But at the end of her daily morning ritual, the 71-year-old pauses for a brief Christian prayer and crosses herself across the chest. It was important to keep alive Mongolian traditions alongside her Catholic faith, she said. "I also teach my children to preserve this valuable heritage," added Gavaadandov, who wore an orange deel, or traditional silk robe. For years, she often attended church services alone, but gradually her family, including her grandchildren and husband, joined her. The nation of about 3.3 million is strategically significant for the Roman Catholic Church because of its proximity to China, where the Vatican is trying to improve the situation of Catholics.

---

Persons: Perlimaa Gavaadandov, Joseph Campbell, Gavaadandov, Pope Francis, I’ll, Pope Francis’s, James Mate, Mate, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Roman Catholic Church, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Arvaikheer, Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, China, Asia, Kenya, Mongolian