The presence of three decades of the Catholic Church in the Asian country Mongolia is celebrated with a solemn Mass presided over by Cardinal-elect Mons. Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator, on 10 July, and with the participation of a large number of faithful.
The parishioners came from various parts, even from distant areas, and several prepared for the Eucharist by approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Mongolia opened diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1992, and in this way, 3 missionaries from the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary arrived after the fall of Soviet Union in 1991. They were the priests Fr. Wenceslao Padilla, Fr. Gilbert Sales, and Fr. Robert Goessens.
That is why, on July 9, the Apostolic Nuncio, Bishop Alfred Xuereb, and Bishop Giorgio Marengo went to the tomb of Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, who became the first Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator until 2018, the year of his death.
Mongolia has a population of more than 3 million, while Catholics number around 1,300.