Children in a remote village in northeastern India and catechism students in Houston, Texas, are building a friendship across continents through handwritten letters, drawings and shared faith.
The initiative connects children in Ninu village in the Diocese of Miao, in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, with children of St. Mary's Knanaya Catholic Parish in Houston. It is part of a wider mission partnership between the parish and the diocese.
Fr. Abraham Mutholath, pastor and vicar of the Houston parish, has supported the Diocese of Miao since its establishment, particularly through assistance for the construction of village chapels. He has also led two groups of parishioners from Houston to Miao for church blessing ceremonies.
In March 2026, Fr. Mutholath introduced the catechism children in Houston to the children of Miao Diocese and invited them to share greetings with their peers in Ninu. The children responded with handwritten messages, drawings and paintings.
The children in Ninu welcomed the exchange with equal enthusiasm. After receiving the messages and drawings from Texas, they prepared letters and artwork introducing their own lives and experiences to their new friends. Sisters of the Visitation of the Divine Blood (VSDB), who serve in the area, helped document the exchange in a video.
The initiative is expected to continue through online prayer gatherings, including a possible online Rosary. Organizers hope the regular interaction will help the children learn about one another's cultures and experience the Catholic Church as a worldwide community that extends beyond geographical and cultural boundaries.
“One faith, one hope and one Father of us all” captures the spirit of the initiative, organizers said.
Sr. Blantina Ningrum, VSDB, headmistress of the school in Ninu, described the exchange as “a bridge between two worlds, two civilizations bound by the invisible yet strong bond of faith.”
The initiative has also generated enthusiasm among teachers and students in the village.
“We are so thrilled to see our children taking so much interest in reading and writing to others. We thank all who have facilitated it,” said Sheela Wangsa, a teacher from Ninu.
The children said they were excited to communicate with peers living thousands of miles away.
“We are very happy that our bishop and sister gave us a chance to know people from America and to tell them about our life,” said Ponya Wangsa, a Class 1 student.
“We want to grow in our contacts with people outside our place,” said Mangam Pansa, a Class 3 student.
Bishop George of Miao has supported the initiative and encouraged the friendship between the two communities, organizers said.
The exchange shows how simple encounters among children can create opportunities for friendship, cultural understanding and faith-sharing while helping young Catholics in different parts of the world recognize their belonging to one universal Church.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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