EUROPE/ENGLAND - Cardinal Marengo's testimony in the United Kingdom and the risk of taking the presence of the Church for granted

London (Agenzia Fides) – “I see that you are a vibrant and dynamic community! And for us, who come from Christian traditions, there is always a danger of taking the presence of the Church for granted,” said Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Consolata Missionary and Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, in his address to those gathered at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Hazel Grove, Stockport, England, to meet and listen to him. The Cardinal encouraged them to recognize and appreciate with gratitude the situations in which "we can listen to the words of Jesus as often as we wish. We are privileged to receive the wonderful sacraments of the Church.” Cardinal Marengo’s recent visit to the United Kingdom was marked by numerous meetings and exchanges.
At the invitation of Father Anthony Chantry, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in England and Wales (Missio UK), the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar was able to share his missionary experiences in Mongolia on several occasions from February 2nd to 6th. As the Cardinal emphasized to Fides, this was also a precious and comforting opportunity for new encounters and stimulating experiences. The visit was accompanied by celebrations and awareness-raising events organized in London, Stockport (Manchester), and Birmingham. Volunteers and supporters of Missio UK, as well as students and seminarians, were among those whom the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar met during his time in Great Britain and with whom he discussed the development of the Catholic community in Mongolia since 1992.
“I feel privileged to be in Mongolia,” Marengo confided during the homily at the celebration in St. Peter’s Church in Hazel, “because I am called to accompany people who have never had the opportunity to know the Lord.” In Mongolia, he added, this is not a given, “so people who convert to the Christian faith sometimes encounter resistance and are not fully understood. That is why your prayers, your support, and your interest in what is happening there are a great encouragement to them.”
In a context like the one in Mongolia today, the missionary and Cardinal said, everything revolves around the reality of encounter: “To encounter Jesus is the best thing that can happen to you in life. And if no one offers themselves to him so that others may come to know him, this will be difficult to achieve. The Holy Spirit can accomplish anything, but Christ usually works through the spaces for encounter that we create.”
Before the students of Aquinas College in Stockport, joined by a small group from St James' Catholic High School, the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar spoke about his experiences as bishop of a small Catholic community of only 1,450 members, beginning with the first steps of his ministry in Mongolia, which started in 2003. Now, 23 years later, nine parishes have been established in Mongolia, and numerous social projects have been launched, including kindergartens, vocational schools, clinics, nursing homes, shelters for the homeless, and a center for young people with disabilities. These centers and social works serve the entire local population. The Cardinal then answered questions from the students.
"Meeting the Cardinal was an extraordinary opportunity. His words touched me so deeply that they have awakened in me the desire to gain missionary experience in the near future," said Louisa, a twelfth-grade student. “I am happy,” she added, “that I had the opportunity to meet him; this encounter was very enriching for all of us.” (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 17/2/2026)

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missionary animation

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