I would like to thank the Mission Fund for donating $1,500 towards subsidising biblical and religious material in Santali, language of the largest tribe in India, the Santals.

I have been in India for the last 55 years and, ever since my priestly ordination, I have been working most of the time as parish priest among the Santals.

Santal Parganas is the homeland of the Santals but, forced by poverty, they have migrated to many other northern states in India and settled there.

The Santal Catholics are now spread out in 15 other dioceses and these in the diaspora have to depend on us from the homeland to give them biblical and religious material in Santali. For the last few years I have been put in charge of this ministry.

Most of these poor people cannot afford these publications, even at cost price, therefore, we have to subsidise them. The donation we have received from the Mission Fund will be used for this purpose.

I would like to encourage readers of The Times to send used stamps and donations to the Mission Fund, who are helping many Maltese missionaries in Third World countries.

Donations may be made online or by direct bank transfer to one of the following accounts: HSBC (account no. 061 197 448 050), BOV (163 007 980 19), APS (200 008 207 62) or Banif (000 879 631 01). More information is available from their website: www.missionfund.org.mt.