Last weekend, representatives of the Mustard Seed Communities (MSC) were present after all Masses to answer questions about Mustard Seed and the work it does. Mustard Seed was founded by Msgr. Gregory Ramkissoon, is a Catholic priest in Jamaica. MSC started in Jamaica and expanded to Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and now has a presence in Africa. It cares for several hundred children with special physical and mental health needs, many of whom have been abandoned. MSC strives to protect the most vulnerable of God’s children. It also provides a home for teenage mothers and their babies. Many of these mothers have been disenfranchised from their families and are in need of emotional, spiritual, and financial support. MSC also manages a number of community outreach programs to combat poverty and provide educational opportunities to local populations.
As Catholics, we are taught to respect the fundamental dignity of the human person, and we hope to see that dignity reflected in all God’s children. This respect for God’s children is reflected in the work of Mustard Seed. The staff and volunteers of MSC strive to see the face of Christ in those who they meet, in those who they help. They do so with great joy and love.
Saint Brigid Parish supports MSC primarily through its spiritual and financial assistance. Our parishioners, in the past, have also participated in mission trips to assist in the construction of housing for the children in need, and other appropriate projects. Some of our parishioners have also adopted children from the various communities of Mustard Seed. Their sacrificial efforts have afforded a new life here in the United States for these children.
Saint Brigid Parish has been asked to focus its support on the Mustard Seed communities in Nicaragua. In the last few years, political and economic turmoil in Nicaragua has caused great stress in the Mustard Seed communities in that country. In addition, the country also struggles in these difficult and uncertain times due to the sustained impact of the COVID-19 virus. Mission trips to the Mustard Seed communities there have been greatly curtailed due to travel restrictions and safety concerns. In addition, it has become extremely difficult for medical and hygiene supplies needed by these communities to be shipped into the country. The turmoil in Nicaragua may continue indefinitely. The great strain on the Mustard Seed communities there may not be eased any time soon. We are encouraged to continue to be sensitive to the needs of these communities as we strive to assist the least of our brothers and sisters.
For information please visit www. saintbrigid.org/mustardseed.