Dear Friends of Mission,
Once again, I am given the opportunity to contact you and express my deep gratitude to all of you for your assistance with our spiritual and humanitarian work in faraway Uganda, and for enabling us to relieve all those who knock on our door and ask for help.
It is true that the COVID-19 pandemic that plagues all of humanity has not left us unaffected, either. Besides the diseases caused by infections and our inability to provide any medical treatment, now this deadly virus is being added to infect these poor and already troubled people.
A wholehearted thanks for the well
As a Bishop, I stand by everyone, without making any discrimination between those who are members of the Orthodox Church and those who advocate and believe in something else.
For instance, the borehole that was drilled at St. Nectarios parish in Palalo village, (for which we would like to express our deep gratitude to those who helped), has not been made only for the members of the Orthodox Church, but it is accessible to all those who need this valuable good, water. I hope that more warm-hearted philanthropists will appear to help quench the thirst of even more fellow humans in other areas who are deprived of this good and in order to meet their needs in water, are forced to collect rainwater in makeshift pits, which is contaminated.
All this requires warm prayers, a lot of effort as well as sacrifices, good partners and kind-hearted people who want to help their brothers in need.
Thanks be to God, for He won’t let us get discouraged or disappointed. Where we are unable to overcome a need, God comes through our prayers and provides us with a solution. I want you to know that my flock has deep faith and hope in God. We are not knocking on the door of your heart as if we were beggars. We may lack many essential things, it is true, but we have dignity. Relying upon our slender means, we try to meet our operational needs and carry out our humanitarian activities.
A big request: Help us build a spiritual center
It is not only the churches that need to be built or renovated where they exist, it is also the centers that need to be created in each parish so that people can have access to a school, a doctor’s office, a spiritual center to have the necessary supplies in their daily lives. Not only for the faithful, but also for our priests who also need training seminars, so that their ministry can bear fruit.
As regards the last point mentioned, our Holy Diocese makes every possible effort to create a center so that our priests and catechists can attend some training courses that will help them with their work. We hope that this effort of ours will find people who will respond to our request and support us. Another project that must be implemented is the construction of the Diocesan Offices, so that the members of the Church and all those who want to contact us will know that there is a coordinating center for all the activities of our Missionary ministry, and will be able to receive any information that they will want.
My beloved brothers and sisters, thank you once again for your continued support and valuable assistance. I remember every single benefaction you make to us and I pray that God rewards you a hundredfold for your selfless love, and shower upon you His abundant blessings. May you always be healthy and at peace.
Wishing in the Lord,
† Sylvester of Northern and Eastern Uganda
