MOST REV. WENCESLAO PADILLA, BISHOP OF THE APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF MONGOLIA

“We really had to start from scratch, from zero,” he said. “When we arrived, there was no church, no convent, to welcome us.” The trio stayed first in a hotel in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, before finding an apartment to use as their headquarters for the next three years until the first church building could be erected.

First, they held Masses for just the three of them. Then, as the expatriate community became aware of their presence, these Catholics in a foreign land began attending the priests’ Masses. Eventually they brought along their Mongolian friends.

During his first years in Mongolia, Bishop Padilla worked hard to understand the needs of the people, which led to the establishment of several initiatives to help the less fortunate. These included a care centre for children who were homeless, schools, medical clinics, libraries plus vocational skills and income generation training centres. “All cater to the very poor,” said Bishop Padilla, “those who have no clothes to wear, no food, no family.”

Bishop Padilla notes there have been many obstacles to overcome and challenges to face in their missionary work, including the difficulty of learning the language, the harsh climate and the predominance of the major religions there—Tibetan Buddhism, Shamanism and the Muslim religion. “Also, the poverty of the people is a big challenge,” he noted, “because we don’t have any local income. It’s all coming from outside.”

“There was nothing. There was no church structure. There Although Bishop Padilla was elevated from Apostolic Prefect to was no Catholic — no Mongolian Catholic. We really started Bishop in 2003, he still presides over Ulaanbaatar as an Apostolic from zero,” said Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, CICM, Bishop of the Prefecture. It has not yet reached the requirements for being Apostolic Prefecture of Mongolia. He was recalling his 1992 declared a diocese. arrival as leader of a team of the first three missionary priests in that far-off country, slightly smaller than Alaska and encircled Pope John Paul II was originally scheduled to perform Bishop by China and Russia. Padilla’s episcopal ordination, but was unable to due to his declining health at that time. However, Bishop Padilla was Bishop Padilla explained that the Russians, who originally helped honoured to have met with His Holiness for two ad limina visits. the Mongolians drive out their Chinese rulers, stayed on then to control what became the state of Outer Mongolia for another “I really thank the people who sustain the mission. I consider them seventy years. “It was only in 1989 that it was liberated from these as partners of the mission. Either by their donation or by their prayers, Communist regimes,” said the Bishop, noting that the newly they’re all partners of the mission. They are journeyers with us.” independent Mongolia immediately began initiating diplomatic Speaking of the phenomenal growth of the church in Mongolia relations with other countries, including Vatican City. from a base of zero, he noted, “It’s all the work of God. I know he was Born in the Philippines in 1949 and ordained in 1976, Bishop already there — we just had to hook up where he was working.” Padilla worked for fifteen years as part of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Taiwan. While completing the end of his second term as a provincial superior there, the call for missionaries to Mongolia went out. “Since at the time I was finishing my term,” said Bishop Padilla, “I said, ‘I am also available —let the Spirit blow where it wills.’”