Each year, our diocese’s Mission Cooperative Plan (MCP) assigns a Catholic mission to each parish. In the past, we have hosted missionaries from Banica, Vietnam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who have been graciously welcomed and supported by our generous parishioners.
This year, our Mission is the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica, which consists of 20 parishes and 3 missions. A large part of their diocese, including Black River, was decimated by Hurricane Melissa in late October, 2025. This Category 5 Hurricane caused severe damage and flooding to the island. People lost their homes and businesses and were left without food, water, electricity, and medicine/medical care—the basic essentials of life. To learn more about this Mission, visit https://arlingtonmissions.org/mission/diocese-of-mandeville-jamaica/.
Father Gary Wiesmann will speak at all the masses on August 8-9 about the Mandeville Mission—its purpose, its people, and its programs—and how our brothers and sisters in Christ are coping in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Evangelization is a primary goal of the Diocese of Mandeville. Approximately 50% of the people are illiterate and catechesis is time consuming and personal. An important part of evangelization is building schools and providing an education to young children. Here is a direct quote from Father Gary:
“In order to help youth in our primary/secondary schools to know Our Lord in our Catholic tradition and to break the cycle of poverty into which they were born, the MCP has established as many schools as finances allow. Our Catholic religion is taught along with the skills and courses our youth so desperately need to survive as adults. We also provide breakfast/lunch for children who come to school with no food and purchase textbooks, supplies and uniforms for children whose family can’t afford them.”
To donate, visit https://bit.ly/MCPJamaica. Thank you for your generosity and support of this mission which is trying to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.
