Catholic Mission In Canada

Recently we received a letter that immediately touched us—simply written from the heart, full of memories of boundless faith, and with genuine caring gleaned over a lifetime ago, when the writer was just a child experiencing the faith and service of missionaries who made a lasting impression on her.

She is now 80 years old and on her birthday felt compelled to make a gift to honour those missionaries of old and to support the work of our missionaries today.

Her letter gives us an insight into how our missionaries today affecting the lives of the children and youth whom they are ministering at present and how our missionaries are changing these youths’ lives and communities for the better.

Here is our donor’s letter:

Dear Person,

This is a one-only donation. Not much, but I am turning eighty and this is my birthday present to myself. I’ve wanted to do this for years. No receipt needed. No calendar either, thank you.

Motivation? Threefold:

When I was a child in Gravenhurst, Ontario, St. Paul’s was a mission church. We had a parish priest but he covered a lot of territory. I have never forgotten the joy of special occasions when the priests came from the neighbouring areas and stayed for two days to celebrate with Father McGuire from Peterborough diocese. Forty hours was a BLAST!

Lawrence and Gertrude Pitawankawat were our friends in Gravenhurst for a few years. I don’t remember what part of the North they came from, but I do remember them as two of the best childhood friends we’ve ever had.

Sioux Lookout. My father and mother lived there for 14 years. (My father worked at the hospital.) They lived near the church and my mother was active there. I remember her telling me that when the priest who also travelled a lot hung his washing on the line, it was so tattered that the women pitched in and bought him more.

I’ve have always had a soft spot for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate but I leave you to judge who needs the money most. Sorry it isn’t more.

We were extremely moved by this letter and the gift that came with it. The first paragraph says everything: genuine desire, selflessness, fond memories and a longing to support mission work.

And her last sentence, “I leave you to judge who needs the money most,” inspires me to say:

I leave you to judge how you feel you can best support our missionaries in their work of keeping the Catholic faith alive in many far-flung communities across Canada, how you can help them bring Jesus to the little ones.

If you would like information on a particular gift type,

Fill out a Request Information Form or

please contact  Winnie Quinn, our Charitable Gift Planning Manager at

Tel: 416-934-3424
Toll-free: 1-866-YES-CMIC (937-2642)
Fax: 416-934-3425

or via e-mail at giftplan@cmic.info