Photos provided by the Holy Cross Mission Center.
As one of the new Mission initiatives resulting from the Year of Mission, the Province of East Africa has agreed to send three priests to serve in parochial ministry in Ireland. To continue the preparations for the new Mission, the Congregation of Holy Cross’s Superior General, Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., traveled at the end of May to Ireland, visiting the Diocese of Elphin and the Diocese of Achonry, which will be merged into one diocese with Most Rev. Kevin Doran (the current bishop of the Diocese of Elphin) serving as its bishop.
In addition to meeting with the bishop, Br. Paul visited two parishes proposed by the bishop for Holy Cross. Each parish is clustered, one with three churches and the other with two churches. The parishes are in small rural communities where the countryside will remind the men of East Africa of the lush green hills and valleys of Uganda. The community will live together in the presbytery at St. Bride in Ballintubber, which is 20-30 minutes by car from the other churches.
Rev. Peter Mayanja, C.S.C. (PEA), Provincial, and Rev. Ronnie Kawooya, C.S.C., (PEA), were supposed to accompany Br. Paul, but due to restrictions related to the Ebola outbreak, they were unfortunately unable to obtain visas to make the trip.
Since there are very few religious in the diocese, Bishop Doran hopes that the presence of Holy Cross will boost the witness of consecrated life to the faithful.
If all goes well with the processing of their Irish visas, our East African confreres will assume their mission in the fall of this year. And so, the spirit of “hope beyond borders” continues!
Provided by the Holy Cross Mission Center, and adapted from an article provided by the General Administration of the Congregation of Holy Cross, July 2026.
