Around 40 years ago the Mission Office of the Diocese of Orlando was created and led by Bishop Grady. The Mission Office of The Diocese of Orlando was created to make a loving relationship with their brothers and sisters who lived on the fringes. With the help and guidance from Sister Bernadette MacKay, the Diocese of San Juan De la Maguana, Dominican Republic became their Sister Diocese. The Diocese of San Juan De la Maguana, is in the mountains of the Dominican Republic were they don’t have the necessities for life. These necessities include, pastoral support, education, medical care, housing, electricity, and even access to water. The Mission Office of the Diocese of Orlando plans to give 800 families access to running water by building a pipeline through the mountains.

The seven communities in the mountains will be receiving the help from volunteer missioners to build the pipeline. The local leaders in the communities will be trained on plumbing and how they can maintain the pipe system during and after construction. In addition, there will be US engineers that volunteer to work alongside the communities.

Over the past 20 years, various gifts have been provided to the Mission Office. These gifts have allowed children to attend schools, who prior did not have any chance at getting an education. Some of the children who were able to attend, went off and graduated college. In regards to pastoral support, a community that rarely saw a priest now have a priest live in their community for 8 years. Doctors and dentist have also been contributing to the overall care to those in need. Homes, schools, churches, and bridges have all begun to spring up as the community gathers together to build.

The Diocese of Orlando ministry has built a beautiful relationship between all the people it has been serving. The ministry has blessed people beyond anyone’s belief and is still supporting those around them. The Mission Office of the Diocese of Orlando is creating a spiritual transformation in the lives of so many.