For current and former parishioners of Holy Angels Church in Dayton, the idea to share love and compassion with people overseas sprouted when the parish’s Twinning Committee formed in 2012. Committee members then decided on a twinning relationship with a parish in Rwanda.

“There are Holy Angels parishioners who are from Rwanda, so they helped [us] develop a twinning relationship with Rwaza, a parish in northern Rwanda,” said Twinning Committee member, Kurt Horner.

The initial goal for the relationship included Holy Angels’ assistance with funds for multiple needs, such as a new roof on the church at the main center in Rwaza. In return, Rwaza shared correspondence through newsletters.

Noting that it’s difficult to send physical items or travel to Rwaza, in 2017, some Twinning Committee members were able to travel and meet members of the Rwaza community for the first time.

“The natural progression was, we should meet our friends; we should see the work that was done and get a real feel for how the culture and the community work,” said Twinning Committee member, Debra Sanderman. This included attending Mass with Rwaza parishioners.

“When we walked into the church in Rwaza, Mass was an incredibly moving experience,” Sanderman said. “Many of us try to fit our faith into our world, between kid activities and other interests. In Rwaza, their world fits around their faith. For them it’s an experience.”

“It’s an amazing experience that words are not enough to describe,” added Horner.

Current efforts with Rwaza focus on providing education to vulnerable women. This year, Holy Angels is assisting 21 young women with their education in day school, trade school or boarding school.

“At the boarding school, tuition is expensive and … inaccessible to women of the Rwaza community, where life is much simpler,” said Horner. “Through our efforts, we [topped] off that tuition so that [the] school is accessible to those who might not make it otherwise.

One of our students has the strongest academics [there. To] think that we are making it possible for that young woman to attend that type of school is inspiring.”

Horner said he hopes to travel back to Rwaza with his wife later this year, and the Twinning Committee hopes to send another group soon, possibly with students from the parish.

“It is never too late and never too early to begin mission work,” said Sanderman. “Know that you will grow and, ideally, develop into a stronger, more faith-filled person; not only through relationships like our twinning relationship, but through Mass or other opportunities.”

This article appeared in the July 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.