One of my personal heroes in the contempory Catholic Church is Bishop Macram Max Gassis of Sudan. I first learned of his amazing courage, effective global advocacy, and utter devotion to Sudan's persecuted religious minorities--Christians and animists--more than a decade ago. At that time, Bishop Gassis impressed me deeply, and I worked with friends out in California to raise funds to build wells and buy a vehicles for his remote diocese in central Sudan. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Bishop Gassis in Rome. I learned that he was expecting a new coadjutor bishop who would lighten his load slightly and help divide up administrative responsibilities. The bishop will continue to speak out about human rights issues in Sudan, a battleground for radical Islam, and continue to raise funds for schools and other needs. Here's my story in the National Catholic Register that places the bishop's work within the context of Sudan's impending 2011 referendum, which will decide with the southern part of the country secedes from the north.
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