Pastor Martin on a working visit to Tanzania

“All eyes on Africa,” said former Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg when he visited my parish, Hildegard Burjan, two years ago. “We can still expect a great deal from Africa, ” said retired Viennese Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, when I had the opportunity to visit him in December. “We have youth and faith, ” says Chaplain Abba Endale with conviction.

In fact, this continent will continue to be on our minds. We also have many families from Africa in our parish. Some of the children serve as altar servers. Their parents are from Burundi, Congo, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

Pastor Martin will fly to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with friends from January 26 to February 6, 2026. There, he will visit the charity he founded, which is growing steadily. It is growing because the young people from the Manzese slum in Dar es Salaam, who received scholarships from our foundation, have confidently launched a movement—one that is beginning to transform part of the slum.  

In 2025, the center was run from Vienna and Bavaria. Now, further consideration is being given to how the education of young people in Tanzania can be most effectively organized. The many donations received by the foundation are helping with this effort. For example, half of the proceeds from the Sternsing campaign organized by our parish, Hildegard Burjan, goes to the learning center in Dar es Salaam.

Pastor Martin will share updates about his journey and experiences with us every day—with stories, photos, and—if possible—videos. You can follow along here.