A Mission from All Saints to Benin, West Africa (Update Easter 2026)
From Fr. Michael: “Parishioner Gray Plunkett has served as a lay missionary for decades. I am grateful our parish can accompany him in this important work of Bible translation. I encourage you to read his update and join us in praying for his mission in Benin. You can also watch a new video from him here (LINK TBA). Please keep him in your prayers.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters of All Saints,
I wanted to share a brief update on the mission in Benin and invite you to continue walking with me in this work.
Thank you for the encouragement and support I’ve received in recent months. I’m especially grateful to those who have responded since December, including several who have begun supporting this work through recurring gifts. Your generosity has been a real encouragement to me, both financially and spiritually.
I have taken an important step toward living more permanently in Benin by selling my home in Dunwoody. I am able to remain here through the end of May and hope to return to Benin by then. I would be grateful for your prayers as I sort through many years of belongings and prepare for an estate sale in late April. At that time, I will also need a place to stay for about a week. If anyone in the parish who lives nearby has a room available, I would be very grateful to hear from you.
I do plan to return each year—usually in February for a couple of months—to spend time with family, be renewed here at All Saints, and stay connected with all of you.
The translation work continues to move forward. The Foodo team is making steady progress in the initial revision of Deuteronomy. It is a joy to see the Scriptures take shape in their own language.
One thing I would especially ask: the most helpful next step you can take is to sign up for my email updates. This is how I share ongoing progress, prayer needs, and my life in Benin. If you haven’t yet done so, I would be very grateful if you would visit the website and sign up for updates.
My ongoing need for the next six years is about $2,500 per month. I am now receiving about $1,750 per month in recurring gifts and pledges. This is a remarkable step forward, and I am deeply grateful for the many who have begun supporting this work. However, there is still a gap. Would you prayerfully consider a recurring gift—monthly, quarterly, or yearly—at whatever level you are able, to help sustain this work?
To learn more about the mission, support this work, or sign up for updates, please visit:
https://www.deepinhistory.net/allsaints.
As we celebrate the joy of Easter, I am especially grateful for each of you and for your support of this mission, which seeks to bring the hope of the Resurrection to the Foodo people.
Please keep me in your prayers, and be assured of mine for all of you.
Yours in Christ,
Gray Plunkett
gplunksma@pm.me
If you would like to send financial support for my work in Benin:
- Direct support (non tax-deductible): Give Securely Through Tithe.ly
- Also PayPal: @gplunksma, Venmo: @gplunksma, or Zelle: gplunksma@pm.me (use this email in your banking app)
- Also PayPal: @gplunksma, Venmo: @gplunksma, or Zelle: gplunksma@pm.me (use this email in your banking app)
- Tax-deductible gifts (through the Society of African Missions):
- By check payable to: Society of African Missions. On the memo line, write “Benin Mission – Gray” and include a short note stating it is for Gray Plunkett. Mail to: Society of African Missions, 23 Bliss Avenue, Tenafly, NJ 07670, Attn: Bursar’s Office
December 2025 Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters of All Saints,
I’m Gray Plunkett, an All Saints parishioner since 1998. Many of you may remember me as the lay missionary who would sometimes speak at the end of Mass wearing African attire. For 36 years I’ve served in northern Benin, helping translate the Bible into the Foodo language. I’ve always understood myself as sent out from this parish, so I’m writing to share this mission with you and invite you to be part of it.
When I arrived in 1989, the Foodo were just beginning to read and write their language. In 1995, I gathered four Foodo men to begin the long work of Bible translation. Over the years we’ve published several booklets, and we now have three books of Scripture basically finished. Our goal is to publish, by 2031, a volume containing the Pentateuch, Psalms, the four Gospels, and Acts, along with an audio version in Foodo so people can hear God’s Word in their own language.
Talking about finances never comes easy for me. However, when I finally shared my needs with our All Saints Knights of Columbus Council, their generosity convicted me that the Lord may be moving others as well to share in this mission.
While one-time gifts are a blessing, what I most need are monthly supporters. My living expenses and part of the work in Benin come to $2,500 per month. Right now I receive about $500 per month. If 80 people give $25 a month, the ministry will be fully funded. Would you prayerfully consider being one of those 80?
To learn more and how you can support this work, please visit deepinhistory.net/allsaints.
Please keep me in your prayers, and thank you for considering how you might be part of this mission.
St. Jerome, pray for us!
Yours in Christ,
Gray Plunkett
gplunksma@pm.me