Fr. Edwin Fernandez (left) missionary in Chileand Fr. Popo Perey (right) missionary in Chad
Two former SVD scholastics, graduates of the Divine Word Seminary, dropped by their former home for a visit. Fr. Edwin Fernandez, SVD, 37, born in Binmaley, Pangasinan ordained in 1996 is the present recor of the SVD seminary in Chile. He has been a missionary in Chile for ten years now, going there immediately after ordination. Please click on this for SVD Chile website.
Fr. Teofilo "Popo" Perey, SVD, 51, is from Indang, here in Cavite. Before he entered Christ the King Seminary in 1985, he was an engineer working with Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) in Quezon City. After ordination, he was sent to Togo, a country in West Africa, and a former German colony. Three years ago, the SVD superior general asked Popo to be one of the pioneeer SVD missionaries to Chad in Central Africa.
Fr. Tony Pernia, SVD superior generalcelebrating a Mass on his visit to Chad
A day in the life of a missionary:Fr. Popo Perey (wearing a hat) helped "liberate"
their mission car stuck in the mud.
Chad has 7.5 million people with 20% Christians (7% Catholics), 60% Muslims and the rest Ethnoreligionist. 80% of the population lives below poverty line due to a hostile climate, long years of civil war, corruption, and a high rate of illiteracy. Chad is easily one of the poorest countries in teh world. This is the kind of place that the SVD would want to go to "preach the Good News."
Chad missionaries themselves have to till the soil to survive
Chad's Basic Ecclesial Community meeting under the treeChad photos credit: Fr. T. Perey, SVD
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