Cardinal Giorgio Marengo of the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, recently gave an interview in which he reflected on his missionary work in Mongolia and the importance of inter-religious dialogue.
According to the U.S. Department of State, only 2.2% of Mongolians identify as Christian, but the cardinal sees that as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
“It’s a grace that we receive to share the joy of the gospel in a country where the possibility to know the Church, to encounter the Lord Jesus, is not so common because there are very few Christians around,” the 51-year-old cardinal told The Good News Room. “It is really fascinating because it always reminds us of the fact that we cannot take anything for granted, and it is a constant kind of request to us to be authentic in whatever we do or say.”
Cardinal Marengo, who was the youngest cardinal in the world when he was elevated in 2022, discussed his life and vocation. As a young man, his spiritual director was a Consolata missionary. Cardinal Marengo joined the same order. He shared that he had no idea where that would take him, though the Italian-born prelate said that he had always hoped to bring the Gospel to people in Asia.
“Precisely when I was concluding my studies in Rome, our society decided to discern on a new presence in a country where we had not been before, and the choice fell on Mongolia,” he told The Good News Room. “I was so excited when I heard the decision had been made, but I would have never thought that they would have asked me to go there because I was only 29. One day, I got a phone call from my superior general saying, ‘You are assigned to Mongolia.’ I was very happy.”
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The cardinal recently visited Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where he preached a homily for the 10:15 a.m. Mass Oct. 19, World Mission Sunday. When asked what New Yorkers could do for his work, he requested prayers.
“It’s very important to know the fact that the Catholic Church exists in Mongolia because many people may not know it, and to support us with prayer, prayer is a fundamental dimension of mission,” he told The Good News Room.
He also encouraged people to consider donating to support work in Mongolia. He explained that there are three main avenues for doing so: the Mongolian Mission Fund, the Evangelization Fund, and the Vocations Fund.
Cardinal Marengo also said that the first Catholic seminary in Mongolia is in development.
He also said that he is “dreaming” of founding a contemplative monastery, which would be the first Catholic monastery in the country.
He told The Good News Room, “We are quite convinced that through the presence of monks, of people devoted completely to prayer, the mission would benefit.”
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