Pontifical Mission Societies

Mission Bangladesh

2012-01-23T11:08:00.004-05:00

Bangladesh. A people, desperately poor, with more than a third of the population living on less than $1 a day. A people, many in the low-lying country vulnerable to flooding and cyclones, fearful that global climate change could cause a major environmental disaster in their homeland.

The Church in Bangladesh – young and a small minority, less than one percent of the population. Among the 160 million people about 90 percent are Muslims, eight percent Hindu, and the rest belonging to other religions, including Buddhism and Christianity. According to the 2011 Bangladesh Catholic Directory, there are some 344,000 Catholics in the country; almost half that number are tribal peoples. Of the seven Catholic dioceses receiving help from the Pontifical Mission Societies, five have been established in the past 60 years; one diocese – Sylhet – just founded in July 2011. Help offered by Catholics to the Church in Bangladesh provides for the work of parishes and schools, as well as for the formation of local priests, religious and lay catechists who will lift up the poor through concrete efforts and the life-giving message of the Gospel. In fact, although the size of the Church in Bangladesh is small, its works make a significant, hope-filled difference in the lives of the poor.

In mid-January, National Director Father Andrew Small, OMI made a journey across the world to walk with our mission family in this Asian nation. As he witnessed the good accomplished by your prayers and sacrifices, he saw also hope in faith offered to children, to the sick and dying, to workers and families, and through the work and witness of priests, religious and catechists. Travel with Father Andrew (see reports on our main website), grateful to be joined together as "one family in mission."

The Pontifical Mission Societies are grateful for the collaboration of UCA News in bringing you reports from Father Andrew's mission visit to Bangladesh.

Christmas in Alaska

2011-12-24T13:38:00.003-05:00

Father Andrew Small, OMI, National Director, is spending Christmas with our mission family in the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska – the only diocese in the United States receiving help from the Pontifical Mission Societies.

The diocese is vast, stretching from Tok, near the Canadian border, all the way across the state to Little Diomede near the border with Russia; from Barrow on the coast of the Arctic Ocean to Chefornak south of Nelson Island. In total, it encompasses almost 410,000 square miles, and is home to 161,000 people, 14,500 of whom are Catholics.

There are 20 active priests working in the diocese, roughly one priest for every 20,000 square miles. Many parishes and missions are lucky to see a priest every other month. (Father Andrew is shown in the picture here with Father Charles (Chuck) Peterson, SJ - here as Santa for a parish event in Bethel, Alaska; Father Chuck is a longtime missionary priest in Alaska, serving there since the early 1970s.) Also serving: 26 permanent deacons, two Franciscan Brothers and 15 Sisters from various Religious Communities. Lay people are also key leaders in Church ministries in Fairbanks – and about 1,000 people offer their service as volunteers.

The diocese has two Catholic schools – one elementary and one high school – and is home to the oldest Catholic radio station in the country, KNOM – first on the air in July 1971.

Father Andrew's visit with our Alaskan mission family is chronicled on our website and our Facebook page. Make the journey with him – and celebrate “Christmas in Alaska”!

Hands Up in Joy - and Joined Together in Prayer

2011-10-11T10:42:00.007-04:00

Some 1,000 young people. Three questions.

Both were part of a children's Holy Hour that I was privileged to preside at this past Friday, October 7, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I stepped into the role when Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, who masterfully handled the event for the past two years, had to remain in New Orleans for the funeral of a beloved predecessor, Archbishop Philip Hannan.

There I was on live television -- calling to mind one of my own predecessors as National Director, Archbishop Fulton Sheen. This beautiful event, co-sponsored by our Holy Childhood Association and the World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF), was broadcast to 140 countries by Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). (Connie Schneider, of the WAF's St. Paul- Minneapolis division, envisioned the Holy Hour, now nine years ago; she's a tireless and devout woman whose entire family -- husband and granddaughters included -- embrace a deep devotion to our Blessed Mother and a passion to help inspire Eucharistic adoration among the young. Television host Dawn Kinsman beautifully guided those in the Basilica and those watching -- and yours truly -- through the Holy Hour.)

Midway through, there are three questions from the children. The first two weren't too challenging: Why do popes give "golden roses" to our Blessed Mother at her shrines? I spoke of giving roses to our own mothers as a sign of love and respect, and I recalled being present in that very Basilica in 2008 when Pope Benedict XVI offered such a "golden rose," in that same spirit, to Mary, beloved Mother of us all. We even had the actual papal golden rose on display during the ceremony; complemented by another golden rose offered by the children themselves. (Who wants just ONE rose?)

The second question too -- about why we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary -- presented a natural response since we were celebrating the feast that day. Again, it was about mothers. Mary, our Mother, who knows and loves her Son, asks us and invites us to come closer to Him through praying the rosary.

It was the last question that invited us all to go deeper about what it means to come closer to Jesus, Our Lord. Sophie Smith from Cardinal Hickey Elementary School in Washington, D.C. asked about Pauline Jaricot, just a young girl in France when she longed to help the Missions of her own day, our own country included. How could children help mission churches today, just like Pauline did, Sophie asked?

Pauline was a missionary, I told Sophie and all. "Who else is a missionary?" I asked. "Get those hands up!" I encouraged, noting that everyone who is baptized is a missionary.

And there was the connection, as I saw all those hands in the air. "What can you do with those hands?" I asked the children. They could wave a kind hello to friend and stranger. On a bad day, we might clench our hand into a fist in anger. The hand can reflect the soul, which is why we need to purify ourselves constantly with the Lord's grace. And lastly, I suggested those hands could reach into pockets for a donation to the Missions. Some Catholics give by going to the missions; others go by giving to the missions. We are all able to one or both.

Or, I noted, we could all do what Pauline did. She reached out and created circles of friendship all around the world. She gathered groups to join hands in prayer and in support of missionaries the world over. Her efforts would lead to the foundation of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (in 1822), the first of four Pontifical Mission Societies, and to the building up of the Church right here in the United States.

Immediately after, I asked the children to join their own two hands in prayer, before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, as we prayed together the World Mission Rosary. I imagined children around the world doing the same, as they watched the live EWTN broadcast – even in Russia this year. All those prayers -- all for the Missions.

Yes, sometimes the answers are in the questions -- hands down.

Father Andrew Small, OMI, STD

East Africa Appeal - Update 8/19/11

2011-08-19T10:18:00.006-04:00

We continue to appeal for financial help for the Church in East Africa to support the network of diocesan directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies engaged in ongoing pastoral work, helping them in their additional outreach to those most affected by this crisis.

Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya alone (shown above) is now home to more than 400,000 registered refugees, nearly all of them Somali, with an estimated 70,000 people having arrived in the past two months. Although Somalia is the hardest hit, the Horn of Africa crisis is affecting Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti as well.

Our Society for the Propagation of the Faith / Holy Childhood Association directors / coordinators on the ground in Kenya have increased their outreach to the poor and suffering in this time of crisis. These local priests and Sisters are on "overtime."

From Pontifical Mission Societies Diocesan Director Father Peter Muvea in Kitui, Kenya: "Increasing food and water prices have brought families to the brink of starvation while others find themselves unable to cook relief food because of the lack of water. The visible strain and suffering is evident on people's faces."

Holy Childhood Association Coordinator Sister Pauline Mueni, also of Kitui (pictured with children), provides medicine and supplementary food to children and mothers at a post-natal clinic. The demands placed on her ministry continue to rise.

In the Diocese of Ngong, Kenya, Pontifical Mission Societies Director Father John Ntsieya (shown here) has established a feeding program for the most needy children in the area. His report earlier this week notes that the elderly and children are at greatest risk of starvation as more livestock die each day.

For more information, and continuing updates, visit our main website; there you may also download information sheets related to the crisis and the Church and its service in that part of Africa.

Responding to East Africa Crisis

2011-08-10T10:09:00.005-04:00

A call for solidarity from the Church in East Africa. In response to that call to support the Church's increased service in the face of the growing crisis in this part of the mission world, the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States have established a special appeal for East Africa.

Pope Benedict XVI has called the Catholic community and the whole world to action, and everyone needs to play their part.

On the ground, Father Celestino Bundi, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Kenya, has asked us for special help for the network of local priests and religious currently serving in the most affected areas. I am sure his request will not go unanswered as Catholics across our country want to respond. We have an immediate way of getting help through in this crisis, particularly though the network of Church personnel who are accompanying many of the suffering communities.

Prayer remains our first response, and we ask the Lord to send His comfort and sustaining hope to those suffering in East Africa, as He strengthens and blesses those who are helping those in such urgent need.

In this most devastating moment for our mission family in East Africa, the Church must continue with even greater effort its life-giving, hope-filled presence.

Direct contributions to www.GiveToTheMissions.org, or to: Pontifical Mission Societies Appeal For East Africa, 70 West 36th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018, or call to donate at 1-800-431-2222, Monday through Friday (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT).

The Great Works

2011-05-23T14:37:00.012-04:00

My first time at the annual meeting for National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies, I was thrown into the deep end of the Church's missionary work -- a weeklong agenda delving into budget and expenditures for the Societies, and exploring how to best utilize the generous offerings of the world's Catholics to meet the great needs of the Pope's worldwide missionary works.

Now, this is not my first rodeo, as they say in Texas. Attending meetings and looking at the global nature of the Church are familiar to me. But, as I landed in Rome, Italy (the site for our gathering in the middle of May), I was repeatedly blown away by the breadth and depth of mission work. I was very fortunate to have my immediate predecessor as National Director and a prolific mission supporter, Monsignor John Kozar, with me for the duration to help guide me through unfamiliar waters.

Imagine -- the whole world represented in the one room (not much of an exaggeration as I looked around our meeting hall). And these are not people looking down from above on what's happening in their respective countries. They're living and breathing the Church's missionary work every day. At every turn, there was another country -- and yet another face of the Church.

Take Father Nabil Fayez Antoun, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Egypt and also a pastor in Cairo. Up close, the uprising in his country, he would say, was long overdue; the tensions with the Muslim community, perhaps overplayed. The Church in Egypt is both humble and significant, needing all our support.

And there was my "breakfast in Bangladesh," as the National Director from that Asian country, Father Tapan Camillus de Rozario, shared the ongoing trials of the poor there. Much of the population lives in areas prone to flooding, and, as is often the case, these are some of the poorest in that country. Consider, for example, the Garo people, many of whom are Catholic. They make a living from forest cultivation. But they are dogged by yearly flooding and by encroaching development. Local priests are very much a presence in their world, going and living where they are, accompanying them during their trials, visiting the sick, and, above all, praying with them and celebrating the Sacraments.

We completed our business by the end of the second week of May. All during that time, I was reminded of how you would see things work at the United Nations, with each having one vote on the projects being presented, and all having the right to pipe up and make an intervention -- Myanmar! Zimbabwe! Guatemala! Whose voice will be heard next -- and how will those observations build Church community and presence worldwide? I can’t think of anywhere else in the Church where there is such open and honest discussion (sometimes a little heated) about how we should best support the Pope's missionary works.

After our meeting closed, we were all herded to see the Chief Shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI, who addressed us as his own "missionary corps." As a first-timer, I was privileged to meet with the Pope personally. "From the United States," I said in my brushed-up Italian. "Ah," said the Pope, "Great Works!" I told him we were praying for the cause for canonization of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, another of my predecessors as National Director. "Bene, bene," he said, giving nothing away.

I left Rome with our Holy Father's words still ringing in my ears -- and heart -- "The Great Works." That just about sums it up, really. For all the efforts we do as faithful Catholics, few can be as "Great" as the work of spreading the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. Amen to that!
Father Andrew Small, OMI

NOTE: Visit and watch the Catholic News Service video -- from May 14 -- about the meeting of National Directors, including comments by Father Andrew.

Mission Journeys

2011-04-28T11:32:00.009-04:00

Throughout the past decade, I have made many trips to the Developing World, visiting with our mission family. Our brothers and sisters in the Missions humble me with the depth of their faith.

For them, it is the overwhelming love of God, so visibly present in His Son Jesus, crucified and then resurrected, that sustains and strengthens them as they live with oppression, poverty, civil war and the myriad of trials of life in the Developing World.

And it is your prayers and sacrifices, through the Pontifical Mission Societies, that support and sustain the hope-filled presence and service of local priests, Religious and lay catechists who journey with the poor, day after day, reminding them of the Lord’s ceaseless, abiding love.

Having completed my two five-year terms as National Director, I ask you to join me in welcoming Father Andrew Small, OMI, as our new National Director for this "one family in mission." I thank you for your most generous support of the mission ad gentes, above all, for your prayers, your greatest gift. I pray you continue your support for the Missions, as I ask our Lord to reward Father Andrew as He has so blessed me in serving the Church's missionary work.

The missionary journey continues – and through prayer and sacrifice, we accompany missionaries everywhere, united as "one family in mission"!

Mission Visit to Kenya

2011-02-10T14:35:00.007-05:00

I can't put out of my mind or my missionary heart a simple, yet profound story told me by a missionary many years ago.

He shared with me how he was serving at a very high altitude, in a desolate and freezing cold area in the altiplano of Peru. It was on Good Friday and thousands who had walked great distances for this Holy Week celebration formed long lines to go to confession. My priest friend had already been hearing confessions for two long days; the fatigue was getting to him.

And in the middle of the Good Friday liturgy, just before the adoration of the cross, he lost it. People were jammed into the very humble church structure. Some were eating morsels of bread; others were sleeping from their own fatigue. The priest lashed out at the congregation, shouting: "Don't any of you care?"

Almost immediately, he realized how grossly unfair was his reaction to these poor humble souls. With a feeling of his own self-humiliation, he finished the liturgy with great difficulty. When he was removing his vestments, an elderly Indian approached him. With a tear coming down his cheek, this man looked at the priest, and said: "I thought you came here to teach us that God loves us and has sent us his Son." The old man then walked away.

In that moment, this missionary told me, he appreciated more than ever, in the most concrete way, what was his vocation. In fact, I would like to say that was the Pentecost moment of that priest's life -- a moment when the basic vocation to be missionary, as given all of us in baptism, was dramatically made aware to him.

Pentecost has, perhaps, been thought of as a historical moment, as an event that basically involved the apostles. But the reality is that Pentecost continues in our time, and each of us, through baptism, accepts the mandate to share the "good news" of Jesus with others, in effect, to be missionary.

On Feb. 10, a group of 10 from diocesan offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies, accompanied by Catholic News Service's Barb Fraze, international editor, and Nancy Wiechec, visual media manager, will join me and Maryknoll Father Robert Jalbert, director of mission education and promotion for Maryknoll, on a pastoral mission visit to Kenya in Africa.

At the heart of this visit is to help all involved experience firsthand Pentecost -- as we see the continuing mission of the church among the poor of Africa. And the time there will also afford all a better appreciation of how we -- the Pontifical Mission Societies, Maryknoll, the baptized of our parishes here at home -- are part of this "one family in mission."

This mission experience is also a part of this year's centennial celebration for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Maryknoll, along with the local church in Kenya, will be the hosts for our group in Nairobi, Kenya. Segments of our pastoral visit will highlight the legacy of Maryknoll's missionary presence in this African country, offering a balanced dimension of both giving and receiving in all missionary efforts.

Pentecost, in fact, invites all the baptized to accept a share in the missionary life of the church, rich and poor, near and far. Some of the initial projects of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers have long since been turned over to the local church. And, the local church has even reached out to other countries to extend their mission presence. Vocations have been abundant, and these are being shared not only in Kenya but also in other lands, including our church here at home.

We'll witness that dual aspect of the missionary church -- the giving and the receiving -- on our journey. Like my missionary priest friend, we'll be reminded that Pentecost continues, and involves all. My own missionary journeys have taught me well. By their joyous celebration of the gift of faith, the poor will remind us of our purpose as missionaries, every day -- to proclaim, in word and witness, the "good news" that Jesus loves each one of us.

We invite you to join us on this mission visit to Kenya by reading daily blogs and reports along the way. We offer special thanks to our friends at Catholic News Service, who will be publishing that information online and through their reporting in diocesan Catholic newspapers. The Pontifical Mission Societies will also feature this written and visual coverage at our new multimedia website, MissionVoices.org.

I ask your prayers as we make this journey. For through your prayers, you are with us on this visit -- helping us to bring to all, as missionaries, the message that humble man in Peru told my priest friend: Jesus loves us, and that is "good news," indeed.

This blog was first "guest commentary" featured on Catholic News Service.

A Journey for a New Year

2011-01-14T17:02:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! While the world welcomed another year, I did as well - with our mission family in Asia.

On New Year's Eve, I left the United States and headed first to Sri Lanka, for a brief stop, and then, for some two weeks, to India. (In fact, I write this as I am making my way back home.)

In India, there were many Masses celebrated, including one with 16 newly ordained priests, and another for six Sisters who were each celebrating 50 years of Religious life. How wonderful to see the joy of these young priests and Sisters. Each is filled with great love for our Lord, and a desire to share that love - and the "Good News" of the Gospel - with the poor of their homeland.

I spent time at the Divine Retreat Center in Muringoor in south India. It is the largest such center in the world. Some 5,000 people journey here each week, with weekly visitors topping 15,000 at times. In addition to giving retreats in six languages, this Center is also home to some 400 physically and mentally challenged adults, as well as more than 100 persons suffering from HIV / AIDS. My time there blended a spirit of loving service and of deep faith.

I found a spirit of joy at a center for street children, also in southern India. Some 150 young people live there. The Sisters lovingly care for these children. There is truly a "family" feeling all around. The Vincentian Fathers run the center. They told me that their greatest desire is to "keep the children smiling by giving them the experience of God’s tremendous love." It's definitely working. During my visit, there were smiles in abundance.

Throughout the journey in this new year, there was much joy in my own heart as well, knowing that your prayers and generosity sustain and support such faith-filled presence in India, and so many other such places throughout the Developing World.

Happy New Year, indeed!

Christmas Greetings...

2010-12-22T16:57:00.001-05:00

A Thanksgiving Message...

2010-11-23T13:16:00.000-05:00

A Sunday for Us Missionaries

2010-10-15T13:31:00.018-04:00

"Are you a missionary?" If someone asked you that question, what would you say? In truth, the answer - for you and for me, for all baptized Catholics - is always, "Yes!"

I want to share with you two events that took place earlier this "Mission Month" that have nurtured my own appreciation of this missionary vocation we all share - a vocation the Catholics of the world will celebrate on World Mission Sunday, October 24.

The first was a Eucharistic Holy Hour, which gathered more than 1,000 children at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on October 1, and, through a live broadcast on Eternal Word Television Network, also brought together millions of children here at home and around the world.
With Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans as the celebrant of this moving Liturgical event, these wonderful children learned about and celebrated how Christ is at the center of our lives and invites us, even as children, to tell others about how He has died and risen for all of us, and how Mary helps us to come to her Son. We were delighted to once again this year partner with the World Apostolate of Fatima (St. Paul-Minneapolis Division) on this Holy Hour; special thanks to our mission family in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia(Father Patrick Posey and Sandy Bertini) and the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. (Sister Sister Marie de la Trinite Siopongco, SSVM and Sister Maria de la Revelacion Castaneda, SSVM) for their assistance with the event, working with our national office team.

The worldwide dimension of this Eucharistic Adoration – shared with millions of children in 140 countries – was particularly powerful for me. What a wonderful way to teach how mission ad gentes is real and alive – and that children are missionaries right now, above all, as we too are, through prayer.

The second event that highlighted the centrality of "being missionary" every day was a "premiere showing" of the video production, "Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Servant of All." (View the recorded LiveStream presentation of the program before the film here, and the question-and-answer session that followed in the two video players below.)

Watch live streaming video from 1missionfamilylive at livestream.com

Shown at St. Malachy's - the Actors' Chapel in New York City, this poignant production captivated the audience with highlights of Archbishop Sheen's illustrious life, and made special mention of his love for mission ad gentes; he had been, as I am now, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. As I noted in that video, we are indebted to Archbishop Sheen for "putting the Missions on the map." If you are old enough to remember his original television programs or have seen some of the reruns, he masterfully told spellbinding stories from his many mission visits. In sharing them with his audience, he taught everyone that they too can be missionaries, and that we are truly "one family in mission."

Archbishop Sheen saw the need to be missionary every day, and he nurtured his love of the Missions – his self-proclaimed "greatest love" - with a daily Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. Archbishop Sheen was truly a man of words and a master communicator who brought millions the message of mission and the teachings of the Church. But probably he would have us treasure most his "silence." One hour each day of his priesthood, Archbishop Sheen made that Holy Hour before our Lord present in the Eucharist. He drew on that lifelong intimacy with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as he spoke and wrote – and as he lived and witnessed to his faith.

Each of us too can draw strength from prayer and the Eucharist as we nurture our own missionary vocation – as we answer, "Yes!" to the question, "Are you a missionary?" every day. And we can spread the word – especially in the coming week – about the importance of World Mission Sunday, a universal celebration of our call to be the Lord's witnesses here at home and to the very ends of the earth. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit inflame us to personally invest ourselves this and every year in promoting this next-to-last Sunday as the high point of our missionary efforts each year, and to joyously remember every day, as we gather at the Table of the Lord, that we are, indeed, His missionaries, called and sent.

Moments from the Missions

2010-09-02T09:55:00.011-04:00

Endless vegetable gardens and rice paddies. That's what I saw on a mission visit to Vietnam. And there in those paddies and gardens, I watched women and men work, carefully planting, keeping the crops fresh, nurturing their growth with great care.

Missionaries too lovingly plant the seeds of faith. They foster its growth by their loving actions. And, eventually, there is joy as more are welcomed into the family of the Church.

Each of us is called to help faith grow, as we give daily witness to our Lord's abundant love. It's a lesson from the Missions.

What is it that the poor of our world can give to us? Missionaries know the answer because they've experienced it firsthard. Missionaries tell of being humbled and uplifted by the profound example of faith the poor offered. Fixing their gaze on Christ, our brothers and sisters in the Missions hold the Lord close in their daily struggles. Their faith helps them hope and even find joy in the face of what we would consider impossible odds.

Each day, we too should celebrate our faith as God's precious gift -- and share it with others.It's a lesson from the Missions.

These are just a few of the scripts for our radio / audio messages -- "Mission Lessons." In fact, these are from the new volume of 10 (in English and Spanish) set for release in mid-September; this will be our seventh release of these messages which are set to "teach and inspire." I am grateful to Catholic radio networks and stations throughout the United States for bringing these "moments from the Missions" to listeners. To hear more "Mission Lessons," please click here.

The Bigger Picture

2010-07-23T14:33:00.010-04:00

During the past two weeks, we have been honored to welcome many directors and office staff from diocesan offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies. We had a two-day Mission Office Orientation Program on July 13 and 14 at our national office, and private visits before and after that from our Philadelphia (below, bottom) and Boston (below, top) mission faily. During those times, we had wonderful opportunities to share with one another, as families do. And that is what we are all about - "One Family In Mission."

From my own perspective as National Director, I felt I needed, of course, to welcome and extend hospitality to our visiting family. But also there was the need to explain the "bigger picture" of what we do. I enjoyed sharing - sometimes through personal anecdotes from my pastoral visits around world, and at times drawing on my experience as a former diocesan mission director now working at the national office - how our work impacts the global mission efforts of the Church.

I hope I made a modest impression on our mission office family who were with us here and through LiveStream presentations of the Orientation Program. Most especially I hope they came to understand the critical role that each plays in accepting our special ministry of mission animation and cooperation entrusted to us by the Holy Father. I hope that they - and all who support the Missions - comprehend the great honor and nobility of what we do.

And each year our Holy Father calls us together on one day to celebrate that common missionary vocation. On World Mission Sunday, at the Eucharist, the Catholics of the world come together to give thanks to God for the gift of our faith and pray for those missionaries who continue to make Jesus known. And we give thanks as well for the example of the poor who have shown me again and again on my missionary journeys that Jesus makes all the difference, in life and in death. How good to be united with each of you in this "one family in mission"!

Seeing Their Believing

2010-06-29T17:46:00.008-04:00

Mission journeys. My most recent trip to the Missions took me to both Vietnam and northern Thailand.

It was my first visit to Vietnam. Although Catholics have suffered much in the past 50-plus years with the realities of Communism, the Church is flourishing, with vocations to the Religious life and the priesthood booming.

I wish you could have joined me as I visited seminaries, some very large and bursting at the seams, and others brand new in their humble and just developing conditions. Motherhouses for Religious women are filled to capacity with some older sisters who date back further than the 1975 change of government. There are hundreds of younger Sisters from this "new era" for the Church in Vietnam.

If you were with me, you could not help but notice how young and how happy are these seminarians and those young women in formation to be Sisters. Their joy is infectious, to say the least. These young people are not naive in their desire to serve the Church, and they certainly realize that they have some real challenges ahead. But excellent formation will help them to render fruitful service among their own people, as priests and Sisters.

I had the great experience of being with 400 Religious Sisters as they finished their annual retreat, and formally celebrated and witnessed the perpetual vows of 16 new Sisters at their motherhouse. To be in the company of these happy and holy women was a beautiful experience! Most of them arrived and departed on bicycles, motor bikes or scooters; some from distant places. Their gathering seemed like that of a huge family outing, and I was treated like the "uncle" who was welcomed home.

The people of Vietnam have a very strong faith, and I was blessed to share it with them. I was particularly uplifted in visiting with those of tribal heritage who have historically been marginalized. The Church is dynamically involved in serving these beautiful and loving people. I was privileged to visit them in their local villages and to experience some of their cherished language, culture and customs.

Many of us see the deep faith of the Vietnamese who have come to live in our country - serving as missionaries to us. It is no surprise then that their faith is so alive in their homeland. And my seeing their believing firsthand was a huge blessing for me.

As is my custom, I always include all of you in my mission pastoral visits, making it a priority to extress your loving solidarity and prayerful support for people everywhere, as they too offer the same to each and everyone of us here at home. We are truly "one family in mission"!

Pentecost Continues

2010-05-27T15:50:00.013-04:00

I write to you, having just returned from Rome, Italy, after participating in a General Assembly of the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies from around the world.

It just so happened that we finished the day before Pentecost which gave us a wonderful backdrop for what we do and why we do it. After all, the Pontifical Mission Societies are a graphic reminder of how we participate in the Pentecost mandate: "Go and teach all nations."

As we gathered for six days at the Salesian Generalate, just outside of Rome, we spent two full days studying and prayerfully reflecting on the charisms of our four founders: Pauline Jaricot (Society for the Propagation of the Faith), Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson (Holy Childhood Association), Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard (Society of St. Peter Apostle), and Father Paolo Manna (Missionary Union). These interesting and provocative sessions served to renew all of us directors in the ministry entrusted to us by our Holy Father and confirmed by the bishops in each of our countries.

Speaking of the Holy Father, we had a wonderful private audience with Pope Benedict XVI. He expressed his gratitude to all of us and the Catholics of our countries for the generosity of support for the mission ad gentes.

We also spent some very serious time relating to the thousands of requests for assistance sent to us from around the mission world. Help for the basic needs of the local churches of the Developing World – in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America – as they work to proclaim the Gospel and make our Lord better known in all places around the world.

Thanks to a splendid staff in Rome and the work of our Secretaries General, our work in reviewing and approving the subsidy help was dramatically simplified. But the challenges confronting us were most evident: trying to maintain our level of assistance to new and young churches, while facing the reality of diminishing levels of donations, especially in the form of legacies, and while factoring in the overall global economic downturn. Some difficult decisions had to be made to fairly and justly respond to the needs of mission ad gentes.

But the best part of our time together was in the interpersonal relating that always takes place. Language is not a problem, as we are blessed with world-class translators and many of us speak other languages besides our own native one. The testimonies of our brothers and sisters from the Developing World offer poignant witness to the Church at her best: serving the poor and needy of the world above all by offering them the hope-filled, life-sustaining message of the Gospel of Jesus. When we hear firsthand of the difference that Jesus makes in the lives of poor around the globe, the significance of our work is elevated. And our celebration of Mass together, in the beautiful St. Peter's in Rome - all of us from around the world - recalled in a most vivid way that first Pentecost.

And each of you is an integral part of our "one family in mission," as we are able to reach out, through your generous prayers and help, to the Church Universal in her mission needs.

Thanks for being such an important part of continuing Pentecost – and thanks for answering every day, in prayer and sacrifice, the call from Baptism to be missionary and part of our "one family in mission"!

Important note: Join us on Thursday, June 3, at 9:45 a.m. online for our live stream presentation of our Archbishop O’Meara Awards, recognizing excellence in reporting on the worldwide mission of the Church in Catholic newspapers and magazines. These awards will be presented during the Catholic Media Convention in New Orleans; for more information visit our website.

Let's Get Together

2010-05-07T09:16:00.022-04:00

Meetings. Since this new year began, there have been several fruitful gatherings of colleagues and collaborators.

First, in mid-January, there was the re-opening of the International Center for Missionary Animation (CIAM) in Rome, Italy. Dedicated to Blessed Father Paolo Manna, PIME, founder of the Missionary Union, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, the center is to be a place to form and to nurture the missionary spirit that motivates the support directed at the Church's worldwide missionary efforts. Our international secretary general of the Missionary Union, Father Vito Del Prete, PIME, led the prayers in the restored chapel at CIAM. My predecessor as national director, the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, was a major benefactor of CIAM. In fact, his statue stands at the main entrance. How privileged to continue his legacy in missionary animation - particularly through the media, with our "Mission Lessons" radio messages and our newest audio documentary on Archbishop Sheen.

Two months later, in mid-March, more than 20 nations in North America and South America were represented during a weeklong meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Orlando, Florida. Discussed were plans for the Fourth American Missionary Congress, as well as other matters related to mission animation and cooperation. We also offered solidarity to the people of Haiti and personally demonstrated our support to Father Clarck de la Cruz, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in that suffering country, who joined us for the meeting. How wonderful to be with brother and sister national directors in this "one family in mission," as well as with Father Timothy Lehane, SVD, international secretary general of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from Rome - all of us gathered to encourage the missionary spirit in the Americas, so that the Church's mission to all nations might be better served.

Finally, just last week, directors and staff from diocesan offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies came together in Chicago for our annual meeting - or what I like to call our "family reunion." Through the wonder of technology, those who couldn't be physically present with us April 27 to 29 were there "virtually," as we live streamed the presentations. You may watch archived video of our meeting by visiting our live stream site. You can learn more about our presenters at that meeting at our national meeting website; they included Father Mario Rodrigues, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Pakistan. Bishop Daniel Walsh of Santa Rosa (top photo below), who represents world mission on the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, was with us, spiritual mentor of our family. We even had a "visit" during our meeting from Rome - as we contacted Father Lehane in Rome via Skype; he attended the rest of the meeting from there, sending us a message of his prayerful solidarity - and his applause - from across the ocean.

With us in person was the international secretary general of the Society of St. Peter Apostle, Monsignor Jan Dumon (center photo above), who offered appreciation for the work of inspiring contributions to this society for the formation of local priests, as well as Religious Sisters and Brothers. My gratitude to our Chicago mission office, led by Sister Madge Karecki, SSJ-TOSF (photo right), our local hosts. How wonderful to gather as "one family in mission," sharing and praying together so as to better serve our brothers and sisters in the Missions.

Meetings - graced moments to join minds and grateful hearts in support of bringing the "Good News" of Jesus to all peoples, in all times.

In Solidarity With Haiti

2010-01-13T16:44:00.008-05:00

Unfathomable devastation, destruction and death.

That is what we all watched, in profound sorrow and disbelief, as events unfolded following the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti. We learned of the death of the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Joseph Miot, who was found under the rubble of his residence, according to one news report. There were other equally tragic news bulletins - seminarians trapped in the rubble of the destroyed seminary; priests there for a retreat, killed in the quake; church buildings - the seminary, big churches, the cathedral - reduced to rubble.

The Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States have established a special fund for long-term assistance for the Church in Haiti, as it will continue to respond in the wake of this natural disaster - the Haitian Solidarity Fund.

We applaud and encourage support of the efforts of social service and relief agencies, such as Catholic Relief Services, who are responding to the immediate and overwhelming humanitarian needs of our suffering brothers and sisters in that part of the world.

As the Church in Haiti assesses the massive damages and the overwhelming needs, they will need financial assistance as they help to rebuild the infrastructure of the Church there that will, in turn, be critical to serve the poor and enable the suffering here to rebuild their lives. And thus, the need for this fund.

We encourage the generous hearts of Catholics in the United States as they reach out in prayer and in sacrifice to the men, women and children who suffer even more now in this country. I ask, above all, for prayers for the Church there, and for missionaries, who remain witnesses of the great love and compassion of our Lord, and of His sustaining hope.

To support our Haitian Solidarity Fund - for longterm assistance - please follow this link, and select that option on the page. You may also send a contribution for that Fund to our national office at 70 West 36th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018. To offer help to Catholic Relief Services, for immediate relief and humanitarian assistance, please go to their website.

You may also visit our Facebook page to post thoughts, prayers and photos related perhaps to your own mission experiences in Haiti; let our sharing be a source of strength for and solidarity with all who are suffering.

Week of Celebration

2009-12-18T10:01:00.015-05:00

A power-packed week, indeed.

That's how I would describe the events of the week of December 7.

First of all, there were several days preparing for and celebrating the 30th Anniversary on December 9 of the death of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, former radio and television personality of much fame, author of a multitude books and pamphlets, and a former National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. It was the latter that gave me so much exhilaration during the festivities.

Certainly the highlight of the week was a beautiful Eucharistic Liturgy in solemn fashion at St. Patrick's Cathedral, with Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, as principal celebrant and homilist. Archbishop Dolan’s homily captivated all in attendance and brought everything into a good focus. He spoke of how this mission man named Fulton Sheen was truly a man for all seasons and times. He observed that everything Archbishop did, wrote and spoke was about leading others to Christ. (Read more at Archbishop Dolan's blog.) The Liturgy seemed to energize all of us who are dedicated to advancing the cause for his canonization.

Complementing the celebration at St. Patrick's Cathedral were two evenings of special note: one was a grand reception immediately following the Liturgy on December 9, at which we released our new audio documentary on the life and legacy of Archbishop Sheen, "Faithful Witness" (see photo here from reception with Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, and Monsignor Stanley Deptula, Archbishop Sheen Foundation);

the other was a reception the evening before, on December 8, that served as the premiere of a video documentary, "Servant of All," commissioned by the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, which hopefully will soon be aired on national television. The excitement generated by these wonderful tools gave everyone a good "shot in the arm" for the cause. There were about 20 bishops and 75 priests in attendance for all or part of the festivities; this, too, added a dimension of support and celebration that was noted by all.

At the end of that week, I was privileged to travel to Washington, D.C. with Patty Macias and Iliana Prevost of our national office to participate in the annual Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the winners of the national Christmas art contest sponsored by the Holy Childhood Association in the United States.

Thirteen of the 24 national winners joined us for this festive liturgical celebration, along with family members and friends. They came from far and wide: from California, Texas, Nebraska and points all over the United States. These winners were selected from the more than 10,000 entries to our contest. (See end of this message for the winning entry from Uyen Chi Ngo, 8th grader from the Diocese of San Diego, California, whose art was featured on my Christmas card this year.)

In congratulating the winners, I highlighted for all at this Mass how the Holy Childhood Association, in its call for children to be missionaries, can make a big difference in the lives of children in faraway places and at home. I shared with these great kids how their counterparts in Developing World countries are often exploited, abused or abandoned, but how Christ makes all the difference in their lives. And I emphasized that their participation in our Christmas art contest was one way in which they were actively engaged as missionaries in sharing their faith convictions with others -- with the thousands who visit the Shrine and see their art on exhibit there (through the Feast of the Epiphany), and with many more thousands on the internet as Christmas e-greetings. Congratulations to the children of the world in their love for Christ and their participation in the Holy Childhood Association!

Yes, as I said earlier, it was quite a week, packed with celebration and affirmation of our part in this "one family in mission."

Blessings and peace to all for Christmas!

The Greatest of Days

2009-11-12T16:24:00.008-05:00

Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Proudly and joyfully, we will remember that day here at the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States as a momentous date in our history. On that day, Archbishop Timothy Dolan visited us, as the shepherd of New York, to bless our new "home" at 70 West 36th Street.

The first impression was the lasting one: he exited the elevator on our eighth floor to the welcome cheers and applause of more than 85 employees and guests. And what he offered us was memorable and etched into our personal and collective memories: a warm loving embrace extended to each and every one of us. What a way to begin this celebration in our new home!

And he led us in a service of blessing, which included readings from Scriptures, and his wonderful and thoughtful message to us about how blessed we are in doing this special work of the Lord. Next he blessed us and our new office with holy water, calling to mind our own Baptism and our call to be missionary.

After some "formal" photos with staff, our national board/council, the architects, contractors and other special collaborators, Archbishop Dolan greeted many of the guests individually. As he exited the building, his greetings continued, as he met and posed for photos with the superintendent and maintenance workers of our national office home.

But the glorious day did not end with his departure. There were wonderful tours given by our joy-filled staff, who made everyone feel a special part of our mission family. And then we - staff, collaborators and guests - departed for a wonderful lunch together. We were joined by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations, and Bishop Daniel Walsh of Santa Rosa, California, who represents the U.S. Bishops in matters related to mission ad gentes. These prelates both shared some wonderful sentiments and congratulations with us. During the meal, we had the opportunity as well to acknowledge some truly special friends who played such an important role in designing, constructing and furnishing our new home.

It was a day long to be remembered, certainly the greatest of days in my time as national director. As Archbishop Dolan described it: "This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad."

That was part of the message he offered in the midst of his whirlwind visit with us, as he "christened" our new Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Media Room, recording a message that we have proudly uploaded to our website. His uplifting and encouraging message affirmed above all the good that the great generosity of Catholics to the Pontifical Mission Societies accomplishes.

As you listen, remember another reason to "rejoice and be glad" - we are all connected as "one family in mission"!

Happy World Mission Sunday!

2009-10-18T08:10:00.002-04:00

Most of us have an event that is remembered each year with special meaning.

Perhaps it's our birthday, or an anniversary, the return home from a war, the birth of a child, or another such personal history moment.

In the Catholic Church, we celebrate on the next-to-last Sunday of each year World Mission Sunday. This is a very special celebration for the whole Catholic world. We could say that this is our annual flesh-and-blood way of continuing Pentecost. Just what is World Mission Sunday all about?

It is a universal celebration, one that takes place at the altar of churches and chapels worldwide. The Church draws us on that day to the Eucharistic table to renew the missionary vocation given to us at Baptism. It also invites us to pray for the missionary needs of the Church, to respond to these needs with material support, and even to consider service ad gentes as a missionary.

The solidarity with people all over the world - many already committed to Christ and drawing sustenance from His Body and Blood, and many more still waiting to know Him and to be one with Him - is made real through your participation in World Mission Sunday. Especially in your role as celebrant at the Liturgy, the Lord provides the opportunity to renew your faithful in their missionary commitment, and to invite them to be part of the continuing Pentecost as, through prayer and sacrifice, they help to share Christ with the world.

My prayer for you and all in your parish is that you be instruments of evangelization on World Mission Sunday, accepting more fully your role as missionaries in this "one family in mission."

As always, I am most grateful for your missionary zeal and generosity.

Amazing Journeys

2009-07-22T15:06:00.003-04:00

An amazing journey. That's been the experience these past two weeks for the national office family of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.

Actually, the "journey" began about a year ago when we finalized plans to purchase an entire floor of a building at 70 West 36th Street in New York City, realizing a long-time dream of owning our own space. (No monies from donations were used for this purchase or the move; financing was provided from a special fund created with reserves these many years, just for this purpose.) From that moment, we worked with professionals in architectural design and construction to create a space better suited to our staffing needs and to serving the ultimate beneficiaries of our work -- the local Catholic churches of the Developing World, as they help the poor and suffering of the Missions.

During that same time, we began a tedious process of sorting through 55 years worth of legal documents, papers, files, books, records mementoes and various odds and ends that no one even imagined were "in storage" since the day in June 1954 when the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of my predecessors as national director, moved the national office into that Fifth Avenue space.

Moving day arrived on Friday, July 10. I was in Peru on a pastoral assignment with my own bishop from the Pittsburgh Diocese, so I missed this momentous day. From all indications, everything went extremely well, and the entire staff really rolled up their sleeves like one big family. A moving committee, led by Ray Schroeck, Monica Yehle and Paul Batterson, and assisted by other most generous national office family members, worked through the nights of July 10 and 11 to assure that all the technology was in place and that all would be "ready for business" on Monday morning, July 13 -- the historic first day at our new home.

My first day was not that Monday, but Friday, July 17, when I returned from my visit to Peru. And there were two most notable "peak" moments to my first day back.

When I arrived on the eighth floor of 70 West 36th Street, coming directly from the airport that morning, the entire national office family was gathered at the elevator to most warmly me and to offer welcome, grateful hugs. This was a very emotional moment for me.

Although it came second in timing, the pinnacle of my "day one" was the honor of celebrating the first Mass in our new home, in our small, beautiful chapel. What a blessing to all who come to this home is the privilege of being part of the celebration of the Eucharist in such a holy and sacred chapel space.

In the midst of all the events in that amazing journey in the history of the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies, there was a journey of another kind for me as well -- five days of accompanying my own Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, along with 10 seminarians, on a pastoral visit to Chimbote, Peru. For some 50 years, my home diocese of Pittsburgh has had missionaries working in this South American country. We have constructed a maternity hospital there, as well as one of the finest secondary schools in that part of Peru. Recently, we have turned over administration of both the high school and the hospital to the pastoral, legal and moral care of the local bishop.

Bishop Zubik made the journey to show our continuing solidarity with the poor, as well as with the hospital staff and especially the local bishop. Part of our visit included spending time with the poor in the worst of the slums there. A continuing surprise awaited the bishop, the seminarians and myself, as we went from shanty to shanty in one slum after another. There were these amazing smiles on the faces of the poorest of the poor, which matched always a warm and inviting welcome to come into their "homes." The spirit of welcome confounded us at first and eventually overwhelmed us, when we realized the source of their joy-filled response -- their great faith in Jesus, a faith we shared as God's one family.

I hope that as part of our "one family in mission," you can come to visit us at our new home, so we too can express this same faith-filled welcome and hospitality. God is good and He has richly blessed us, as He blesses the poor!

Missionary Hearts in the Heartland

2009-05-08T10:16:00.010-04:00

To the heartland of America. That's where our recent National Meeting of Diocesan Mission Directors and Coordinators took us -- to St. Louis, Missouri. There during our board committee and general meetings, as well as during the three days of our national meeting, we shared the best of the American Catholic tradition: a generous missionary spirit rooted in love of Christ and His Church.

As our special international guests and presenters, we welcomed our new Secretary General of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Father Timothy Lehane, SVD, the National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in India, Monsignor Ignaci Siluvai, and Father Roger McCarrick, S.M., National Director in the Pacific Islands. Together with Father Phillip Cover of the National Catholic Educational Association and Sherry Kennedy Brownrigg, a media professional, these special presenters gave us a very healthy dose of uplifting mission stories, mission spirituality and new ideas for mission promotion with the endless potential of social media opportunities. And, of course, Monica Yehle from our national office brightened up our day and overwhelmed us with a dramatic presentation of many new and exciting ventures into new media that are already in progress for our "one family in mission."

You can see a record of our national meeting at our special national meeting site. Many in our diocesan mission offices who could not be with us followed that meeting online -- even blogging their thoughts, along with others in attendance, as the days continued. In fact, in the week of the meeting and the week following, there have been some 4,000 visitors to that site, which includes videos of the presentations, as well as their PowerPoint and other support materials. The videos of those presentations are also included on our YouTube site.

Our international guests have commented many times over about the generosity of our faithful in the United States, the dynamism and dedication of our national office, the corps of committed diocesan directors and coordinators of the Pontifical Mission Societies, and the enthusiasm generated when we gather. I would only say "Amen" to such comments.

What inspires our faithful to be so generous in prayer and in sacrifice is the missionary spirit that is shared by our bishops, and our diocesan mission directors and coordinators, and passed on to the people in the pews. America has spoken again with her heart during that national meeting; a generous missionary heart, indeed.

On behalf of the countless beneficiaries of your kindness all over the mission world, I thank you and encourage you to continue in your missionary vocation. Remember, we are all missionaries by virtue of our Baptism.

Traveling Hope

2009-04-12T17:16:00.026-04:00

Blessings on Easter Sunday! Today is truly filled with great hope - the hope found in the Lord's Resurrection.

As I write this message to you, I am preparing to leave for the annual gathering of Catholic school teachers, parish religious education directors and those involved in formation. The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) convention and the gathering of the National Parish Catechetical Directors (NPCD) takes place all this coming week in Anaheim, California. The Pontifical Mission Societies is honored to have been invited to be part of these conventions, presenting our programs for mission awareness and participating in a "spiritual deepening day" for parish directors of religious education on Wednesday, April 15. We are most hopeful about the benefit of this collaboration, believing that it will be fruitful for us all, most especially our brothers and sisters in the Missions. I'll write more about the events of this week at their conclusion.

Hope, for me, seems these days to be most associated with travel. Last month, I journeyed to Colombia in South America for a meeting of national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies from Latin American countries. All returned from this meeting energized - and ready to energize others - in commitment to the Church's evangelizing mission, to announcing the hope-filled "Good News" of Jesus' Resurrection through various programs and presentations to the faithful back at home.

I felt a similar sense of hope earlier this year on a journey to Nagaland in northeast India. There, I visited the home of a poor family whose daughter, Jacinta, was making her religious vows. The hope of that day - aside from the obvious hope that comes from knowing that others will experience the love of our Lord through the service of this Sister - came also from realizing that you, through your generosity, were there in a very real way as well. Gifts to the Society of St. Peter Apostle supported the formation of Sister Jacinta and so many young men and women in this area. Many children I met on that and so many other missionary travels have been nourished in the faith through offerings to the Holy Childhood Association. And the catechists who continue to bring the Lord’s “Good News” to the poor are helped by your support of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, as are the parishes and their service there and throughout the Developing World.

Be assured that your donations make a faith-filled, indeed, hope-filled difference in the Missions. Now that surely gives us another reason to be most hopeful on this Easter Sunday! Joy and peace to you!

Making Journeys

2009-02-23T16:26:00.004-05:00

As we begin Lent - a journey of prayer and sacrifice toward Easter - I reflect on my most recent mission journey. Earlier this month, I traveled to Myanmar (Burma), visiting some of this country’s historical and cultural sites.

Most importantly, I spent time with a number of Sisters and seminarians there, witnessing their loving service. There are a number of vocations to the priesthood and Religious life.

Although the number of Catholics is small, the Church in Myanmar distinguishes itself in its outreach and service to the poor. Many Sisters are involved in hospital ministry and home visitation. I was inspired by one stop at a home for persons with a wide range of disabilities, physical and mental. I was so touched by the loving care offered by Sisters to each of the residents of that home, from the very young to the elderly.

During this Lenten journey, I will pray especially for those who suffer and those who serve throughout the Missions. I know I can count on your prayers as well. May these weeks be a time of special blessings as we prepare to celebrate the hope and joy of Easter!

For Those in Flight

2009-01-27T16:17:00.011-05:00

Refugees. Right now, across the globe, millions of people live outside their home country, driven out by political turmoil, natural disaster or other circumstances; many find themselves displaced right within their own homeland.

Perhaps the moments that linger most in my memory from recent mission visits relate to the time I spent in several refugee camps in Nepal. Some two decades ago, many people with Nepalese roots were forced out of Bhutan, even if they were born there. Eventually, these refugees settled in the eastern part of Nepal. I had the great privilege of visiting each of the seven refugee camps during my time there. The people, poor but rich in their generous, loving hearts, welcomed me inside their homes. I spoke with schoolchildren, and witnessed the compassionate outreach of local priests and Religious among these men, women and children who have suffered and sacrificed so much.

In early January, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, a most missionary feast as we witness the nations of the world, exemplified in the Three Kings, coming to adore the Christ Child, Savior of the world. Not long after the visit of the Magi, our Lord too became a refugee, fleeing, with Mary and Joseph, to Egypt, to escape the wrath of Herod. Throughout the Missions today, in Nepal and in so many places, the Church, with your help, serves the needs of refugees. My prayer during my visits in Nepal was, as it is now, for these displaced peoples and for those who reach out to them with the love and compassion of the Savior.

Christmas Presence

2008-12-23T09:41:00.006-05:00

Think Christmas and children are brought immediately to mind. As I write this message to you, we are just days from celebrating the birth of Jesus. And in the preparations for this celebration, I cannot help but think of the many children I met during my most recent mission visit to Asia — children who come to experience the love of our Lord, one Savior of the world, through the service of priests, Religious and lay people in the Missions.

In one parish in Nepal, there is a hostel for some 40 boys who attend a local school. Because these children live so far away from any school — a journey of two days by bus and five days walking — this is their only chance for an education. While at the hostel, these young people receive loving care from local Sisters.

And in Nagaland in northeast India, there were many Church-run orphanages. Most of these receive regular support from the gifts young people in our country offer to the Holy Childhood Association, a Pontifical Mission Society. The care offered these little ones goes beyond the basics of food, shelter and clothing. Above all, each comes to know that Jesus, born at Christmas, loves them, never abandons them, and so they are never alone.

Yes, children and Christmas. How great to be part of this “one family in mission,” supporting the presence of priests, Religious and lay people who share with the young the “Good News” of Jesus’ birth and His love for each one of us!

Family Time -- And Masses

2008-12-14T16:24:00.026-05:00

They took place oceans and thousands of miles away. The most recent one was celebrated right here at home, just about a three-hour train ride from New York.

My time with mission family -- brothers and sisters in the Developing World, most specifically in Asia, and with young missionaries here at home, members of the Holy Childhood Association -- often centered, most appropriately, around the celebration of Mass.

This most recent mission pastoral visit took me to Nepal and to Nagaland in northeastern India. In Nepal, Catholics account for less than one percent of the population. And yet here the effectiveness of the Church's service to the poor and marginalized is significant. There are, for example, the network of schools run mostly by Jesuit missionaries.

And too there are the seven refugee camps with some 110,000 refugees, mostly from Bhutan, located, like Nepal, in the Himalayas. My host, Jesuit Bishop Anthony Sharma, and I visited every one of those refugee camps during my stay in his home country. These were very moving visits, especially the time spent with some of the 60,000 refugees who are set to be welcomed into our own country very soon. My prayer in these camps -- like those I offered at Masses throughout Nepal -- were ones for God's peace and strength for these people, whose lives have been filled with great uncertainty and suffering for so long.

Bishop Sharma also took me to a parish in east Nepal, where Salesian Father John Prakash was martyred this past July. Bishop Sharma and I venerated his room, the place where he was killed. For me, the difficult and dangerous circumstances under which missionaries live and serve were never more real than in those moments.

There were more Masses, at more parishes, throughout Nagaland in India as well. I even met the Spanish missionary Sister who was the very first to come to serve among the tribal people here. Sister Guadalupe was invited by the government more than 60 years ago because of her medical skills as a nurse. She was the very first Catholic to ever set foot in Nagaland, and, she told me, she secretly planted religious medals in the soil. On her return visit, during my time there, she was welcomed by some of the more than 58,000 Catholics who today call Nagaland home.

Still fresh from the memories of Masses with our faraway mission family, I returned home for a most special annual event on my calendar. Each year, the Holy Childhood Association sponsors a Christmas artwork contest. And each year, we invite the winning young people -- elementary school students -- and their families to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. for a Mass in recognition of their spreading the "Good News" of our Savior's birth through their inspiring drawings.

As I met with the winners after that Mass, I couldn't help but recall all the young people I met in India and in Nepal -- young people who prayed, especially at Mass, for our young missionaries here at home, just as our youth pray and sacrifice for them.

Yes, family time -- especially as Christmas draws nearer -- is always time well spent. And gathered at the Eucharist to be nourished and strengthened as missionaries by the Body and Blood of our Lord is the best family time of all -- no matter the location.

To the Land of the Himalaya

2008-11-20T11:49:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow it's off to visit family once again -- our mission family in Nepal.

Nepal, a country of South Asia, is bordered by China to the north and India to the south, east and wet. The Himalaya mountain range runs across this Asian nation's northern and western parts, and eight of the world's 10 highest mountains -- including the highest, Mount Everest, are within its territory.

In May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named a Jesuit missionary priest who had been serving the people of Nepal as the country's first bishop. Bishop Anthony Sharma is a native son of Nepal; born, in fact, in legendary Kathmandu. He was ordained a Jesuit priest there in 1968.

The modern Catholic presence in Nepal began in the 1950s when Jesuits from India established a school in Kathmandu. According to the 2006 Catholic Directory of Nepal, the predominantly Hindu country of 25 million people has 7,500 Catholics served by 56 priests, all but 12 of them Religious, as well as 123 Religious Sisters and four Religious Brothers.

This past March, during Holy Week, Bishop Sharma celebrated for the first time a Chrism Mass with his brother priests. (At this Mass, there is the annual blessing of the oils; these oils are distributed among the parishes of the diocese for use in the Sacraments throughout the year. Priests are also invited to this special Mass and are given the opportunity to renew their vows during the Liturgy.) Some 500 Catholics joined 36 diocesan and Religious priests for that Mass at Assumption Parish, the main church in the capital city of Kathmandu.

"My happiness knows no bounds," Bishop Sharma said in his homily, according to a report in UCA News. He then urged his priests: "Don't only preach the Gospel, but be a gospel of Christ. Set an example for others, believe in what you read and teach what you believe. Let the Church and the number of followers grow by your preaching and actions ... Bring about unity in the Church ... Bring back those who have gone astray, as this is the duty of a priest."

I look forward to meeting this dynamic missionary bishop -- and to seeing the life and witness of the Church in this part of the mission world. Keep an eye on this "mission report" in early December for the mission story out of Nepal!

Taking a Count

2008-11-14T11:02:00.003-05:00

It's something we all do. And November, a month of giving thanks, seems the best time to do it -- to count your blessings, the many reasons to offer prayerful gratitude to Almighty God.

Topping my list is my faith, our Lord's greatest gift to each of us. We can all surely recount stories of how our faith and trust in God helped us through life's difficulties, the inevitable challenges, large and small, that we face every day.

I am grateful as well for the presence in my life, now through many decades, of missionaries. I remember sitting in my elementary school classroom in Pittsburgh and hearing missionaries tell us their larger-than-life tales about their work and witness for our Lord.

Missionaries were my heroes then and remain so. They labor in the remotest corners of the world, places where there are no roads, no comforts from home. They serve in the midst of war and natural disaster; they witness immense suffering and extreme poverty.

Through it all, the missionary reaches out with the loving heart of our Lord, sharing with our brothers and sisters throughout the Developing World the hope and peace of Jesus Who suffered, died and rose for all the human family.

And missionaries are not only those who travel far from home. All of us baptized Catholics are missionaries, called to share our faith with others, and to support, through prayer and sacrifice, those who bring the "Good News" of Jesus to the poor throughout the world. That brings me to another "blessing" in my life -- the family of supporters of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Their donations -- great and small -- help the Church in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America to provide for the physical and, above all, spiritual needs of our mission family. These donors -- vital members of our "one family in mission" -- bring my blessing count to more than one million.

Taking a count of our blessings is a good thing. It reminds us of how much the Lord really loves us, most of all through the people He sends our way. Read about a missionary today; our new issue of MISSION offers eight such profiles. Then say a prayer for these priests, Religious and lay people who give us an example to follow -- one to truly give thanks to God for. And know that I offer a prayer of gratitude daily for all of you who are missionaries through your prayers and your gifts in support of the Church's worldwide mission.

A Mission for Our Mission

2008-11-08T18:50:00.024-05:00

As you read this, I will have just returned from Rome, Italy, where, with other national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies, we spoke of getting financial help to the local churches most in need in the Missions. But we also returned home with a "mission" for our mission work.

This is the second such meeting that we national directors, including those from mission countries, have had. Our first meeting, in the spring, involves all national directors. During that gathering, we distributed the help provided by Catholics throughout the world to the local churches of Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America. More than $90 million in assistance, for example, was sent from donations to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. About $7 million of that went to catechists in Africa -- lay men and women who bring the "Good News" of Jesus to the poor and the suffering, who teach others about our faith.

Additional help was sent from contributions to the Society of St. Peter Apostle to support young men preparing for the priesthood in seminaries throughout the Developing World and young men and women in formation as Religious Brothers and Sisters. Major seminaries received some $15.5 million in help. In the area of vocations in the Missions, there was much hope-filled news. At present, more than 30,000 young men are studying at mission major seminaries.

Last year, there were 2,397 priestly ordinations, with more than half of those in Africa.

We also, at that spring meeting, focused on providing for the needs of children in the Missions through the Holy Childhood Association. More than $22 million in help was offered, with the majority of that assistance going to the Church's service to the children of Africa.

You may recall one of my first blog reports, where I related the visit of our New York Pontifical Mission Societies director, Sister Pauline Chirchirillo, PBVM, to Zambia in Africa. There she saw many of the projects that the contributions of young people in our own country and worldwide to the Holy Childhood Association make possible -- like mother and child centers, and homes for children who have been abandoned or abused, where local Religious Sisters reach out with the loving tenderness of our Lord.

During this fall meeting of a smaller group of national directors, representing the various continents of the world, we distributed more such help, through these societies. But we national directors came away from that meeting convinced that we -- and those who work with us in diocesan offices in our countries -- must work even harder to make our mission known. I hope that you'll click on the links in this blog and read more about the great work accomplished -- with your help -- through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Society of St. Peter Apostle and the Holy Childhood Association. I hope you'll read too about the Missionary Union, the fourth Pontifical Mission Society, that is concerned with education and formation, and not fundraising.

Just a few hours on the ground, and I feel satisfied that I've started this mission for our mission works -- the task of making better known what we accomplish together as "one family in mission" so that our brothers and sisters throughout the Developing World may come to know about Jesus and His hope, love and peace.

Living Dollars

2008-10-30T14:19:00.022-04:00

Did you ever see "living dollars"? Well I have -- just a few weeks ago, in Indonesia.

During that mission visit, I met children on the island of Nias who were lovingly cared for by Sisters, both at an orphanage and in a home for children with disabilities. I also got to know parishioners at the only Catholic parish in Banda Aceh on the predominantly Muslim island of Sumatra. As I spent time with the children and the Sisters, and the people of the parish, I realized that I was face-to-face with the living, breathing reality of your contributions to the Pontifical Mission Societies.

On the island of Nias, vocations to the priesthood and Religious life are flourishing. In these vocations, there is great hope, indeed, as local men and women prepare for a lifetime of being our Lord’s presence among their own people. And you are part of that hope, as you support, through prayer and sacrifice, their formation for the priesthood and Religious life through the Society of St. Peter Apostle, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies.

The Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy form one such Religious Community. They staff an orphanage on the island of Nias, as well as a school. In fact, your contributions are also helping to rebuild that school which was destroyed by an earthquake in March 2005. How beautiful to watch the loving care these Sisters provide to these children, helping them to realize that they are not alone and that the Lord loves them.

More living examples of your generous response to the Pontifical Mission Societies were found at a home for handicapped and disabled children and young people, also on Nias. It was inspiring for me to watch the Franciscan Sisters as they helped these little ones go through their everyday routines. The smiles and joy on the faces of these children gave witness to the fact that the message of these Sisters -- the "good news" of God's great love for each one of us -- was heard.

And finally there was my visit to Banda Aceh, an area of Sumatra devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of December 2004. As I celebrated Mass in the rebuilt Sacred Heart Church -- refurbished with your gifts to the Pontifical Mission Societies -- I realized that here was, perhaps, the greatest living example of all. In this church, the small Catholic community on this Muslim island is able to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus, to be nourished and strengthened by our Lord in the Eucharist.

As I greeted parishioners during the Sign of Peace at the Mass I concelebrated at Sacred Heart Church, I heard from many an extension of that greeting of peace and thanksgiving to each of you who support the Church's evangelizing mission through the Pontifical Mission Societies. I pass that on to you now, and the message of my own great gratitude, having witnessed the living reality of your dollars of support.

Rejoicing Once Again

2008-10-24T14:29:00.017-04:00

What could top the celebration of World Mission Sunday -- the day when the world's Catholics unite at the Eucharist to recommit ourselves, through prayer and sacrifice, to the Church's mission to bring Jesus' message of love and hope to a waiting world? Well, there was something -- and it came by e-mail.

First, let's turn back time a bit, to this past spring. Back then, we received a note -- again by e-mail -- from our mission family in the Sudan. Bishop Akio Johnson Mutek of Torit wrote about the return of refugees from his diocese; they came by bus, by truck and on foot. A decades-long Good Friday in that African nation had been transformed into the joy of Easter as these hundreds of refugees -- scattered throughout that African nation and in neighboring Uganda as well -- came home.

War broke out in the Sudan in 1983, with the violence reaching Torit in 1986. Negotiations between 2002 and 2004 resulted in the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, eventually enabling this return of refugees.

As he watched his people return, Bishop Mutek wrote us, he said that he "saw the heart of Jesus." "All the suffering they had endured was before my eyes," he continued. "It was tied to the suffering of our Lord."

As he welcomed them home, Bishop Mutek celebrated Mass, praying and rejoicing with his people.

Just yesterday, on the Thursday after World Mission Sunday, Bishop Mutek wrote again -- with more "good news" of rejoicing. His people, returned from exile just months before, gathered at the Table of the Lord this past Sunday -- just as Catholics here in the United States and throughout the world did -- to celebrate our common vocation to be missionaries.

"The day of my joy, and the joy of the Church," he wrote of World Mission Sunday in Torit in the Sudan. "This World Mission Sunday was one of the best." Indeed, knowing that in the Sudan they were gathered, along with all of us here, to rejoice in the mission of all the baptized, is cause for great joy indeed. What could top the celebration of World Mission Sunday? Only more such "Good News" from the Missions!

A Week With Family

2008-10-17T16:55:00.030-04:00

Sometimes the days are filled with meetings. This week, gratefully, those meetings were all about family.

After our office was closed Monday in observance of Columbus Day, allowing our national office family to spend time with their own families, I returned to work Tuesday still filled with the blessings of the encounters of my most recent mission visit to Asia. In the early afternoon, I welcomed Bishop Francis Antonysamy of Kumbakonam, India, and a priest from that country who is serving here, Father Raj Silva. I had met the bishop during a pastoral visit to India a year or so ago.

We spoke at length about the recent persecution of Christians in India, and about the unspeakable acts of violence committed against the Church and priests, Religious and lay Catholics.

How does the Church deal with that? How does anyone respond to such violence?

"We must educate about Jesus," Bishop Antonysamy told me. "We are called to witness to Jesus and to share His transforming, saving, life-giving love. Always we must uplift people in love."

Most appropriately, the very next day, our national office family welcomed those who can and do spread that message nationwide -- who raise awareness and support for the work of the Pontifical Mission Societies; such work benefits the Church in India and throughout the Developing World.

About a dozen of our diocesan mission office personnel -- from the Dioceses of Allentown (Pennsylvania), Arlington (Virginia), Orange and San Diego (California), and Paterson (New Jersey), as well as the Archdioceses of Chicago (Illinois), Indianapolis (Indiana) and Washington, D.C. -- came to the national office for a two-day orientation this past Wednesday and Thursday.

There were presentations by all members of the national office staff about the history of these Societies; about the support provided to the Missions -- where it goes, the process by which these distributions are decided; about where we've been able to send financial help this year because of your contributions; about our financial accountability and transparency, and about the programs and materials related to this process of informing -- educating about Jesus -- and forming Catholics here to be missionaries in prayer and sacrifice.

My time with family from diocesan offices included the celebration of Mass on each day.

At the celebration of the Eucharist, we find the source for our "uplifting" in the Lord, of which my friend in India spoke; there, at the altar, we find the fullest expression of what the Apostles were blessed to share in the Upper Room. Our Lord, present in the Eucharist, strengthens us as it does our brothers and sisters in India, to face the challenges, the difficulties, yes even the dangers of our lives. Our Lord, present in the Eucharist, nourishes each of us in the work of the Pontifical Mission Society to support the Church as it serves and uplifts the poor and the suffering. Our Lord, present in the Eucharist, sustains each one of us in our daily call to be His missionaries.

What a great way to spend the week before World Mission Sunday! May this Sunday's "family" celebration of our Baptismal vocation to witness to Jesus renew all the baptized in their commitment to our Lord's mission around the world.

Blessings All Around

2008-10-10T15:59:00.019-04:00

Back home in the United States, now just for a day, I returned from this most recent mission visit and found myself unpacking blessings -- memories of the events and people I met during the journey.

I've already written to you about the heroic missionaries and villagers in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and Mass at Sacred Heart parish church there, newly restored with help from the Pontifical Mission Societies. What a blessing -- and an inspiration -- to meet the many young men preparing for the priesthood and the young women in formation to be Religious Sisters on the nearby island of Nias. Both areas had been devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that hit that part of Southeast Asia in December 2004. Today, the service of the Church remains as strong as it ever was in these areas, and the poor and suffering are blessed by the loving service of the priests, Sisters and catechists, and the missionaries I met.

I was personally blessed to make a stop back at the Good Shepherd Center in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The Good Shepherd Sisters operate this home for girls in northern Thailand. Just recently the Pontifical Mission Societies provided support to improve the facility and expand services. Vocational training now includes cooking and baking. I am promised a cake on my next visit, and I agreed to show the girls how to make pizza.

Many of their stories of the girls are often heartbreaking. Some have lost parents through illness or violence, while others have been rescued from human trafficking and slavery. The Good Shepherd Sisters are helping to write a new chapter in their lives, offering them the hope of our Lord to believe that all things are possible with His assistance. About 80 percent of the girls there are not Catholic. And so the Sisters bring them the "Good News" of Jesus every day. There are Bible study classes, where they see the loving hand of God throughout human history and realize that His blessings extend to them.

What a privilege to celebrate Mass for the girls at this center, and to be able to proclaim the message "spoken" so well -- in word and witness -- by the Sisters. The Lord loves them, unconditionally, without end. That knowledge is a blessing for all of us, indeed.

Yes, this journey, there were blessings all around.

Focus on His Presence

2008-10-06T21:06:00.024-04:00

As you read this, I will be heading home from my most recent mission pastoral visit to Asia, specifically to Indonesia. During the entire journey, I was struck by the hope-filled presence of our Lord -- in the people I met, in the Religious Sisters, priests and missionaries who served the poor.

On Nias, an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, I saw the site of a nearly complete Catholic school. That island was devastated both by the earthquake and tsunami of December 2004, and the subsequent earthquake of March 2005. The school was built with the help of children of the United States through the Holy Childhood Association. What joy greeted me on my visit! Besides the children, eager and grateful to return to school, there were the growing numbers of young men and women on this island who had answered the Lord's call to serve him as priests and Sisters. In their vocations is great hope, indeed, as these local men and women prepare for a lifetime of being our Lord's presence among their own people.

You may recall my speaking about my March 2005 visit to Banda Aceh a couple of weeks ago in this blog. The 150-foot long ship that was carried in by the tsunami waters and which literally pulverized homes in the area remains there today, as a memorial to the devastating event of that day after Christmas. The only Catholic parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus, has now been restored -- church and convent buildings -- thanks to your help through the Pontifical Mission Societies. What a privilege to celebrate Mass at that church, marking its 82nd anniversary on this predominantly Muslim island. The people here are truly heroic. And the missionaries serving among them are as well, as they continually reveal, day after day, no matter the circumstances, the love of our Lord. It was inspiring.

When I telephoned in these thoughts from this Asian mission visit, I spoke with members of our national office family who, on Friday, October 3, had been at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, along with hundreds of children for the Children’s Worldwide Eucharistic Holy Hour sponsored by the World Apostolate of Fatima. This annual event, which was broadcast live on Eternal Word Television Network, brings together children to pray in front of our Lord's presence in the Blessed Sacrament for peace in the families of the world. This year's event featured as presider the international secretary general of the Holy Childhood Association from Rome, Italy, Father Patrick Byrne, SVD. The young people gathered in the Basilica in Washington, D.C. -- along with those joined with them through EWTN's coverage -- also pray the World Mission Rosary. This Rosary -- envisioned by the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, former national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith -- calls to mind the continents of the world where the Church continues her evangelizing mission. Remembered especially in this Holy Hour as an intention of the World Mission Rosary are families throughout the world -- for peace in their lives and in their hearts. I want to offer my personal thanks to members of our mission office family who helped to fill that Basilica with young people and who assisted the World Apostolate of Fatima in the many details of the day: Father Patrick Posey, Director, and Sandy Bertini, HCA Coordinator, from Arlington, Virginia; Sister Marie de la Trinite Siopongco, SSVM, Director, and Sister Maria de la Revelacion Castaneda, SSVM, HCA Coordinator, from Washington, D.C. Many moments from that Holy Hour were captured on video that day; please go to our YouTube site to view these.

A visit to our mission family in Asia. A Holy Hour in Washington, D.C. Both marked by the life-giving, hope-filled presence of our Lord. There's no better focus in the world.

A Return Visit

2008-09-19T15:09:00.011-04:00

It brought to mind Hiroshima after the atomic bomb.
That was my first impression of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, when I visited there within months of the earthquake and tsunami of December 2004. Everything, everything had been destroyed, leveled. There was an occasional palm tree or a part of a shell of a building -- but little else.

Some 300,000 people perished in more than 10 countries from that tragic natural disaster; tens of thousands from Banda Aceh alone fled to Medan, some 600 kilometers away. In the three months preceding my March 2005 visit, there had been a lot of rubble and debris removed, but there was so much more yet to be taken away -- including a 150-foot long ship that was carried in by the tsunami waters and which literally pulverized homes in the area.

On that visit three years ago, I spent time with the local missionary priest, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, the only Catholic parish in Banda Aceh; the church and school buildings suffered heavy structural damages. Before the tsunami, there were 400 parishioners; when I was there just after that, there were but 50.

Providing for the future -- especially for the Church's service in this area -- clearly became a top priority. That parish, Sacred Heart, is the only Catholic Church presence in Banda Aceh. It became critically important that that presence be maintained.

The Pontifical Mission Societies established a Solidarity Fund for the Church in Southeast Asia, which included the Church in this part of Indonesia, immediately after the tsunami for long-term assistance. It is, in part, to review the good work accomplished by that Fund that I journey tomorrow to Indonesia. I make this return visit also to witness the good that contributions to the Pontifical Mission Societies accomplish in this part of the Developing World.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for reports from Indonesia during this mission visit.

A Day of Memories & Prayers

2008-09-12T16:59:00.008-04:00

It happens every year -- a mix of memories and prayers.

I remember exactly where I was -- as I am sure so many Americans, especially New Yorkers do -- on the morning of September 11, 2001. I was in my office waiting for the arrival of national board members of the Pontifical Mission Societies so that we could begin a morning meeting. A few minutes before the Mass we were to celebrate in our office, the first reports came in. They were sketchy at best, indicating a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings. After Mass was completed, we received word of the second plane; we were literally under siege.

First to consider was the safety of the 30-plus employees of our national office and of our Board members. Transportation eventually resumed, and they headed home. I also journeyed, on foot, to my own residence, at that time a parish very near Ground Zero.

It was on this walk home that the reality of what happened began to confront me. There was no traffic and no honking of horns in Manhattan, only military and police vehicles. Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue, normally very crowded with traffic and people, were almost abandoned.

As I walked down Park Avenue, I encountered a group of police men and women, directing emergency vehicles. They approached me, some of them crying, and asked me to pray with them. We had what looked like a "huddle" in the street, each one trying to find understanding in what had happened and strength in moving ahead. One of them asked me, "Father, tell us something, make some sense of this for us. We can’t handle this." I don’t remember what I said or if I said anything, but my presence as a priest at that moment seemed to help them, and their faith seemed to strengthen me.

As I passed through many layers of security and as I got closer to my residence, I met many more fire officials, police, and military. A number of them approached and asked me to pray for them and for everyone lost at Ground Zero. In the days that followed, I would regularly visit local fire houses and offer prayers for firemen lost and missing.

On one evening, shortly after this tragedy, we had an outdoor prayer service at a local park. More than 300 people participated. We processed to several fire houses as part of this prayer service. At each one, we prayed in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and the firemen came out to join us. It was one of the most powerful community prayer experiences I have ever had.

This past September 11, 2008, I remembered that day seven years ago, as I do every year -- memories and prayers mixed together. At the Mass in our national office on this past Thursday, instead of preaching a homily, those who gathered for the Eucharist sat in silence for a few minutes. I am sure there were prayers for those who died that day, and for the families who still grieve and who still try to come to grips with that devastating loss. There were prayers as well for all who worked to save others on that dark day for New York and for our country. And, there was another prayer that I know I offered -- one for all the missionaries who today and every day try to bring the light of our Lord to the devastation of war and violence, of natural disaster and persecution, throughout the Developing World.

Seeing It Through Faith

2008-08-30T17:40:00.010-04:00

As I write this to you, I am visiting the Missions of Peru. And, as the world once again watches the devastation a hurricane can wrought, I recall my own experience of natural disaster in this South American nation many years ago.

Where do we find appropriate answers at times like these? Where do we find comfort? There is a simple, yet profound answer. We, as believers, look to our faith. It is what nourishes us; it sustains us and, in the worst of times, it allows us to endure. My experience in Peru, during the worst floods in the country's history, certainly offered valuable insight into the overwhelming power of faith.

Back during that 1980s visit here, people were dying, their humble homes being washed away; there was disease and starvation. And yet, there we were, visiting missionaries from my home Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, taking part in a religious procession with hundreds of faithful on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Their faith at work, focused on the real presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, these people were happy and hopeful.

To all who have suffered thus far from Hurricane Gustav, for all who have died and for those who mourn, know that all of us in this "one family in mission" are offering our faith-filled prayers for each one of you. To our brothers and sisters right here at home, in the Gulf States, who just three years after the decimation of Hurricane Katrina are facing similar suffering and devastation, know that the prayers of the people of the Missions are with you as well. Your brothers and sisters in Peru and throughout the Developing World have lived through similar circumstances. And, in addition to their prayers, they offer you their faith-filled example of seeing any event through in faith. May the power of our faith in Jesus, the light and hope of the world, help all who face suffering of any kind this day and in the days to come. Amen.

The World In One Room

2008-08-22T15:03:00.028-04:00

Just yesterday, Africa and Asia were in one room. And it happened right here at the national office.

During the summer months, many visitors from the Missions come to see me. They are here in our country speaking in U.S. parishes about the Church's work among the poor and suffering of the Developing World. Others stop by to be interviewed by staff at the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Both things happened on Thursday, August 21.

Around mid-morning, Bishop Antony Pappusamy of Dindigul, India, stopped by, accompanied by Father Michael Arputhan, a priest from his Catholic diocese in India who happens to be serving here in the United States at St. Mary's parish on Staten Island, New York. Bishop Pappusamy told me about his relatively new diocese, established just five years ago this November. Catholics there number about 105,000, about six percent of the total population. There are 63 local priests working alongside another 59 missionary priests. In the local seminary, 92 young men are preparing for the priesthood. And there are 173 Religious Sisters who are serving among their own people.

Bishop Pappusamy, whom I had met on a recent mission pastoral visit to India, stressed his emphasis on education. "Most in my diocese are poor farmers, and they cannot afford an education for their children," he explained. There is so far a school for 500 girl students, who will each receive a free education. One is being planned for boys as well.

As we gathered for our daily noon Mass in the national office, Bishop Pappusamy connected the words of the Gospel to the work of his diocese. "Like those who went into the byroads in today's Gospel, we too invite all in to the Church," he said. "We pray for those who don't yet know our Lord and reach out to them." Toward that end, he spoke of the 60 lay people who go to the Hindu villages and speak of Christ to families.

Concelebrating at that Mass as well was Salesian missionary Father John Thompson, who was home for a brief time before returning to his missionary work in Nigeria. He had come to the national office for an interview that will be featured in the next MISSION magazine. Before Nigeria, Father Thompson served as a missionary, for 16 years, in Sierra Leone and Liberia, during the civil war that claimed the lives of thousands in those African nations. "It's challenging," he said of his war-time service. "You must keep hatred out of the picture. You must love always the person, no matter the actions, and reach out with God's love to all."

It was quite an amazing morning and early afternoon -- like seeing the world without ever leaving one room.

Photo above, from left to right, national office staff missiologist Maryknoll Father John Gorski, Father Michael Arputham, Monsignor John Kozar, Bishop Anthony Pappusamy and Salesian Father John Thompson.

Priceless Souvenirs

2008-08-14T11:55:00.019-04:00

On trips we make, we inevitably return with a remembrance of our experiences. Well the souvenirs I'll bring back from Ecuador, after this week there of participating in the third Missionary Congress for the Americas (CAM), won't take up any room in my suitcase, but they have increased to overflowing my continued enthusiasm for the Lord's urgent mission in our world.

You may remember two weeks ago when I wrote about this weeklong gathering in Quito, Ecuador. This missionary congress continues to reflect the late Pope John Paul's vision of "one America." CAM represents an invitation by the Universal Church to come together as a continental church to focus on our mission history, as well as our mission awareness and mission needs.

The opening Mass -- attended by some 16,000 people -- was truly an emotional experience. The remains of St. Therese of Lisieux, co-patron with St. Francis Xavier, of the Church's worldwide missionary work, were part of the procession. They were raised with reverence at several points. I remember thinking of what a blessed example of missionary zeal we have in St. Therese. Daily, she offered her prayers and her sufferings for the work of missionaries. She herself wanted to be a missionary, but her frail health -- she died at the age of 24 -- forced her to stay at home, in the carmel of Lisieux, and be a missionary through her prayers and sacrifices. There's something to bring back, an increased emphasis on the model for all of us found in St. Therese. We can be missionaries not in spite of our challenges but sometimes through them, because of them.

A missionary witness

of prayer

and sacrifice.

Faith and love.

Hope.

Priceless souvenirs,

indeed.

A number of the delegation representing the United States at CAM are directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies in their home dioceses. Two who shared their thoughts with me were Father Bill Holoubek of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Father Patrick Posey of Arlington, Virginia.

For Father Holoubek, his "souvenir" is the witness to our faith he saw in the words and actions of the family he has been living with during the meeting. (Delegates may choose to lodge at a hotel, or they may opt to live with families who open up their homes to meeting participants.) "Their love for Jesus is so simply put into action in their lives," Father Holoubek told me. "It's reflected in their prayers, and in the tender way they speak of Him. To see the power of the Lord's love in the life of this family is a profound gift."

Father Posey can't wait to bring back something from his Ecuador experience to Arlington, he told me -- and that "something" is hope. "The young people here have been amazing," he said. "They've been directing us to the right places, always ready to answer a question. Pope Benedict XVI talked about hope on his journey to the United States. I've seen that hope here, among the youth in Latin America."

A missionary witness of prayer and sacrifice. Faith and love. Hope. Priceless souvenirs, indeed.

Four Million Listeners -- and Counting!

2008-08-08T18:52:00.010-04:00

I'm going back to the beginning -- to the first blog published on themissionreport.org, that is.

In that commentary, I mentioned that we had just launched during the May meeting of the Catholic Press Association and Catholic Academy of Communications Arts Professionals our new series of audio messages, Mission Lessons, for use on radio (including Internet and satellite), as well as for podcasting. These "moments from the Missions that teach and inspire" are reflections on my own pastoral visits to the Missions -- on the life-giving service of priests, Religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay catechists -- and on what I've heard and learned from missionaries throughout the years. These 60-second spots then relate those experiences to the "lessons" they hold for our everyday lives.

These spots continue the legacy of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, from 1950 to 1966. Archbishop Sheen masterfully used the media to proclaim the "Good News" of Jesus and the teachings of the Church. It is most fitting that we return to our roots here, while utilizing the technology in this area available to us today. In 1930, Archbishop Sheen started a weekly national radio broadcast, The Catholic Hour. Two decades later that program had an estimated audience in the millions.

Media professionals who were present at that spring meeting were supportive and affirming of our efforts in this area, and we were then most excited about the possibilities.

Well, the results are in -- and they have surpassed our expectations. The report on the release of the first 10 Mission Lessons indicates that 85% of Catholic stations are airing them, reaching a potential Catholic audience of four million! We're on the air from KBLE station in Seattle, Washington to WISP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and countless others in between. We're in cities, big and small. We're being broadcast in four of the five top radio markets -- New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas / Fort Worth. All the major national Catholic radio networks -- EWTN, Ave Maria, Relevant and The Catholic Channel -- have been broadcasting these radio messages. And regional networks, like Guadalupe Radio, Immaculate Heart Radio, and Radio Maria have also provided their listeners with the opportunity to learn more about the Missions and the Pontifical Mission Societies -- not to mention to discover the lessons life in the Missions holds for our everyday lives.

A big "thank you" is sent to Sherry Kennedy Brownrigg of the Kennedy Brownrigg Group is the producer / distributor of our spots. A true professional who brings the best to the project, she also draws the best out of all involved. Her guiding hand and sound advice, supported by her years of experience in the audiovisual media, made our venture into radio a most successful one, and one that helped us live up to the legacy of a master communicator in our history, Archbishop Sheen. Our gratitude as well to our friends at Instructional Television of the Archdiocese of New York, where we have recorded the first three sets of these radio messages, 30 in all. And above all our profound appreciation to radio stations and networks who embraced our message and, in so doing, embraced the world's Missions as well.

The second set of 10 Mission Lessons will be distributed in September, and the final group of 10 for the year will be released this December. And this fall, around mid-September, we'll be publishing bookmark versions of these "moments from the Missions that teach and inspire" that you can download free on our web site at www.iamamissionary.org. All our audio messages are there for free download as well. Keep "tuning in" -- online and on the air!

2008-07-31T08:55:00.002-04:00

A Meeting to Celebrate

Sometimes business meetings can be long and time-consuming, no matter how productive the decisions and discussions are during them. The meeting I'll be attending next month in Quito, Ecuador, will be long - six days long, in fact - but the outcome will certainly be a blessing, most especially for the Missions.

That August gathering - the third Missionary Congress for the Americas (CAM) to take place since 1999 - continues to reflect the late Pope John Paul's vision of "one America." CAM represents an invitation by the Universal Church to come together as a continental church to focus on our mission history, as well as our mission awareness and mission needs. Having been a participant at all three continent-wide gatherings, I can assure you that this presents wonderful opportunities for comparing and sharing.

The delegates from the various countries in North, Central and South America have distinguished themselves as missionaries, as animators of the faith in home countries or mission countries, or as formators in seminaries, Religious Congregations. They are lay people, priests, Religious, Bishops.

The delegation from the United States mirrors the missionary and immigrant fabric of the United States - the same tapestry that seemed to delight Pope Benedict XVI during his recent visit to our country. With those in attendance from our country will be several diocesan directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies. You can learn more about CAM 3 at a special web site.

Know that at the closing Liturgy on August 17, during which missionaries will be sent, with the blessing of all those in attendance, I will be holding in prayer all who, in prayer and sacrifice, are missionaries from the Americas each and every day.

Thinking Fall

2008-07-25T09:41:00.003-04:00

I like the cool - even cold weather. Just ask anyone in our national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies and they'll tell you how I never mind if the air conditioner is cranking.

As the summer heats up - the weather was brutally hot this past weekend here in New York - I cannot help but think of the fall, not only for its cooler temperatures but also for the celebration of World Mission Sunday.

Perhaps already this summer, you have heard a talk given at Mass in your parish by a missionary. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of four Pontifical Mission Societies, coordinates a program, the Missionary Cooperation Plan, which enables these parish presentations. The Plan started in the 1930s as a way for U.S. missionary communities to raise awareness of their work and the Church's worldwide mission, as well as to encourage vocations and gather support. Today presenters also include persons from the Developing World, living witnesses to the good that you accomplish with your gifts to the Pontifical Mission Societies.

These visits also allow a glimpse of the Missions today, and help us to prepare our hearts and minds for World Mission Sunday, when the whole world unites in recommitment to our common vocation to be missionaries. This responsibility to share our faith, given to us at Baptism, begins here at home, and extends to the furthest corners of the globe, where missionaries you meet and hear this summer offer witness to the healing, saving love of Jesus. As our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI says in his message for WMS this year (October 19): "Today there are countless people who are waiting for the proclamation of the Gospel, those who are thirsting for hope and love." On World Mission Sunday, we have the opportunity to be part of the mission story today, helping to make sure, through our prayers and sacrifices, that they discover the source of all hope and love - the Lord Jesus Himself.

So as you listen to missionaries in the heat of this summer, think fall. There's a cool celebration waiting for you this and every October.

Just Like a Family

2008-07-17T13:47:00.014-04:00

A family. That's what I experienced at Jardin de Maria Girls' Center in Ngombo, Sri Lanka, on a visit there earlier this month.

This center, just a year old, is home to 25 young girls, aged five to 14, all of whom were orphaned by the tsunami that devastated this Asian nation in December 2004. In fact, contributions to the Southeast Asia Solidarity Fund helped to build this orphanage, and continue to support its loving service to these children.

Missionary Sisters from the Philippines staff the center, caring for these girls as mothers would. They cook and do laundry, and the children also help with the chores. They teach them English and other subjects. Above all, they offer these youngsters unconditional love, telling them also of the great love that Jesus has for each one of them. Their loving service and this message is a stabilizing force in their lives, especially after the fear and confusion that followed the tsunami.

One of the Sisters told me that they have seen the transformation in these girls. "They have found comfort and hope with us and one another," this Sister said. "They have become a family."

As I returned to the United States in mid-July, I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving for each of you in this "one family in mission," grateful for your prayers and your support of the poor of the Missions. May the Lord bless you for your generous missionary hearts!

Lessons from the Missions

2008-07-11T16:44:00.006-04:00

Just before I began this missionary journey to Asia - one that will be completed on Monday, July 14 - I recorded more "Mission Lessons," radio messages from the Pontifical Mission Societies that "teach and inspire." Well the days I spent in Sri Lanka this past week certainly provided me with many more such teachable moments. Here are just a few sample lessons.

To start there were the overwhelming encounters with joy - contagious joy, in fact. The Religious Sisters I met reflected boundless joy in their work with children in orphanages and schools, and in their service at Church-run clinics. I witnessed that joy as well in their visits to poor families. These local Religious revealed the peace and hope of our Lord just by their presence.

The next lesson was in humbling gratitude. I returned to the homes of families who had survived the tsunami. I had met these mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, and children on my last visit in 2006. There were Buddhist and Catholic families. How grateful they remain to the local parish priest there for helping them after the devastation of that tsunami. The priest and his parish team provided material help, as they were able, but, above all, they comforted them in their suffering, meeting their pain with the loving heart of our Lord.

In the end, my greatest lesson - as it always is - was about love. The message of love - from those families, from children at the orphanage, from the poor I met throughout Sri Lanka - is more profound and more penetrating than what I could ever hope to share with them. In many cases, it is a love born from a deep faith in Jesus - a faith that unites us all in this "one family in mission."

As I prepare to return home - with many memories captured in photographs and stories - I offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the great "teachers" I met on this visit to the Missions.

Checking on Family Around the Fourth

2008-07-03T12:50:00.008-04:00

With the Fourth of July tomorrow, many are planning gatherings that will involve family. Well count me in on that, but I'm seeing family - yours and mine - in Asia.

As you read this, I'm on a flight headed to Asia, where I'll visit our mission family in Sri Lanka. My last visit there was in February 2006 where I visited many places that had been devastated by tsunami of December 2004.

I remember spending time with Father Charles at his parish. The first wave of the tsunami hit his church during the distribution of Communion. His first thought, he told me then, was, "This is the end of the world." Immediately water engulfed all of the church, and he started to literally fish out bodies and take the injured up a flight of stairs to a second story. Just 15 minutes later, a second wave hit. In all 24 people died in that parish church.

After Father Charles told me that story, the very next thing we did together was to celebrate Mass in that same church. We prayed for all who had lost their lives that day, and we prayed as well for the families who were then, and probably still are today, grieving.

Another visual site for me from that early 2006 visit was to be in the exact area in Galle that had been shown on television hundreds of times, where buses were floating and being impelled against buildings almost like toy vehicles. I stood there in that place, now once again bustling with activity, and tried to imagine the power of that tsunami; in some ways it was unfathomable for me.

If the tsunami wave was powerful, even more powerful was the loving response of the Church through priests, Religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay catechists immediately after it. All sprung into action, reaching out to the suffering, helping with those who were injured, comforting the grieving.

No more was this loving care expressed than to the orphans of this natural disaster. I visited a number of orphanages on my 2006 visit, and I'll be visiting these sites again on this mission trip. At each stop, I witnessed the loving care given to these little ones by the Sisters - care supported by the contributions of our young people to the Holy Childhood Association. I was most struck as well by the great joy of the children themselves. Ripped from their families by the giant wave of the tsunami they had found a new family, here among the Sisters at the orphanage.

I'm looking forward to seeing the little ones in the family - your mission family, too. As you celebrate the Fourth of July here at home with family and friends, know that there are many in your family not with you in presence but always with you in prayer - grateful prayer for your loving prayers and support through the Pontifical Mission Societies. Stay tuned next week for more on my "family reunion" in Asia.

Five Thousand Words

2008-06-20T15:59:00.018-04:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Then today's blog entry will be five thousand words -- plus a bit more.

Our sister-director in the Pontifical Mission Societies in New York -- Sister Pauline Chirchirillo, PBVM -- has returned from Africa. I spoke with her just this morning, and she was still filled with the joy of the "Good News" she witnessed there.

She related her visit to St. Dominic's Major Seminary (below), where she met young men whose studies are supported by Catholics here at home and throughout the world by the Society of St. Peter Apostle, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies.

She spent time with mothers and their children at a rural health clinic (below).

There was also lots of time with children, in projects supported by the Holy Childhood Association (below). That's the Pontifical Mission Society that helps children realize that they are missionaries right here today -- through their prayers and their help.

And there was a visit as well to young women in that African nation (below) who are preparing to serve as Religious Sisters among their own people.

There's so many more "words" to "show" from Sister Pauline's journey -- and she'll be coming to our national office next week to talk about her trip. We'll also be publishing more words and pictures, as well as videos from her time in Zambia. Stay tuned!

'Good News' from Africa

2008-06-16T12:23:00.000-04:00

Let's talk about Africa. On the one hand, it is a continent of great suffering. And yet, there is "Good News" from Africa -- from the Church there.

The Church in Africa, although extremely poor and lacking basic rights, resources and opportunities, has nonetheless thrived in growing its faith in Christ. In the midst of persecution, civil war, oppression, natural disasters, extreme poverty, and the HIV / AIDS pandemic, the faith shines brightly.

Sister Pauline Chirchirillo, PBVM, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of New York, has been an eyewitness to the truth of that statement. Just today, she wrote this message to me as she continues her mission visit to Zambia:

"Today I had the joy of meeting the first Zambian finally professed as a Presentation Sister, a member of my Religious Community. The Church is very much alive in Zambia, and vocations are numerous."

Sister Pauline's message to me also included the "good news" related to the family of supporters of the Pontifical Mission Societies. She saw firsthand in just three days in Zambia all that is helped with contributions to these Societies. Here's her testimony:

"I visited several places funded by the gifts of young people to the Holy Childhood Association. It is wonderful to see orphans, as well as physically challenged children receive such excellent, loving care. They are so very, very happy.

"I saw minor and major seminaries, and novitiates / convents funded by the Society of St. Peter Apostle. I am more convinced than ever of the importance of the Summer appeal to our donors for support of this particular Pontifical Mission Society.

"At the Catholic television and radio stations in this country, I discovered that so much of the construction, supplies and ongoing maintenance was made possible by contributions from Catholics to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith."

After reading Sister Pauline's e-mail to me, I said a prayer of thanks for the "Good News" from Africa -- and for the loyal support from the "one family in mission" here at home and throughout the world for the Church throughout Africa, as well as Asia, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America.

A Faith-Filled Friday the 13th

2008-06-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

We've all heard the phrase "Friday the 13th" uttered with a hint of impending doom, or at the very least, bad luck.

Well, I've never espoused that notion -- and once again, the great faith of the Missions confirmed my instincts in that regard.

The proof positive came as I was uplifted and inspired by more from our New York director, Sister Pauline Chirchirillo, PBVM, as she continues her visit to Zambia. Here's what she wrote to me, on Friday the 13th of June.

"Today is Friday the 13th and it has been a most wonderful day. We went to a village in the bush called Makunka; the name of the parish there, Holy Childhood, and it is funded by the Holy Childhood Association (HCA). They also have a clinic for the children in nearby villages. I felt like Queen Elizabeth! The women and children from the surrounding villages came to greet me and thank me for the work and money given to them by young people through HCA in the United States. They did a beautiful song and dance welcoming me, and then one to say goodbye in which I joined by dancing with them! It took us two and a half hours to get to that village which was only 35 miles away! After that we visited one of the women and we saw the hut she lives in, the little houses in which the chickens are kept, and her garden. On the way back to the car, there were about 15 cows that came running towards us to go to the lake to get a drink of water.

"Father Bernard (our host, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Zambia) and the Presentation Sisters in Livingstone have been just wonderful, accommodating me in every way. Tomorrow morning we will be leaving at 8 for an eight-hour drive back to Lusaka. Yesterday morning we took a break from work for an experience of a lifetime -- a visit to Victoria Falls. It was absolutely beautiful, and we got so wet despite the fact that we were wearing rain ponchos. We looked like we fell in the river! That's all for now. Love to everyone."

Sister Pauline's commentary filled me with great gratitude -- to all who work in diocesan mission offices to tell such stories of hope and faith found in the Developing World, and to all who support, in prayer and sacrifice, the work of the Pontifical Mission Societies around the world. Stay tuned -- more inspiring, faith-filled Fridays are surely in store, no matter the date.

Out of Africa

2008-06-09T15:14:00.000-04:00

Within a week of the launch of this "mission blog," I already have a firsthand report to share with you - straight out of Africa.

Our director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Archdiocese of New York, Sister Pauline Chirchirillo, PBVM (shown here with me after our spring board meeting) is right now in Zambia, a country in southern Africa.

Zambia is a country of orphans and a place of extreme poverty. In four decades of independence, Zambia has found peace, but not prosperity. Some two-thirds of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. The economic challenges have been compounded by one of the world's most devastating HIV / AIDS epidemics. Zambia is one of the seven hardest-hit countries in that regard on that African continent: one in every six adults is living with HIV; some one million children are AIDS orphans. Worse, the number is expected to rise.

But there is hope amidst the suffering and poverty -- through the service of local priess, Religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay catechists who, in word and witness, help the poor and suffering come to know the "Good News" of God's great love for each one of us. That message is surely heard by orphan-residents of the Home of Joy in Lusaka, Zambia (see photographs above).

Sister Pauline arrived in Zambia on Thursday, June 5; we learned of her safe journey to Africa from her host and the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Zambia, Father Bernard Makadani.

Just one hour ago, I received this e-mail message from Sister Pauline:

"Greetings from the heart of Africa. To date this has been a very delightful, informative visit. I have visited schools, orphanages and hospitals, all receiving help from the Holy Childhood Association.

"I went also to the minor and major seminaries, radio and video studios, and the new diocesan center; these are funded by two other Pontifical Mission Societies, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Society of St. Peter Apostle. I also met and spoke with Sister-novices.

"It has been wonderful staying with the PBVMs, my Religious Community. There are missionary Sisters from Ireland, New Zealand, India and England. I have met other Religious from many different missionary communities and Zambian ones as well.

"Today I had dinner with the Bishop of Monze, Bishop Emilio Patriarca, a delightful, humble man.

"There is so much more to tell...it will have to wait until the next time."

As she closed her message, she wrote also of photographs and video footage to come from her visit. Stay tuned for more on Sister Pauline's time in Africa - a journey you are much a part of, through your prayers and support.

A Meeting for Inspiration

2008-06-04T13:49:00.002-04:00

Prayerful greetings and welcome to the first posting on this "mission blog"!

As national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, I hope to share thoughts with you from my own visits to the Developing World - Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands and Latin America - as well as reports on the work carried out in Catholic dioceses throughout the United States to help encourage prayer and support of the Church's missionary work throughout the world.

This first message is about a meeting I attended in Toronto, just last week - and the inspiration it offered as we continue to remind baptized Catholics that we're all missionaries.

Members of the Catholic Press Association - the Pontifical Mission Societies included in that group - along with members of the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals gathered in that Canadian city for the annual Catholic Media Convention. We attended workshops and plenary sessions, shared meals and ideas on communication - no matter the medium - and, above all, gathered for daily Mass, receiving the nourishment to communicate the Word.

The Pontifical Mission Societies presented our own awards to Catholic magazines, newspapers and general publishers for excellence in promoting the worldwide mission of the Church. We also launched our new series of audio messages, Mission Lessons, for use on radio (including Internet and satellite), as well as for podcasting. These "moments from the Missions that teach and inspire" are reflections on my own pastoral visits to the Missions - on the life-giving service of priests, Religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay catechists - and on what I've heard and learned from missionaries throughout the years. These 60-second spots then relate those experiences to the "lessons" they hold for our everyday lives. Media professionals were supportive and affirming of our efforts in this area, and we're excited about the possibilities here.

For me, during each of those days in Canada, I could not help but think of someone so connected with both the Church's worldwide mission and the world of communications - the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Once national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Archbishop Sheen masterfully used the media to proclaim the "Good News" of Jesus and the teachings of the Church. Today, with the support and assistance of media professionals, we continue Archbishop Sheen's legacy. The time in Toronto told me that we are certainly on the right track - and even inspired the start of this blog. Stay tuned as I, with help from members of our "one family in mission" here at home and throughout the world, share the mission story and invite you to be a part of it.