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St. Martin de Porres Catholic Community Center

Caretaker Office and Residence

February 2020 A grand beginning!

The first building of the St Martin de Porres Catholic Community Center is completed!

We have photo documentation of the progress. Enjoy!

Here is the finished product – now watch how it took shape……….
Father Joseph Mensah MSP, served as the contractor for the building project.

Many shovels make the job easier! In the area where the two sand piles sit in back, that is where the next building will be situated; the two-story main ministry building. But lets get this project up first!
So grateful that it is a cloudy day!
Nice and straight!
Laying out the rooms
The walls begin to rise; now it looks like a building!
A view through the center hall of the building.
Beautiful!
Creating the front porch
Adding a cement layer to the large storage area
Iron rods inserted for security on the windows
Cement layer on the outer walls
Installing the front porch stairs
Strong metal doors installed for the storage area
Iron rod on the inside for security and glass windows on the outside for beauty.
A coat of paint completes the look – Fabulous!
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March 2019 – Naomi and Noelle visit Liberia

Naomi received a white chicken as a “thank you” gift from the teachers and parents for sponsoring schools in collaboration with Protestant Principal Emmanuel Z Reeves (in white shirt). Man in blue striped shirt served well as Naomi’s faithful and hard-working taxi driver for every day of the trip.

We received an enthusiastic welcome from the teachers, students and families at this school in Gpondor. This lovely building is being rented, and grateful students attend from a wide geographic area.
Noelle visiting some of the students in Jesse Toweh’s school, Project for Children, in Kakata.
Noelle becomes acquainted with a new percussion instrument from Marwollo at Project for Children.
Noelle greets some of the students at St Christopher Catholic School, Kakata.
We brought over a full suitcase of items to donate, including this world map.
Noelle donated hundreds of pencils, boxes and bags of crayons and various types of math flash cards.
Noelle is passing on some high quality scissors, hole punch and the ever-popular crayons.
Noelle made friends with Principal Emmanuel Reeves’ youngest child, Naomi, named after Noelle’s mother.
Noelle visiting with the Vision Grace students, Emmanuel Reeves as Principal.
Women from Vision Grace honor Noelle through a public ceremony where they drape her with a new outfit purchased to express their gratitude for her kindness and generosity to them.
Emmanuel Reeves and other leaders express their thanks to Noelle.
Naomi visited the construction site of the St Martin de Porrres Catholic Community Center in Kakata. Naomi confers with Fr. Emmanuel Mbuk (priest in Kakata) and Fr. Joseph (priest in Paynesville).
Architect plans and drawings for St Martin de Porres Catholic Community Center are reviewed and discussed on site. The next construction phase will be the Caretaker’s Office and Residence.
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St Martin de Porres Community Center: Beginnings

Naomi Hard discussed with Fr. Paul Sobande MSP by e-mail in 2016 and in person with Fr. Emmanuel Mbuk MSP the concept of an evangelistic parish outreach to the greater Kakata community. The priest quickly saw the merits, but wanted to follow the proper protocol of calling upon the Parish Council for their input.
Mary Yah Coleman – Parish Council member and quite active in the parish (Legion of Mary and much more), 2017.
Parish Council member, conferring with Fr. Emmanuel Mbuk MSP on a business item, 2017.
Parish Council member, taking time away from work for a planning meeting, 2017.
Parish Council member, sharing his views on an item of business, 2017.
Several of the Parish Council members agree to meet in the middle of work day to discuss the St Martin de Porres Community Center, 2017.
Parish Council members tour land donated by an Irish Religious Sister in the late 1980’s, turned over to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia, 2017.
Fr. Emmanuel Mbuk MSP and Naomi Hard travel two hours to meet with Archbishop Lewis Zeigler to discuss plans and seek permission to pursue construction of the St. Martin de Porres Community Center. Permission was granted, with the stipulation that the Center eventually become financially self-sufficient after the completion of construction, 2018.
Three days later, Archbishop Lewis Zeigler traveled to Kakata to visit the St Christopher Catholic School and tour the proposed site of the St
Fr. Emmanuel Mbuk MSP, Archbishop Lewis Zeigler, a parishioner who remembers the purchase and surveying of the land and its borders, and Naomi Hard walked the perimeter of the proposed Community Center property, 2018.
It was obvious from the placement of the survey markers that people had encroached upon the Archdiocese land. This fact was brought to court, but a definitive judgment was not made in such a way as to aid those who encroach to willingly leave. The two buildings on the left exist on Archdiocese land, 2018.
The entire perimeter was examined, 2018.
All survey markers were located, 2018.
The Archdiocese land goes straight back and diagonally to the right and back from this marker. The perimeter is an odd shape with 5 corner markers, 2018.
This parishioner is acquainted with the history of the land, from the original purchase by the Irish Religious Sister, through two civil wars, re-surveying and transference to the Archdiocese. Where he is standing will likely be the corner of the caretaker/guard office and dwelling, 2018.

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St Christopher Catholic Church – Parish Council

About half of the Parish Council was able to meet during the day to discuss the idea of a Catholic Community Center, 2017.
There was immediate agreement to pursue the idea of the parish sponsoring a Catholic community center for evangelistic outreach in Kakata, Liberia, 2017.
Immediately following the meeting, the Parish Council members toured 4 acres of land owned by the Archdiocese in Kakata which has not yet been developed, 2017.
The land has a high elevation (good drainage), an excellent road passing through it, and lies in an expanding/developing segment of Kakata, 2017.
The four acres passes up and over this little hill, 2017.