This year 2026 February 16 marked the Centenary of our Saint Founder, Joseph Allamano. His sons, daughters and friends gathered in various missions all over the world to joyfully celebrate his 100 years since his birth in heaven.
By Dido Mukadi *
In Mongolia, fathers, sisters and friends gathered early morning of the very day to thank God for the gift of our Founder and the many blessings and graces that He continues to outpour in various missions through the proclamation of the Gospel.
In the “ger” Church of the mission of Arvaikheer, we had adoration and then rosary. The Mass that followed was celebration by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, IMC, the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar. The bishop recounted the history of our Saint Founder, his priestly vocation, his pastoral endeavor and missionary vision. His ardent zeal to make Christ known even in the most remote places continue to inspire missionaries to dedicate their life for the service of God’s mission.
We are here in this land of the blue sky because this charismatic Saint was able to read the need of the mission and concretize it through founding our consecrated missionary family. May he continue to intercede for us and we, with the help of our Virgine Mary Consolata, may endeavor to be witnesses of Jesus our Savior throughout the world.
After the Mass, we gathered in the hall of the parish with the faithful and shared the Mongolian traditional tea while chatting. This same morning, we went to pay a visit to the Buddhist Monks. In fact, coincidence made it that Mongolian New Lunar year 2026 is to be celebrated this same week, February 18-20.
Thus, to reinforce our bound of friendship and in solidarity with the culture of the place, we Consolata missionaries went to the Buddhist monastery, and we were welcomed by the Buddhist bishop Ganzaya and his team. We had a very healthy exchange during which, the monks asked us questions about difference that exist within Christian churches. They showed a positive appreciation of the Catholic Church in the world, remembering still our Pope Francis’s life.
Through the picture that he took in his recent visit in Poland last December, the Buddhist bishop Ganzaya shared his amassing experience in one of the Catholic Church that had an altar decorated in purple brightening lights revealing the Advent season. “It was a prayerful place”, he added.
While sharing, they offered us Mongolian white food, tea with milk and salt, white rice and soupe meat. Cardinal Giorgio offered them a symbolic gift of candle and packed Mongolian traditional white and dry food on a khadag (when giving a gift in Mongolia, particulary during the Lunar year (Tsagaan Sar) or to elders, it is customary to present it with a Khadag which is a ceremonial blue or white or yellow silk scarf to show respect. A gift is held and placed on the khadag, with both hands, palms facing up, while offering it. They did the same in offering us Buddhist incense on a khadag.
Our friends Buddhists took us inside the monastery and explain to us their various rites and objects found in it. After taking pictures in front of the monastery, we greeted them and departed.
* Fr. Dido Mukadi, IMC, missionary in Mongolia.
