The Missionary Spirit is alive in the Archdiocese of Southwark
Fr Joseph Donkor has been appointed Missio Diocesan Director for the Archdiocese of Southwark
Currently serving at St George's Cathedral, Fr Joseph Donkor has been appointed Missio Diocesan Director for the Archdiocese. Each diocese throughout England and Wales has a Missio Diocesan Director, who is appointed by the local Bishop to coordinate support of the overseas mission of the Church.
Fr Donkor was pleased to attend one of the recent Mission Masses at St John the Baptist in Purley. After Mass, Fr Donkor spoke with Missio volunteers and supporters saying ‘my heart is full of joy to work alongside you as Missio volunteers carrying out our mission in our diocese. I know that together, we can carry out the mission God has entrusted to us.’
During the Mass in Purley, Fr Anthony Chantry - the National Director for Missio in England and Wales - preached on the need to find hope in all things, particularly in this Jubilee Year. Fr Chantry spoke of his experiences of visiting Cambodia where he met people who are beacons of hope in their small communities, after the many years of brutal dictatorship. They are building the Church with resilience and dignity by providing compassionate education for all.
In 2024, the Archdiocese of Southwark raised over £682,000 for Missio and the Mill Hill Missionaries through Red Box and regular donations. Our thanks go all those dedicated Local Secretaries, Red Box holders and all who support the work of mission through prayer in the Archdiocese.
The Mass in Purley was closely followed by a similar event in Canterbury where Fr Gerry Hastie MHM, General Councillor for the Mill Hill Missionaries, preached passionately about his recent visit to Cameroon. The Church in this part of the world is bringing hope where there is conflict and providing refuge for communities trapped by violence. Fr Hastie thanked all Missio supporters and volunteers for their prayerful support through the Red Box, which enables missionaries in Cameroon and across the world to continue to share the Gospel message.We are grateful to the parish communities of St John the Baptist, Purley and St Thomas, Canterbury for hosting these Masses. We are also grateful to the volunteers who supported us with hospitality. We look forward to holding further Masses and events in the Archdiocese in future.
To find out more about the work of Missio visit: missio.org.uk
Article submitted by Missio
