FAYETTEVILLE — Missionary work leaves a lasting mark — on the missionaries.
At least, that’s been the experience of Father John Antony, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Fayetteville.
“Once you’re bitten by the missionary bug, that’s a bite that lasts forever. It just leaves such a permanent mark on your heart,” he said. “Once a missionary, always a missionary.”
Father Antony speaks from experience. Bitten by the bug 15 years ago as a newly ordained priest at Christ the King Parish in Little Rock, he’s wanted ever since to make mission work a part of parish life. It finally became possible with his latest assignment in Fayetteville, and now St. Joseph parishioners have begun establishing their own mission in Ilanga, Honduras.
Twelve people from the parish, including Father Antony, left for Honduras June 10 and returned June 17. Father Antony was pleased with the group’s accomplishments and is already looking ahead to 2013 when another trip is planned.
It wasn’t easy getting to this point. Last year, a smaller group traveled to Honduras twice in preparation for this year’s kickoff. They traveled with Christ the King’s parishioners to the Trujillo mission that Father Antony helped establish 15 years ago.
The idea was to let St. Joseph’s “newbies” learn from Christ the King’s more experienced volunteers, Father Antony explained, but the intention was to set up a separate mission. Bishop Luis Sole Fa leads the diocese of Trujillo, which covers 50,000 square miles and is home to 185,000 Catholics with just two priests. The bishop suggested St. Joseph group go to Ilanga, a small town in another area of the diocese.
A larger group planned to make this year’s trip in January, but it was postponed when the Peace Corps suddenly withdrew all its volunteers from Honduras, Father Antony said. When they learned other volunteers were safely traveling into the country, the parish rescheduled for June. Christ the King Church met with Bishop Sole in February and made the decision to continue its March mission.
Four key members of the 16-member St. Joseph group had to drop out at the last minute because of personal emergencies.
“We were very worried,” Father Antony said, “but, when we got down there, the Lord provided.”
The visiting missionaries were assigned to specific areas: evangelization, education, construction and medical.
“It was mostly about making contacts for the groundwork for next time,” Father Antony explained. “Now we know what we can do and we know we need a dentist, a pediatrician, an optometrist.”
Still, in two days, the medical team members saw 240 patients.
Parishioners who went on the trip (and each one paid $1,200 to go) included Dr. Jim Gorman, Dr. Thad Beck, Hope Fredrich, Celestine Eichler, Rosa Diaz, Kevin Good, Gary Ritter, Luis Restrepo, Phil Fredrich, Mark Prenger and Melanie Beck.
Father Antony hopes next year’s group will have as many as 30 people traveling to Honduras.
For people who can’t make the trip, there are other ways they can assist the fledgling mission.
“Probably the single biggest help in this mission effort is our perpetual adoration,” Father Antony said.
While the missionaries were traveling, 204 people signed up to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for the success of the mission, he said.
Other people gave donations, either of needed goods — vitamins, antibiotics, hand tools — or cash. One donor paid for a missionary’s airfare, he added. “I was just in tears with the outpouring of support for this mission,” he said.