Story by Dorothy K. LaMantia, Correspondent
The mere mention of Mongolia often summons visions of nomads herding horses, cows and camels through unforgiving miles of frigid desert and grasslands, or Mongolian leader Genghis Khan and his warriors thundering on horseback.
This rugged country named “The Land of the Eternal Blue Sky” by Genghis Khan has a new identity, “the Baby of the Church,” which put it on the radar of Father Peter James Alindogan, director of the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies for the Diocese of Trenton.
From Aug. 22 to 30, Father Alindogan, pastor of St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette, visited the Prefecture Apostolic of Ulaanbaatar, center of Mongolia’s first Catholic community, the newest in the Roman Catholic Church.
Under Communist rule, all religious practice was outlawed in Mongolia in 1922. Two years after the Mongolian Revolution of 1990, a new democratic government welcomed the Church’s presence, embodied by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart (CICM) missionaries.
This order, founded in Italy, ministered to the needs and social ills plaguing the poor, especially the nomads wishing to abandon the old ways and transition to urban living. None were Catholic, but the missionaries’ care and practice of the faith rendered the face of Christ visible and led to the first Baptisms in 1995. Today, roughly 1,000 Mongolians are Catholic with eight mission churches spread through remote areas. Ten religious orders serve as missionaries.
Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, was designated an apostolic prefecture – according to Canon Law, an area which has not yet been established as a diocese due to special circumstances – under the supervision of Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, CICM, a native of the Philippines, like Father Alindogan.
“I used our connection as Filipinos to make the visit,” he said, explaining how Bishop Padilla invited him to stay at the CICM mission house in the capital city. The visit coincided with Bishop Padilla’s 10th anniversary as bishop Aug. 29.
“It was a great experience,” said Father Alindogan. “Since the 12th century, Mongolia had been predominantly Buddhist. Today, less than 1 percent is Christian. But the people there have an openness, which makes it possible for the Church to do a lot.”
Signs of Change
Sharing his impressions of the country, he said, “Ulaanbaatar is a big city like Paris or London, where people work in modern industry. But the countryside is like the American plains with steppes, the grasslands without trees. You’ll see yak and nomads, but it’s the middle of nowhere. No cell towers. It is where only the greatest trust in our good Lord can spread this message.”
He said he was impressed by the people’s openness to change and adaptability. “Mongolians are peace-loving and proud of their heritage.”
Yet problems persist. “Because it is cold, people drink vodka, resulting in alcoholism and domestic abuse,” Father Alindogan said. “Life expectancy is about 68 years. The diet is unhealthy, mostly carnivorous. Fruit or vegetables are rare and expensive. That is why we must propagate the faith. It’s a springboard of hope, of love and of service.”
In spite of the challenges, the Mongolian Church’s latest developments – its baby steps – deserve attention and applause, he said. On Aug. 28, 29-year-old Joseph Enkh Baatar was ordained Mongolia’s first indigenous priest.
“The Church in Mongolia will now have to share the faith,” said Father Alindogan, who witnessed the event.
More than 1,500 faithful including priests, Orthodox clergy and Buddhist monks attended Father Enkh’s ordination in the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, built in the style of the traditional Mongolian ger (also called a “yurt”), the portable round tents that sheltered nomads during their migrations.
“The Buddhist monks presented him with a blue shawl, which is a symbol of royalty,” he explained. “The Church practices enculturation. The vestments he wore had traditional Mongolian button closures. The Mass was celebrated in the Mongolian language. This is even more significant than the 25th anniversary of the missionary presence they will celebrate next year.”
Faith in Mission
In spite of the country’s general religious freedom, conflicts and tensions still exist between Church and State. While the Church sponsors orphanages and other human services, “they are not allowed to speak about their faith. If they do, they can lose their license to operate,” said Father Alindogan, “because the Communist Party won the last election.”
“It is important to have a native-born priest,” he said, because the government might expel foreign born clergy.
Yet there is great cause for hope – another native Mongolian is in his fourth year in seminary, with his ordination expected in 2018, and recently, a French priest translated the sacramentary into Mongolian, allowing people to participate in Mass in their own language.
On this Mission Sunday 2016, Father Alindogan urges faithful everywhere “to be immersed in the missions.”
“Missionary work is not just financial,” he said. “I bank on the prayers of our people. It is the act of sharing that can affect lives and transform them. The things we discard in our country can be of use to our mission brothers and sisters.”
Father Alindogan gifted Bishop Padilla with previously used vestments and liturgical objects including monstrances and chalices collected from St. Pio and his former parish, St. Charles Borromeo, Cinnaminson.
“I want our people to know they’re missionaries whenever they share their faith with their family or friends or when they give to Faith to Move Mountains,” he said. “They must look into their hearts to see what they are sharing. Jesus told us to share the Good News. There is a lot to share, and we must spread it.”