On Jan. 15, Father Richard Chiola, parishioners and friends at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Springfield experienced the completion of a pro-life fund-raising challenge that will benefit poor citizens in Kenya. They raised $25,000 through the gifts of more than 375 people to ship donated medical equipment and supplies to a medical center that Archbishop Zaccheus Okoth of Kisumu, Kenya recently rebuilt, as well as to medical training facilities in that area.

The people at St. Cabrini donated the funds within a two-month period, beginning Oct. 21. With the support of the parish council, Father Chiola offered 100 chances to make a donation of $200 as a way "to help us recognize our responsibility for promoting and sustaining life among the whole human family."  

"We raised 125 percent of our goal. With each $1,000 we received, we lit a candle each Sunday in the church sanctuary and in doing so we shared the light of Christ in this (recent past) Christmas season," said Father Chiola. "With more than 20 candles burning, the sanctuary gleamed. It is our prayer that the people of Kenya feel Christ's light through our gift."

Just days before Christmas, Father Chiola and some of the donors assisted the Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach staff in organizing the items for shipment at the Mission Outreach warehouse in Springfield. Donated items in the shipment included medical equipment for infants, children and adults from hospital and medical facilities in Springfield, Champaign, and St. Louis as well as in Manitowoc, Wis., and Indianapolis.

Father Chiola also arranged for a large signed card (made from a photograph taken by Springfield photographer Terry Farmer of parishioners gathered around the St. Cabrini altar) to be sent with the shipment.

 Because Kenya is plagued by unrest and problems with black market forces, Bruce Compton, Mission Outreach president and CEO, insured the shipment for $20,000.

"Bruce insured the cost of shipment so we are not out that (money) if things did go wrong," said Father Chiola. "The value of the equipment is over $150,000 and there is much more available, if only there were donations for shipment costs."

"We worked with Archbishop Zaccheus to determine exactly what he needed," said Compton. "We are humbled by the generosity of the St. Frances Cabrini parishioners who found the meaning of Christmas in this effort. They reached deep into their pockets to make this happen, and their gift will be life-saving to people they'll probably never meet."