Ethiopian orphan outreach

ANDOVER  Poor orphans served by Medhen Social Center in the city of Addis Ababa in central Ethiopia live a world away — 7,000 miles distance — from the faith community of Good Shepherd here in rural Sussex County. Yet for the past 16 years, parishioners have come together each year to show their love for these children they have never met — but still have come to call “our children” — by walking six miles on local roads to its cemetery to raise money for the center, which gives them needed care and hope for a brighter future.

The rain on this year’s date last month canceled plans for the annual scheduled walk — 2.9 miles each way — from Good Shepherd Church on Tranquility Road to the parish cemetery at Creek and Airport roads but could not dampen the faithful’s enthusiasm for the cause. Instead, 80 parishioners, who ranged in age from grammar school to senior citizens, attended a rally in the parish center, where they prayed a decade of the rosary with Deacon Keith Harris, socialized and enjoyed healthy snacks. That Sunday afternoon, they raised $8,503, which helps provide education, medical care, housing, foster care, food support and skills training for the orphans, said Linda Gray, Good Shepherd’s coordinator of Mary’s Caring Ministry, who coordinated the event with Deacon Harris.

“The disappointment [of the canceled walk] was far surpassed by the giving and positive spirit displayed by all. The walkers certainly had the interests of the children in their hearts,” Gray said. The rally included Confirmation candidates, who secured donations from sponsors. “We are a small parish here in Sussex County but we find ways to reach out to the universal Church. We strive to follow in the discipleship of the Lord and help others. The walk is a wonderful family bonding activity, not to mention the benefits of walking and enjoyment of the beautiful outdoors, and of course, raising funds for the orphans,” she said.

Good Shepherd’s annual fundraiser supports the center, which is ministered by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Today, three sisters and a large staff of teachers, social workers, skills trainers and health practitioners serve the center, which places children — whose parents typically die of AIDS, malaria or tuberculosis — to live with local families. It provides them with food support, medical care, access to medicine and mental-health services, said James Miller, Good Shepherd’s liaison to the Medhen Social Center, who travels frequently there to visit.

In the area of education, children there attend the local public school, while the center offers vocational training to become mechanics and taxi drivers. It also has a child development center for 3- to 5-year-olds and arts and crafts activities on Saturdays, such as painting and jewelry making. About 2,200 children total have completed the program and many have gone on to further education in high school or college. Today, many staff members are graduates of the program, said Miller, noting that Good Shep­herd’s fundraiser grew out of a CROP Walk sponsored by the ecumenical council of Andover and Sparta about 20 years ago.

“These orphans have been abandoned and live in the one of the poorest areas of Ethiopia. If not for the center, they would be at the mercy of living on the street,” said Miller, vice president of the N.Y. Film Academy, who formerly worshipped at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Sparta and now lives in New York. He first visited the Med­hen Social Center more than 20 years ago on a mission trip with Catholic Relief Services, and struck up a friendship with the center’s director, Sister Gebre-Mariam Senkenesh. Together, they developed an outreach program for the orphans. “Over the years, Good Shepherd’s support has been so generous. They consider these children, who live half a world away, as their children and their sisters and brothers. The parishioners have been with them through their lifetimes,” he said.

In a 2018 letter to Good Shepherd, Sister Gebre-Mariam described the parish’s financial commitment to “the cause of children who have suffered so much in their young lives” as “heartwarming.”

“You are one of the pioneers to join Jim in his effort to create a stable source of funding [for the center] so as to ensure sustainability. I know that you have undertaken this annual action as your outreach program dear to your heart and our Lord and our Good Shepherd has been multiplying your generous gifts all these years,” Sister Gebre-Mariam wrote. “I assure you that your support allows us to offer the children not only the most basic needs, but also other supports to enhance their well-being. I am encouraged by your renewed enthusiasm to pursue the good works of your parish,” she wrote.

The idea for the walk at Good Shepherd 16 years ago came from Sharon Matuza, the parish’s former pastoral associate, who retired a few years ago, with the blessing of Msgr. Father Richard Steiger, the pastor at that time. Usually, the walk starts at the church with a prayer and instructions. Escorted by local police, participants engage in conversation while walking. When they reach the cemetery, they pray a decade of the rosary, led by Deacon Harris, and stop for a water break, before returning to the parish, where they enjoy a healthy snack of fruit and granola, Gray said.

The fundraiser for Ethiopian orphans is but one of the social-service outreaches of the 1,200-family Good Shepherd, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. Other ministries include a food pantry, open on Thursdays to people in need, and help to children in the area, who are struggling financially, said Father Timothy Dowling, pastor.

“The money that Good Shepherd raises goes a long way in that part of the world,” Deacon Harris told The Beacon. “Every year, the parish is making a difference in the lives of the orphans. The young people especially are learning that they can make a difference,” he said.