Stories

In the vast expanse of Algeria’s Sahara desert, where distances are long and the Catholic community is small, Father José María Cantal Rivas lives a reality that might seem, at first glance, disconnected from the global Church.

And yet, every year, his community participates in one of its most universal expressions: World Mission Sunday.

“In Algeria, although we are only about 12,000 Catholics, we celebrate World Mission Sunday,” he said.

The numbers are small, but the gesture is significant. In a land where Catholics are a minority and resources are limited, the faithful still gather, pray and give.

“We give from what we have, like the widow in the Gospel,” he said.

That giving is not symbolic. Even in the desert, where his own parish community is small, other collections are also taken—often during Lent—and sent through the network of the Pontifical Mission Societies to support the Church’s work in other parts of the world.

“All the collection is sent to the missions,” he explained. “And we are happy to be able, every year, to give what we can. And we welcome what others can send to us.”

For Father Cantal, this exchange—giving and receiving—is at the heart of the Church’s missionary identity.

He sees it also in the people he encounters daily, including migrants crossing the desert in search of a better future.

“Those who are about to cross the sea come to pray,” he said. “They ask the Lord to protect them.”

In those moments, the Church becomes a place of refuge, prayer and hope—often for people who may never be counted among its members.

Through the Pontifical Mission Societies, communities like his—small, remote and materially poor—remain connected to the universal Church. They receive support, but they also contribute, offering what they can in a spirit of solidarity that transcends geography.

Even in the desert, the missions are not only sustained—they are shared.