Finding faith in Pakistan

Michael Kelly

I always loved the month of May as a child. Partly it was because it is the month of my birthday, but also because in my family we always had a special devotion to the Mother of God. Not in a showy or overly-pious way, but Mary was always a powerful intercessor for us – a helper close at hand.

Maybe Marian spirituality has a particular resonance in Ireland where we know the love and affection of ‘Irish mammies’ who are always willing to bend the rules to help us along.

I spent part of this Lent in Pakistan with the small Christian community there. Pakistan is 98% Muslim, and this year Lent coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan where fasting during the hours of daylight is an obligation. This is observed by Christians while in public, because to eat or drink would provoke the ire of Muslims and the safest bet for Christians is to try to go under the radar and not attract any attention to themselves.

While I was in the airport on the way home in the early hours of the morning, it was still dark so I was able to have a coffee. However, as I was getting very close to finishing my coffee a very observant policeman tapped me on the shoulder and told me to hurry as the fast was about to begin.

The start of the fast is notified to residents by means of a loud horn in towns and villages across the country. I must say, Ramadan really helped me to keep my own Lenten observations!

There is great affection for Irish missionaries in Pakistan. The recent history of Catholicism in the Islamic nation can be traced to the 19th Century and the Irish soldiers in the British army who brought their Catholic chaplains.

These chaplains were followed by Irish Capuchin missionaries, Irish Mill Hill fathers, Irish Columbans and Irish Presentation Sisters among others. The cathedral in Karachi is named for St Patrick, and many Catholics I met there had warm stories of the ministry and kindness they experienced from Irish missionaries. More than once, I said a quiet prayer to myself: “thank God for our missionaries, and their heroic lives of service and witness all around the globe.”

Today, our missionaries have largely been replaced by local priests and religious – and, thank God, vocations to the priesthood and religious life are thriving in Pakistan. It is a great blessing to ACN Ireland that we are able to continue the work of evangelisation of Pakistan started by our missionaries by funding and supporting seminaries and houses of formation in Pakistan.

Pakistani Catholics are confident looking to the future, despite the challenges that they face in living their faith on a daily basis – and they are immensely grateful to the benefactors of ACN Ireland for their support. Visiting one rural small Catholic community, a teenage boy said simply to me “Thank you for coming, no-one ever comes to see us.” When he asked me where I was from, I told him Ireland – he looked at me blankly. He had no idea, but I assured him “no matter, the people of Ireland and the supporters of ACN Ireland pray for the people of Pakistan, and the Christians here every day.”

“And now I will pray for them, too” he told me with an assurance that he would find out about Ireland on the internet.

I was nervous going to Pakistan given the threat of terrorism and Islamic extremism, but the people I met there and the profound faith I experienced will live with me forever.

In this month of May, let us turn to Our Lady of Peace and Hope, patroness of Pakistan, to intercede for the people there.

Michael Kelly is Director of Public Affairs at Aid to the Church in Need Ireland.

Guest User1 May 2025