State Council News

Generous Donation!

Posted Jan 19, 2010
by Mark


With the help of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Nada and other individuals, along with a $25,000 donation from the Nada Knights of Columbus, Father Edward Schoellmann will be able to begin the building of a church in Africa.

Schoellmann, a native of St. Mary¹s, has dedicated his life to the Maryknoll Mission in different areas of Africa. He is presently doing his mission work in the Bukundi area, a town situated in the northern part of Tanzania south of the Serengeti Plains. Rainfall in this area is just above desert conditions, yet the local people living in this area engage in agriculture, such as farming cotton, maize,
corn and keeping extensive herds of goats, sheep and cattle.

According to Father Schoellmann, Bunkundi is rapidly growing with Catholics moving in from surrounding areas and so there is a growing interest in religion and a full fledged parish depending support to build a church, parish house and small adjacent buildings for teaching and catechetical staff. An initial church structure for about 400 parishioners is the beginning stage for the proposed parish of Bukundi. And Bishop Balina of Shinyanago Diocese has given Father Schoellmann support in starting this project.

Father Schoellmann has been a Maryknoll missionary for more than 44 years. His first 25 years were spent in Africa in the Ndolelji, Shinyanza Tanzania area and Russia for some years. Father Schoellmann’s desire has always been to help the poor and needy in the African countries and to help these people find God in their lives.
Members of Barnabas Held Knights of Columbus Council No. 3371 of Nada contributed $25,000 to Father Edward Schoellmann, a Maryknoll Missionary, to help build a church in the Bukundi Mission in Africa. The KCs presented the check to his family recently. Knights presenting the check (right) are Father Joe Vrana, chaplain; Stephen Spanihel, grand knight; and Tom Gold, deputy grand knight. Receiving the check are (l-r) Leo and Jean (sister) Leopold, Beatrice and Walter (brother) Schoellmann, James (brother) and Connie Schoellmann and Edward and Ernestine Schneider, friends.