Missionary Cooperation Plan Appeal Collection is October 24th & 25th, 2020

Mission Appeal - Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (LSOSF)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peace and blessings to you.  I hope you and your loved ones are all well and in good health.

Allow me first to take this opportunity to thank Fr. Brian Clarke, the Pontifical Mission Director of our Diocese, who has invited us missionaries to participate in the 2020 MCP in this unique way.  We are grateful to our Bishop, The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, for his support for the propagation of the Faith. May God bless them abundantly.

I also wish to take this opportunity to thank your Pastor, Rev. William Corcoran and you Parishioners of the St. Boniface/ St. Lawrence Parish so much for allowing us, Little Sisters of St. Francis (LSOSF) of Assisi, to share our story with you.  Conscious that these are truly uncertain times and the challenges of COVID-19 are global we truly appreciate your generosity and kindness to us.

I am writing to ask for your prayers and financial support of behalf of LSOSF.  We are appealing for the care and support of our programs for the poor and marginalized, especially children who are orphaned, malnourished, children with diverse disabilities, homeless street children, children who are abused and traumatized, teenage girls who are forced into early marriages, and feeding programs for children whose families struggle to provide a single meal.  Mindful that these are challenging times and that you too may be experiencing challenging moments, we kindly ask you to share the little blessings you have received.  On our part, we LSOSF assure you the blessings of prayer, for you and your loved ones, the only sure gift we can offer you in return.

The Institute of the Little Sisters of St. Francis was founded in 1923 by Franciscan Irish missionary, Mother Mary Kevin Kearney, in the Diocese of Lugazi in Uganda.  The LSOSF Generalate is located in the Diocese of Jinja, Uganda. Currently we have about 800 members serving in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and a few sisters in USA Mission including the Diocese of Scranton.  The mission of the LSOSF is to reach out with compassion to the poor and the marginalized of our society, following in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and in the spirit of our Mother Foundress, Mother Kevin.  With only limited resources and overwhelming needs, our sisters rely on God’s providence and the people of good will to support those who are vulnerable in our missions in East Africa. 

The LSOSF participate in the work of evangelization through their ministries and services they offer to the people especially the poor in our missions.  The COVID-19 pandemic that has affected us all globally has significantly impacted our services and program for the marginalized in our missions.  During the lockdown restrictions that were enforced to limit the spread of the pandemic, the most affected in Africa were children and young teenage girls and boys of school age.  Majority of the teens were sexually abused in Africa and Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania reported a high increase of teen pregnancies.  The LSOSF serve among these marginalized populations and are now advocating and seeking justice for these victims.  The sisters have also been educating the people in villages on the effects of Covid-19 and distributing masks, food, water and basic necessities for protection and support of those they serve.  The sisters continue our ministry for the homeless street children who had no homes to go to in such challenging times as the Covid-19 restrictions.  Our sisters provide these children with food, shelter, rehabilitation, counseling, and education.  With no basic necessities of life, many children go to beg in the streets and become vulnerable targets of illegal substance or drugs. 

Collection baskets are in the rear of the churches.