All Saints, Bonavista
Global Mission Projects: All Saints, Bonavista, NFLD
— The Rev. Shaun O’Connor
All Saints Bonavista has a relationship with Bishop Francis Loyo of the Diocese of Rokon in South Sudan.
The relationship started in 2008, when my wife, Sandra, and I were in the ACC Diocese of Central Newfoundland, just after our bishop had returned from the Lambeth Conference. He had met Bishop Francis during an indaba discussion group and noticed a severe scar on his leg. It had been caused by being strung up upside down by the police after refusing to allow a witchdoctor to conduct a ceremony in the Anglican cemetery. That was what ministry was like in Sudan.
We became aware that the Diocese of Rokon needed help rebuilding churches which had been destroyed by Muslims during the civil war when they had been part of the country of Sudan. Our parish raised money which was given to their diocese through our diocese. Samaritan’s Purse had been leading this project. We also heard that the people of Rokon Diocese took in the young families of the Muslim men who had been killed while attacking their villages. We helped them to provide food and necessities in the spirit of “love your enemies.”
Sandra and I became friends with Bishop Francis’ remarkable young daughter, Hannah, who was trying to provide sanitary napkins to young women so that they could stay in school and be healthy. We assisted Hannah, both personally and with our new parish, not only with the napkins, but also in completing her undergraduate degree in Public Health.
I seconded a motion in our former diocese to become a Companion Diocese in 2015. I got to tour Bishop Francis around our deaneries in central Newfoundland in 2016, and was made Chairperson of the Companion Diocese Committee by our new bishop. Our time with Bishop Francis deepened our great respect for this devout, caring, courageous and joyful man. We provided funds, equipment and clergy vestments for him to take back. It was expected that I would be going to South Sudan in 2019 to visit on behalf of our diocese. We exchanged prayer lists of our parishes in both dioceses and educated our people in regards to our Companion Diocese.
Our diocese continued helping with the sanitary napkins and had hoped to bring Hannah to Newfoundland in order to obtain a master’s degree in Public Health, which would have held high credibility in her country; but that did not happen. During the famine in South Sudan in 2017, we implemented a diocesan fund-raiser to obtain seed and farming tools. We started an application to the ACC’s PWRDF for Hannah’s long-term, self-sustaining sanitary napkin fabrication facility, but did not get to complete it.
When Hannah became sick with appendicitis, our family and parishioners paid for her medical costs privately, without going through the church, because Revenue Canada forbade registered charities from giving to individuals. We believed that by helping these individuals we were truly helping a diocese and country. There are other individuals in Europe, including the Bishop of Salisbury, England, who also share a friendship with Bishop Francis and the Diocese of Rokon.
Since joining ANiC, our family and parish of All Saints Bonavista have continued to grow in our mutual friendship, prayer and care with Bishop Francis and his diocese. They are an encouragement to us and support our position in ANiC. St. Matthew’s Gander (ANiC) has also shared in this relationship. Bishop Charlie Masters has been in correspondence with Bishop Francis and supported our ministry.
We grieved with Bishop Francis when his wife and co-leader, Mama Linda, died two years ago. Bishop Francis himself is now very ill due to diabetes but is receiving medical attention in Kampala, Uganda, again with financial aid from All Saints Bonavista, St. Matthew’s Gander and others. Hannah, who is single, has had to care for her three nieces, and yet also contributes her health knowledge and skills in the South Sudanese refugee camps. She is very resourceful. We are currently preparing an application to ARDFC with her for the development of a sustainable sanitary napkin fabrication facility. We still pray for her to be able to study in Canada and return to serve her country. Hannah calls us her “family.” We exchange e-mails with her and occasionally call her, although contact is not always easy.
Yours in Christ,
— The Rev. Shaun O’Connor
allsaintsbonavista@gmail.com
Update in October 2021
Bishop Francis Loyo died last month and was buried in Rokon, South Sudan. I haven't seen it yet, but there is a video of his people and the children dancing around him. He so much wanted to see them before he died. His funeral service in Juba, South Sudan, led by his Archbishop and fellow bishops, can be seen via a link on the All Saints Bonavista FaceBook page. Hannah spoke at the funeral and said that he died peacefully, with some family members about him. He was tired, Hannah said, and ready to die. We will be sending formal condolences soon. He was very dear to our hearts.
Hannah, herself, is rundown and suffering from malaria. We hope that she will have the opportunity to grieve and rest herself. She has been trying to establish a 'Loving Arms Foundation' to continue her father's legacy of caring for children and young people. We hope that this can one day be linked with us as a Canadian charity.