Scarboro Around the World

From 1918 to the present, Scarboro Missions members have served in 24 countries, mainly in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This interactive map features a brief history of each mission.

China, 1920-1955; 1979-2018

In 1926 the first Scarboro mission band – 3 priests – reached Chuchow (now Quzhou), China. In 1929 they were joined by the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, from Pembroke, Ontario. In addition to Catechetical and parish work, they operated dispensaries and medical clinics.

After the Revolution of 1949, the Scarboro priests were subjected to either imprisonment or house arrest. In 1954, the last Scarboro priest was expelled from China except for Rev. Paul Kam, a Chinese national, who was instead imprisoned.

In the late 1970s, China allowed foreign national to work in the country, although not as Christian missionaries. In 1979, a Scarboro priest entered the People’s Republic of China as a teacher of English. Since that time, one other priest and nine lay missionaries have worked in China as teachers of English.

Vancouver, 1932-1961; Victoria, 1940-1963; Toronto 1940-1949

Founded to work with Chinese newcomers to Canada, the three domestic missions worked in schools, Chinese-Catholic parishes, and other community groups alongside the Grey Sisters.

Dominican Republic 1943-2012

Unable to send priests to China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Scarboro established its first mission in the Dominican Republic, eventually becoming its biggest mission location. Scarboro missioners lived largely in rural areas supporting education, parish life, and working towards socio-economic justice. Scarboro's first credit unions were established in the Dominican Republic in 1947.

Scaboro missioners were also active supporting their communities during the Trujillo regime and subsequent civil war, with Frs. John O'Connor and John Gault being forced to leave the country and the murder of Fr. Art MacKinnon.

Japan 1948-2005

When foreign missionaries were expelled from China after the Second World War, Scarboro Foreign Mission Society’s founder Monsignor John Mary Fraser established the Japan mission at the invitation of Bishop Yamaguchi of Nagasaki. Throughout the years, Scarboro priests served many parishes in the Catholic archdioceses of Japan. They founded parishes in the Archdiocese of Tokyo, the Diocese of Nagoya, and the Diocese of Fukuoka. Scarboro missioners also set up credit unions in Japan in the early 1950s and 1960s.

Guyana 1953-2017

Scarboro priests and laity first went to Guyana in 1953, working in the major urban areas of Georgetown and New Amsterdam and in towns and villages along the Atlantic Coast. For several years two Scarboro lay missioners also served in the remote area of the South Rupununi among the Makushi indigenous peoples. They have been involved in prison ministry, health care, and education in Guyana.

Bahamas, 1954-2012

The mission in the Bahamas began in the fall 1954 with the arrival of Fathers John McGoey and Craig Strang at the request of local Ordinary Bishop Paul Leonard Hagerty, OSB. They set up a two-story headquarters on the grounds of St. Thomas More Church in Nassau and from there they built and worked in Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Cat Island, Bimini and Grand Bahama. Twenty-one Scarboro priests served in this mission between 1954-2012.

Philippines, 1955-2009

Scarboro missioners went to the Philippines in 1955 at the request of Bishop Lino Gonzaga for priests to serve in the Diocese of Palo, Leyte. The Society helped to rebuild parishes, promote credit unions and cooperatives, support community building, and oppose exploitative logging practices in their dioceses.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 1957-1991; St. Lucia, 1965-1989

Frs. Michael O’Kane and Leo Curtin arrived in St. Vincent in November 1957 to assist the Benedictine Fathers of Trinidad, initially as part of the Guyana mission. It became independent in February of 1961.

The St. Lucia mission was interwoven with the St. Vincent mission. Bishop Kenneth Turner, arrived on the island of St. Lucia for the Society’s new mission in 1964. He stayed until 1966. Seven Scarboro priests were missioned there during its duration.

Brazil, 1961-

The mission in Brazil began in the Fall of 1961 with the arrival of Scaboro personnel in the municipality of Itacoatiara in the state of Amazonas. For the first few years, all personnel resided in Itacoatiara and covered the five municipalities by boat (the “Santa Teresinha”), attempting to spend two or three weeks a year in the major towns in the interior of the Amazon. Subsequently, priests were appointed on a permanent basis to the communities of Uricurituba, Uracará, Itapiranga, and Silves.

In the 1980s, Scarboro lay missioners joined Scarboro priests in the prelacy serving in various pastoral areas including parish catechetics, youth groups, and on the Human Rights Committee. Besides Itacoatiara, Scarboro missioners have served in the Archdioceses of Manaus, São Paulo, and Roraima.

Fr. Ron MacDonell continues his work in language revitalization among the Makuxi Indigenous peoples in Brazil.

Panama, 1962-2010

The Instituto Cooperativo Interamericano (ICI) was founded in 1964 by Fr. Harvey Steele, who had arrived in Panama in 1962. The ICI was envisioned as a study center to provide leadership education and opportunities for collaboration to grassroots organizations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since its establishment, the ICI has provided leadership training to more than 3,000 men and women from nearly 800 organizations involved in grassroots development in Latin America and the Caribbean. At ICI, participants analyze their local situations, learn from each other’s experiences, and strengthen their skills in order to strengthen their communities.

In January 2010, after almost 45 years, Scarboro turned over the buildings, land, and responsibility for ICI to a new Board of Directors.

Peru, 1975-1993

The Mission in Peru began in 1975 when Fr. Jack Lynch began working with Fr. Denis Hebert, an Edmonton diocesan priest and pastor of Christ, Light of the World Parish on the outskirts of Lima, Peru.

In 1980, Fr. Bill Schultz began working in Lima to accompany the poor in the time of Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), a rebel group causing distruptions in the country.

Also in 1980, Scarboro established a second Peruvian mission in the parish of St. Joseph the Worker, La Victoria, Chiclayo, in the northern coastal desert. Invited by the Diocese of Chiclayo, the Scarboro missioners were part of a team consisting of the Sisters of Charity and priests from the Diocese of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

South Africa, 1979-1986

Fr. Jack McIver was invited to South Africa by the Bishop of Eshowe Diocese, Zululand (KwaZulu-Natal), to share his expertise in cooperatives and credit unions. Fr. McIver worked to promote the cooperative movement among the farmers of Zululand and had established more than a dozen, as well as the Zulu Agricultural and Credit Union Central Co-operative and Training Centre in the Eshowe Diocese, at the time of his death in 1986.

Mexico, 1980-1983

From 1980-1983, Scarboro missionaries worked in Chiapas, Mexico alongside the Mayan people. The missionaries were there at the invitation of Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia of the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas.

Guinea Bissau, 1981-1982

Fr. Joseph Curcio, appointed by the Bishop of Bissau to work with the Bijago people, served for one year in Guinea Bissau.

Nicaragua, 1984-1992

In 1984, arrangements were made with the American Franciscan community in Nicaragua for Scarboro priests to work in their mission area in the northeastern part of the country. At that time Nicaragua was in the midst of the Contra War, a conflict between the Contra rebels and Sandinista government. The Society ministered to those caught in the crossfire.

Bolivia, 1991-1993

Unable to go to mission in Peru due to escalating tensions in that country, Scarboro lay missioners were assigned to the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia, where they joined a Maryknoll mission team accompanying the urban and rural poor.

Ecuador, 1993-2010

The mission in Ecuador (1993-2010) began in 1993 when Scarboro accepted the invitation of Monsignor Victor Corral Mantilla to work in the Diocese of Riobamba, Ecuador. In supporting the people’s efforts, the Scarboro team of priests and several lay missioners worked in diverse areas of ministry: community health care, pastoral work, adult and child education, collaborating in community economic development programs, and community and eco-tourism development in the Puruhá Indigenous communities.

Malawi, 1996-2013; Zambia, 1996-1998

Lay missioners served in the diocese of Mzuzu, Malawi in healthcare, education, and pastoral care alongside the Medical Missionaries of Mary and Rosarian Sisters.

A Scarboro lay missioner also served in Zambia as a nurse midwife at the Zonal Health Unit in Kanyanga, an isolated village in the northeastern part of the country. She worked with the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception at their health centre to provide care to women during their pregnancies, delivery, and post-natal care.

Kenya, 1998-1999

Scarboro lay missioners worked as researchers helping to develop Nairobi University's Regional AIDS Training Network and as nurses in healthcare, serving in hostels, hospices, and a home for orphans living with HIV.

Cuba, 1999-2001

In 1999, Scarboro missioner Fr. Hugh MacDougall went to work in Cuba with the Quebec Foreign Mission Society. Scarboro's presence in Cuba ended early with the accidental death of Fr. Hugh in 2001.

Thailand, 2000-2010

Lay missioners served in Thailand in various ministries, including in vocational schools for adults with disabilities, ministries to exploited and trafficked women, special needs education, and with migrant workers.

Honduras, 2016-2021

Fr. Luis López served in Honduras; he was the only Scarboro missioner to serve there.