June 2005 - Father Tom Frost

Father Tom Frost's pickup truck has 274,000 miles on it, but he's not about to stop now. He's got two days, eight villages, eight Masses, and 300 miles to cover - on four wheels and a prayer.

It's just another typical weekend for Father Frost, who has been offering the sacraments to Tohono O'odham Native Americans in the Diocese of Tucson for the past 22 years. To save money, he repairs his old truck and changes the oil himself.

Father Frost travels long distances to small pockets of the faithful for Mass and celebrating the sacraments in someone's house, or standing beside his truck - wherever he can find a place - and then he moves on down the dusty desert roads to the next village, the next mission. There are 40 villages, and 18,000 Catholics depending on him.

American missions like Father Frost's rely on small stipends of support from Catholic Extension to help them carry out their ministry. They don't ask for much at all (receiving about $10 per day from Catholic Extension). But when you consider all of the "Father Frosts" out there, it adds up.

Pope John Paul II once wrote:
"There must be unceasing prayer to nourish the desire to carry
Christ to all men and women. There must be personal commitment
to support organizations of missionary co-operation . . . .
[because] the mission of salvation is universal; for every
person and for the whole person."

What does Father Frost feel he's offering to the Native Americans here as he logs all those miles in his pickup truck?

"Hope," he says. "It's what we all want - we have the same hopes, desires, aims, goals in this gift of life we have. We're all of the same Lord."

Hope. Delivered on four wheels and a prayer. Remember: the "Invisible Church" grows stronger with every gift, every prayer, and every kind word offered. Please help our American missionaries today!

Your gift to Catholic Extension helps priests, but also hard-working religious brothers, sisters, deacons, and lay missionaries as well. These are just wonderful, dedicated people, doing what God expects us all to do - caring for others, with grace and humility.

It is through the generous support of Catholic Extension donors that Father Tom and many mission priests can continue their work. To learn more about helping a sacrificing missionary like Father Tom and more than 425 priests and religious working in poor and isolated communities throughout the United States, please click here: Donate now, securely