Cosmas Ajawara

As Africa rises from mission field to mission force within the global Catholic Church, the column Beyond the Frontiers offers monthly reflections on the stories and spiritual impact of African Missionaries serving the universal Church far from home-living signs of the church’s call to evangelize all nations.

Cosmas Ajawara writes from St. Joseph Church in the Archdiocese of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where he serves as a Fidei Donum priest.

Between Rome and Washington: Why Recognition of the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria can Deepen Dialogue and Healing

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The recent reflections of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah in Rome and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s powerful testimony before the U.S. Congress in Washington have reopened one of the most urgent moral questions of our time: Are Nigerian Christians persecuted? Their differing tones—Bishop Anagbe’s cry from the valley of suffering and Bishop Kukah’s call for nuance and hope, reflect the two sides…

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Church of the Sheaves: Archbishop Nwachukwu’s Vision for Missionary Renewal and Cooperation

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Archbishop Nwachukwu has recently offered a profound and timely reflection on the current state of the Church’s missionary life, describing our age as the “Church of the Sheaves.” Drawing inspiration from Psalm 126, he interprets the sacrifices of Western missionaries as the seeds sown “in tears,” which today bear abundant fruit in the vibrant churches of Africa, Asia, Oceania, the…

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The African Church’s Harvest: A New era of Global Mission

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For more than a century, the global Catholic Church viewed Africa as a vast mission field, a continent in dire need of evangelization and structure. European and North American missionaries arrived to plant the seeds of faith, establishing institutions and proclaiming the Gospel. Today, those seeds have blossomed into a vibrant, self-sustaining Church. From thriving seminaries and religious houses to…

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A Tribute to Fidei Donum Priests: The Unsung Heroes of Global Evangelization

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One of the most inspiring movements in the Church today is the missionary witness of Fidei Donum (Latin for “Gift of Faith”) priests—diocesan priests who, with generous hearts, leave their home dioceses to serve parishes across continents and cultures in the spirit of global communion. The term Fidei Donum originates from the title of Pope Pius XII’s 1957 encyclical, Fidei…

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