SEMINARIAN’S NOTEBOOK

Providence seminarian finds ‘peace’ on mission trip in Africa during Easter week

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“I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink…”
Matthew 25:35

On the morning of April 10, I arrived in Jijiga, Ethiopia, with a group of seminarians and priests from the North American College (Rome) and accompanied by staff from Catholic Relief Services on a weeklong journey to visit communities affected by a three-year-long drought, to learn about ongoing collaborative projects to address the needs, and to return home to share the good news — the Church in America is living the Gospel the world over!
In Ethiopia, I had the privilege of visiting several “kebeles” (villages) and engaging in dialogue with communities grappling with the effects of drought. The communities and partners of Catholic Relief Services shared their top three needs: water, water, water. Without access to water, these communities, whose livelihoods are largely based in livestock and agriculture, cannot maintain and produce fruitful crops or keep their livestock. I quickly realized that without water, not only have these communities lost their work, but their whole livelihood.
At one kebele we visited, the entire community greeted us — waving palm branches, singing and leading us to the water supply tank that has transformed their farmland into a thriving land. Collaborating with CRS and local partners to build and sustain a water scheme and plant drought-resistant crops, this kebele is one of the hundreds of communities that the work of Catholic Relief Services has touched with the love of Jesus Christ.
Overlooking five villages atop a hill from another region where a brand-new water supply scheme stood, we met a community awaiting the opening of a well two weeks after our visit. The local community shared that this will be the first time they have ever had constant access to clean water for their households. A staff member of Catholic Relief Services highlighted that this one water tank alone will supply over 20,000 people in five villages. Until now, women travelled with donkeys four to six hours each day to fetch water. When we asked what they look forward to when the water supply arrives, one woman simply said, “time to be with my family.” I think this speaks to the very heart of the Gospel message: bringing justice and mercy together.
At another kebele, our delegation encountered men and women who have travelled more than 200 kilometers from their homes to find water sources to save their livestock and their families. One man at a schoolyard told us that he lost 24 head of cattle — his entire livelihood. Another man sitting close to him said, “I have two cattle left, but this man lost everything!” In that moment, I realized just how much hope there is among the people of Ethiopia. Even amidst the great challenge of drought, these men and women persevere in their efforts to remain close to their homes and resolve to work in collaboration with organizations like Catholic Relief Services and their partners to create solutions that will carry them through this drought, and other droughts that may come in the future.
Another community that collaborates with Catholic Relief Services is the Missionaries of Charity — the religious congregation founded by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Our delegation was honored to visit three of their locations in Ethiopia, where the sisters serve hundreds of men, women, and children of all backgrounds. The sisters insisted that their task is to provide for the needs for all God’s children — offering medical services to pregnant and nursing mothers, food to the malnourished, and a calm home to be healed from disease or mental illnesses. Regardless of creed, ethnicity or social class, the sisters take as many people as they can serve. Catholic Relief Services is often able to coordinate and deliver food commodities or other non-food commodities that the Missionaries of Charity need at their facilities.
For me, hearing water flow from the supply tank was a testimony of the Resurrection. Just as water brings new life to us in baptism, so too are these projects bringing new life to communities across Ethiopia, who until now, have been living in expectant hope. Our engagement with the work of CRS is how we American Catholics are living the Gospel through the social teaching of the Church, effecting transformational change with and for our neighbors across the globe.
Throughout the journey, our delegation was welcomed in each community with hello waves and the simple, but profound message, “selam!” which means “peace.” This one word captures what I experienced during this immersion experience. Speaking the word peace signaled the evangelical roots of our mission — offering and receiving the compassion of Jesus by our presence and desire to recognize the dignity of each person we encountered. Let’s continue to pray for our neighbors in Ethiopia who are living through the challenges of drought and conflict. Let’s continue to support the transformational work done through the ministry of Catholic Relief Services, the work of our American Catholic Church around the globe.
Nathan Ledoux of St. Joseph Church, Newport, is a Providence seminarian currently pursuing his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College, Rome.