My Dear Friends,

     I am writing to enlist your prayerful concern for a country and its people that have been closely tied to our diocese over many years.  I am referring to the African nation of Zimbabwe.

     In 1984 the Toledo “Mission of Accompaniment” provided the first missionaries from our diocese to serve All Souls Parish in Binga, Zimbabwe, in the Diocese of Hwange.  Our relationship has grown strong since then, thanks to the commitment of many generous men and women from our diocese who have ministered there. This relationship is also reflected in the generous financial support we have provided.  Examples include our help to the BaTonga people at the time of a disastrous drought several years ago, the construction of the church in Binga, and assistance with many development projects.  Our diocese continues to support financially the work of the Church in Binga.  One of our priests, Father Thomas McQuillen, teaches philosophy at the seminary in Bulawayo, which serves the whole Church in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is now a very troubled nation, as the media has reported over the last several years.  This past Easter the Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe issued a pastoral letter on the current crisis of their country entitled God Hears the Cries of the Oppressed. The letter appeals to those in political power to end their violence, oppression and intimidation.  The letter calls the people to prayer and fasting, with Fridays being a special day of prayer across the country. The Bishops also speak of hope with the following words: “Generations of Zimbabweans, too, throughout their long history of oppression and their struggle for liberation, have remembered, prayed and sung the texts from the Old and New Testaments and found strength, courage and perseverance in their faith that Jesus is on their side.  That is the message of hope we want to convey in this Pastoral Letter.”

     The Bishops of the United States were moved to write to Archbishop Robert Ndlovu with the assurance of their prayers and their “profound respect to you and our brother bishops in Zimbabwe for your brave and faithful pastoral ministry in these difficult days,” calling the pastoral letter “a powerful testimony to the prophetic leadership of the bishops of Zimbabwe and to the tragic situation of the people in your country.”

     Pope Benedict XVI also made reference to Zimbabwe in his Easter address describing the country as being “in the grip of a grievous crisis.” As pastor of the Universal Church the Holy Father also admonishes us: “Let us make sure that none of God’s children ever feels alone.” because those who are baptized create one family of believers.

     As in the past we in the Diocese of Toledo have supported our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe with our prayers, so now more than ever, we need to implore God for an end to the oppression and injustice that afflicts them.   Zimbabweans need the strength, courage and perseverance that come from faith in order to cope with the harsh realities of the present and to work for a just and peaceful future.  

Please join me in prayer for Zimbabwe.

                        Sincerely yours in Christ,
                 
                        Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair
                        Bishop of Toledo   

To learn more about Zimbabwe, check out the links below.

Learn more about the people, government and economy of Zimbabwe at the CIA World Factbook site . 

Catholic Relief Services began a program in Zimbabwe in 1989 at the request of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop's Conference concerns over the HIV and AIDS crisis in their country. 

Read the letter from the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop's Conference , and the response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with regards to the crisis in Zimbabwe.