Faith

A good rule for bumpy mission road travel: don't try to make World Mission Rosaries. You'll only make a mess!

Propagation of the Faith

Good Humor is Key to a Good Mission Trip!

Friday, September 5, 2025Faith

On our recent trip to Ethiopia, Daria Braithwaite and I were blessed to start our journey with a tour of the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela. Some call them the Eighth Wonder of the world; they certainly lived up to their billing! Carved from the ground down in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, these three-story fully stone buildings are a marvelous showcase of what people can accomplish with simple hand tools and God-given talents.
From Lalibela, we returned to the capital city of Addis Ababa to meet up with one of our hosts, Father Abraham Gebremariam. (Locals call their priests Abba instead of Father. I will from here on!) Our driver for the trip was a man named Tesfaye (say: tes-FYE-yay). We would become quite fond of Tessie in the days to come, and very impressed with his skills behind the wheel, too.
As we set out, Abba Abraham explained that we had a five-to-six-hour drive ahead of us to reach the Vicariate of Hosanna. As we drove out of the city, he pointed out various places of interest: a plaza still called the Piazza from the time of the Italian occupation (1936-1941), a statue of an Ethiopian Orthodox bishop, Abune Petros, who was arrested and executed for refusing to collaborate with the occupiers, and even the place in Addis (as the locals call it) that marks Mile Zero, from where all travel distances are measured. Try finding that spot in your town or city in your Maps app!
Daria and I sat in the back seat, making World Mission Rosaries to give to attendees of our World Mission Sunday Mass on October 19, 2025, at Sacred Heart Church of Divine Mercy Parish in Quincy (more on that another time!). All was well as we watched the beautiful scenery, saw large natural lakes and mountains, and monkeys by the side of the highway. That is, until we exited with two hours left to drive -- we were not warned about the upcoming road conditions. Their potholes make ours look like pinpricks!
As we bumped along, beads flew across the back seat. I thought of an old episode of "I Love Lucy" where Lucy and her friend Ethel work in a candy factory and can't keep up with the conveyor belt. Soon enough, candy is everywhere (including in their mouths!) and hilarity ensues.
So it was with Daria and me as we tried our best to corral the beads, now escapees from their packages. Our laughter was great medicine for the hard roads, especially knowing there were many more to come!

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