The Partnerships Committee of the Diocese has been very active in spite of the roadblocks put in place by COVID-19. We feel it is important to reach out – even if only in prayer – to the wider community. To that end, we, in Montreal, have managed to maintain strong connections to four dioceses from around the world.
As most of the diocese is aware, we have an ongoing partnership with the Diocese of Jerusalem, where we provide moral and prayerful support. In addition, there are two other dioceses with whom we have been learning and supporting one other through visits and the occasional financial contributions; the Diocese of Masasi in Southern Tanzania and the Territory of the People in Northern British Columbia. These relationships are ongoing and have been in place through multiple bishops.
This year we began discussions on a possible fourth partnership, this one with the Diocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It began with a personal relationship between our Bishop Mary and their Bishop Achille. After some correspondence between the Bishops and between Bishop Achille and our committee, we (together) identified an urgent need that we could help with. Their Diocese was being badly hit by COVID-19 and there were very few resources available to help fight it. The Bishop decided to visit all the parishes of his diocese in order to share information on preventive measures, including the preparation and distribution of simple documents teaching good health practices. Though their own efforts they were able to finance approximately one third of the costs of the program and we, the Diocese of Montreal, provided the remaining financial support needed, amounting to $3,850 (Canadian).
The Partnership Committee was particularly pleased to help as Bishop Achille and his diocese were being as self-reliant as they could; we just provided the final resources to get the program under way.
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