“Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.” – Pope Francis.
40% of the Church in the whole world is Missionary, meaning Parishes who are unable to support themselves, due to factors such as age or economic status.
On the 23rd of October, we celebrate World Mission Sunday, a day where every person, in every parish, in every country where the Church is present, comes together to support mission in our world. The message behind World Mission Day is to stand in solidarity with each other and plant seeds of faith to continue to build a worldwide Church. Each donation of generosity during these worldwide Masses are directly given to Mission Parishes Overseas.
Pope Francis announced the message for this year’s World Mission Day is “You Shall Be My Witnesses”. This refers to the last conversation Jesus had with his Disciples before ascending into Heaven. (‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.’ – Acts 1:8).
Pope Francis says, “The celebration of World Mission Day is also an occasion for reaffirming how prayer, reflection and the material help of your offerings are so many opportunities to participate actively in the mission of Jesus in the Church. The charity expressed in the collections that take place during the liturgical celebrations on the third Sunday of October is aimed at supporting the missionary work carried out in my name… in order to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and Churches throughout the world, for the salvation of all.”
Take part in this year’s World Mission Sunday by attending Mass and make a donation. All donations are given directly to Missionary Parishes.
“The Mission, the ‘Church on the move’, is not a programme, an enterprise to be carried out by sheer force of will. It is Christ who makes the Church go out of herself. In the mission of evangelization, you move because the Holy Spirit pushes you, and carries you”. – Gianni Valente.
