When a parish is blessed to outgrow its space and must expand, or even build a new church, parishioners are asked to sacrifice their time, talent, and treasure to complete the planned building.

It's a true blessing if among the faithful, there is an architect, a contractor, or a carpenter willing to donate their time and talent to reduce costs. Perhaps others will volunteer to assist with statue or pew removal.

Imagine, though, if you were asked to build your new church, from the ground up. And you must start by making your own bricks.

Father Luke Banda in the Diocese of Chipata, Zambia, recently put this exact plan to his people. They belong to a parish outstation, which means they live too far from the central church to attend and worship regularly. Thanks to the ministries of Father Luke and the local catechist who keeps the faith formation of the villagers strong and growing, this outpost of faith now has eighteen Small Christian Communities.

The process of building their worship site is simple, but not easy. First, the bricks are made using local mud spread into homemade forms. After drying in the sun, the bricks are fired in a village kiln and stacked many yards wide and high. This puts a deadline on completion -- if the bricks are not used before the rainy season, they will be ruined.

Everyone pitches in, both in the brickmaking and the construction. Many seasons will pass before enough bricks embrace the space, funds are raised for a roof and an altar, and the building is consecrated.

All this is done while people raise the food that feeds their bodies and gather regularly to learn more of the faith that feeds their souls.

Can you help them, and other mission outstations, finish their worship spaces as they grow in their knowledge of the Good News? Go to propfaithboston.org to share your gift!



- Maureen Crowley Heil is Director of Programs and Development for the Pontifical Mission Societies, Boston.