Dear Parishioners:
With permission from Fr. Brian, I am appealing to you to help me continue missionary work among the indigenous people of Mindoro, who are called Mangyan.
To make the Gospel relevant to them, the work consists of “teaching others to fish”. That enables them to get away from their Stone Age-based culture of subsistence living [as hunter-gatherers] by improving their farming methods, learn self-reliance through productivity, and thereby attain self-sufficiency.
Through the generous support of others over the years – including some of St. Catherine Labouré Parish – this work has by now reached the stage of trying to become sustainable through income-generating projects, while also teaching and training modern skills such as furniture making, welding, etc.
To that end, this ministry is now in need of a wheel balancer [even if in used condition] to go with our shop’s tire-changer; sewing machines & kitchenware; likewise laptops still in good condition, to train and “up-grade” our Mangyan high school students. Transportation of those items is gratis – all the way to the project sites on Mindoro – through a sponsor in Manila.
In addition is my request for financial help to help cover my round-trip fare. All that, as stated earlier, with approval from your pastor. Due to my age [84 soon] as well as the “ravages of time”, my religious Superiors here prefer me to just “stay put”, and retire. But for my pleading, permission to go back “one more time” was granted, based on my ability to provide for my fare as well as the means in support for this ministry. Thank you for your consideration.
Gratefully,
Fr. Dennis, SVD
619-259-8488
4038 Mt. Abraham Ave. – same as Fr. Joe Miller, SVD [next door to Fr. Brian]
Monetary donations should be made out to: Divine Word Missionaries, “For: Mangyan Projects” – for tax-deductible purposes. That tax-free account is dedicated to my Mangyan ministry.
