Lively Masses, care for society help evangelize Mongolia, says bishop

Published: 2007-11-28

ROME (CNS) -- Caring for society's weakest members and offering a lively liturgy have been the keys to the success of Catholic evangelization in Mongolia, said Bishop Wenceslao Padilla of Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital. When he and two other missionaries arrived in Mongolia in 1992, the Catholic community was made up only of foreigners, working in embassies or for international agencies. Contact with the U.N. Development Program and the Red Cross helped the missionaries identify social situations where their presence and assistance could alleviate suffering and demonstrate what living the Gospel meant, he said. The foreigners started inviting their Mongolian colleagues to the Sunday liturgies, and other Mongolians began coming, mainly out of curiosity, the bishop said. "The 'baby' church in Mongolia is only 15 years old. We started from zero," the bishop said. "Now there are 415 baptized Mongolian brothers and sisters. We have gone from three to 65 missionaries from 19 nations and 10 congregations -- they are a real sign of the universality of the church." Bishop Padilla, a Filipino, spoke Nov. 27 at the Oratory of Caravita to a group of English-speaking Catholics living in Rome.

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