22 Jan 2020
Parish of St Joseph of Bocay, Diocese of Jinotega, Nicaragua
MSCs in the parish of St Joseph of Bocay in the diocese of Jinotega, Nicaragua, are appealing for funds to build a safe and secure space for the MSC missionaries and the communities they serve in the area.
The parish of St Joseph of Bocay belongs to the diocese of Jinotega, situated in Northern Nicaragua, approximately 240km from the country’s capital, Managua. There are two parishes in the municipality, which has a population of approximately 66,000 people: San Isidro Labrador, and the parish of St Joseph of Bocay. St Joseph’s parish was established in 1992, and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been ministering to 80 communities across the parish since November 2016. Of these 80 communities, only 30 have a church or chapel in which to gather together to pray, to reflect, to unite as a community, and to celebrate Mass and the sacraments.
The truck transports passengers in Jinotega , Nicaragua
Homes of the parish of Jinotega in Nicaragua
Modes of transport in Nicaragua
The people of the parish suffer greatly with poverty and have very little. Agriculture is the main source is income for many, and for most, even this is not enough. Educational facilities are extremely poor, and there are very few resources available to local people. While the people of the region struggle to live without basic necessities on a daily basis, they find great strength and comfort in their faith, and our MSCs are living and working amongst the communities of the parish, ministering to their needs as best they can.
The scale of poverty in the area means that our missionaries face daily challenges in carrying out their pastoral ministry. Since they began their ministry in the area three years ago, our MSCs have been doing their best to carry out workshops, educational programmes, and pastoral work from a parish chapel, to improve the quality of life for local people. The construction of a parish hall would provide a secure and dedicated space for our missionaries to provide for the needs of the people of St Joseph’s in a far more effective and efficient way. Here, they will be able to train pastoral workers to address different needs and issues, have a safe and comfortable space for children’s ministry, educational workshops, catechesis, training programmes, and pastoral group work, and provide safe shelter for visiting MSCs who need a place to stay.
Our MSCs in Nicaragua are working daily to make a great difference with very little resources. With your help, we can provide them with the safety and security they need to continue to bring about positive change in an area of real and pressing need.