The Catholic diocese of Port Blair in India has approximately 34,000 Catholics, almost all of whom are Nicobarese. The 16 parishes of the diocese are scattered across several islands, and there are over 500 small Christian communities.
To travel between islands the priests need boats, and on the islands themselves, the roads are long and difficult to negotiate. Almost none of the parishes has a car, and the old bicycles and mopeds that are commonly used take a heavy battering from the rough roads and do not last long.
And so, last year the diocesan administrator asked ACN for help to purchase 10 new mopeds for pastoral work. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, we were able to respond quickly with a donation of 9000 Euros, and the mopeds have now been purchased. So now the priests can once again reach the Catholic faithful in the scattered villages of the islands.
The ten priests who have benefited from these new mopeds have expressed their heartfelt gratitude, and the people are happy too. Thanks to your help, the diocese can now intensify its outreach and generally reach out more easily and more often to the Catholic faithful.
Our heartfelt thanks to all our benefactors!
