SRF 2026 1st Quarter Newsletter
Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Leprosy
Serving “The Least of These” in Wau
It’s difficult to believe the scourge of leprosy still exists in our modern age — but in Sudan and South Sudan, innocent people continue to suffer from this terrible disease that is both treatable and curable.
In Agok, a community almost an hour outside Wau, there are two hundred families who know this very well — families who would be starving if it weren’t for the care provided by SRF in partnership with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa.
With support from donors, SRF is able to supply essential food and non-food items to these many families who would otherwise be rendered a death sentence from their illness.
The Franciscan Sisters from Wau regularly visit the community to deliver food and supplies. The members of the Agok community receive medicine to treat the illness and stop it in its tracks. Damage from the disease cannot be reversed, but its progression can be stopped.
Education Against All Odds
Primary and Vocational Training Thrives at Ave Maria
The seeds of a brighter tomorrow are being steadily nurtured through the education programs at Ave Maria Parish. Built from the ground up by the tireless dedication of Father Avelino and Father Albert, and supported by generous funding from SRF donors, the community is currently running three nursery schools, two primary schools, one secondary school and a vocational training center.
The vocational training center has become especially promising. Its carpentry track has been so successful that two small businesses have recently launched from it, one in the local parish and another in Yambio, providing both income and dignity for the graduates.
The center has expanded to include electrical, plumbing and mechanical, and arc welding training. A fourth section is about to be added in tailoring and dressmaking.
Daily operations at the schools have been aided immeasurably by the assistance of four members of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of Guadalupe. Since arriving last spring, the sisters have provided invaluable support to the many IDP children thriving in the parish classrooms.
Western Equatoria presents a difficult backdrop against which to provide education — yet through your support and God’s grace, a significant difference is being made.
The Lives You’ve Saved
A Miracle of Healing at St. Theresa Hospital
Funded generously by SRF donors, the Graham Pediatric Center at St. Theresa Hospital Nzara opened its doors to the community in August.
The first patients seen were a young mother who brought her three year-old girl, Sadia, and baby boy, Luak, to the children’s ward. Both were suffering from symptoms of malaria, a disease that claims thousands of lives each year in South Sudan. But the illness is curable if prompt and effective treatment is received.
Both Sadia and Baby Luak were admitted and immediately put on a protocol of antimalarial medications. The children responded very well to treatment. Within 48 hours, their symptoms were gone, and brother and sister were discharged to return home. The toddlers’ mother was extremely relieved and expressed her deep gratitude for saving her children from the grip of malaria.
St. Theresa Hospital serves a vast population stretching from South Sudan to the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The mission hospital is dedicated to providing some of the best medical care the country has to offer, and people travel long distances to seek treatment they can’t get anywhere else.
Celebrating Resilience, Praying for Peace
A Community Unites to Show Its Strength
In Tombura, members of Catholic Action, a group for committed laypeople to serve their community and church, gather in a special vigil to promote peace and resilience.
The services and prayers were led by Father Avelino and Father Albert of Ave Maria Parish.
The region has been beset by heavy fighting, resulting in more than 1,000 people being displaced in the past 6-12 months.
This gathering highlighted their faith and fortitude through growing challenges, celebrating the power of ministry and importance of community.