A riverboat for an Amazonian parish
The Diocese of Humaitá lies deep in the Amazon region and serves a vast area of around 135,000 km². Most of it is covered by rainforest, however, and is only sparsely populated. Many of the communities lie on the riverbanks and can only be reached via water. The river journeys are difficult and dangerous, with rapids, floating trees in the water, snakes, other poisonous animals, and abundant mosquitoes, which make pastoral outreach difficult for the missionaries.
The parish of Our Lady Help of Christians is based in the town of Manicoré, but it also has 51 outstations, most of them lying along the riverbanks. There are just two priests and one religious sister to minister to the faithful.
Distances here are measured in hours by boat. It takes anywhere between 4 and 11 hours by river to reach the various communities, which meant it was only possible to visit the village communities roughly three times a year, and not without sacrifices and challenges.
But this has changed thanks to your help. Your donation of $19,810 made it possible to purchase a more powerful boat with a covered cabin, allowing the priests, religious sister, and lay missionaries to reach the various communities more quickly and more safely than before. The faithful are happy to be able to receive the sacraments more frequently, and to receive support and counsel for their various needs.
This new high-powered boat has both strengthened and simplified pastoral outreach and evangelization work. Our heartfelt thanks to each of you for your support!
