Ocean, where is my new mission. I would not write about what you will read below if we did not have thousands of parishioners waiting for us, including tens of hundreds of children and young people who have settled in these areas in recent years. The new Oblate parish that we are planning to build includes: the rectory, the brick church, an Oblate school dedicated to Saint Eugene de Mazenod; and our parish has the same title. Bearing in mind that it will take at least five years to build a large church, because it is a huge financial investment, we have enlarged the wooden church and are now finishing the work inside the church.

The first job was to improve the interior of our wooden church. We will no longer be afraid that the roof will be torn off during cyclones.

The second work was the construction of a house for the Missionary Oblates community. On Saturday, November 4, we finally received the document that we are the legal owners of the land for the construction of the rectory and church. Immediately on Sunday, November 5, after the morning Holy Mass, we went in procession, in the rain, to the construction site to consecrate and lay the cornerstone.

Unfortunately, we the priests do not live in the parish area, we commute to the parish from the house of the Pre-novitiate of Missionary Oblates, which is located at the other end of the city. We are very tired of this, we would like to live among the people, without wasting two or three hours a day traveling, packing, and unpacking a lot of luggage. The parish priest and associates should live where the people are that they take care of.

So far, the construction of the rectory is being carried out thanks to help from Canada. There is still a long way to build a first floor and furnish the entire house. Therefore, I humbly ask for prayers and material help, if possible. For our part, we remember our Friends of the Missions in every prayer we pray, especially during the Eucharist.”

Fr. Mariusz KASPERSKI, OMI

You can read the entire text of the letter here: https://www.facebook.com/OblateworldmissionsMAMIassumptioncanada