Aid to the Church in Need Ireland’s Lenten Missionary Campaign has highlighted the work of Columban Missionary, Fr Tomás King in Pakistan.
The campaign is promoted as giving “some much-deserved attention to the heroic efforts of Christian missionaries in some of the most dangerous environments for Christians around the world”.
Fr Tomás is an Irish Columban missionary who has served in Pakistan for over two decades, focusing on education, healthcare, and pastoral care in the Sindh province.
Michael Kelly, Director of Public Affairs to the Irish office of Aid to the Church in Need, recalls spending part of Lent last year in Pakistan with the small Christian community there.
Pakistan is the fifth largest country in the world, with a population of some 241 million people. Geographically, Ireland would fit inside Pakistani territory about 120 times. “Christians make up about 2% of the population and suffer greatly because of their minority status.”
Mr Kelly writes: “I saw first hand the challenges outlined by Fr Tomás, a heroic missionary working in the vineyard of the Lord. Christians in Pakistan face discrimination in terms of employment, opportunities and education both from the government and from Islamic extremists. Churches have frequently been the scene of bomb attacks, and most Christian places of worship are behind high walls protected by armed soldiers and security personnel.”
“Sadly, abduction is an ever-present danger for young Christian girls. Often as young as 13, they will be snatched, forcibly converted to Islam and married to a much older Muslim man. Sometimes, with the help of sympathetic police officers, the family can get the girl back. But under strict Islamic law, she remains married to the man – and when she turns 18 must go back to live with him.”
“The cruel brick kilns, part of the diabolical culture of bonded labour, force children to sacrifice their childhood as they provide disposable, cheap labour to nefarious forces that exploit. Contrived blasphemy charges levelled against Christians create a culture of paranoia, where there is a fear that neighbour may turn on neighbour because of anti-Christian prejudice.”
“There is great affection for Irish missionaries in Pakistan. The recent history of Catholicism in the Islamic nation can be traced to the 19th Century and the Irish soldiers in the British army who brought their Catholic chaplains.”
“These chaplains were followed by Irish Capuchin missionaries, Irish Mill Hill fathers, Irish Columbans, like Fr Tomás, and Irish Presentation Sisters, among others.”
Columban Missionary Fr Tomás King on mission in Pakistan. Image: ACN Ireland
“The cathedral in Karachi is named after St Patrick, and many Catholics I met there had warm stories of the ministry and kindness they experienced from Irish missionaries. More than once, I said a quiet prayer to myself: ‘thank God for our missionaries, and their heroic lives of service and witness all around the globe’.”
“Indeed, thank God for missionaries like Fr Tomás, who sacrifice everything to give a little that goes a long way for the embattled Christians in Pakistan.”
“Pakistan is also a country where, thanks to your generosity, ACN works hard to help priests like Fr Tomás which enable the small Christian community to thrive and grow.”
Please watch Fr Tomás’ moving story here: https://bit.ly/4s7QFam
Thank you ACN Ireland for highlighting this wonderful Columban Missionary!