According to the information provided by Fides News Service in 2008, 20 men and women lost their lives in pastoral service for the spread of the Gospel. Among these were 16 priests, one Brother, two lay missionaries and Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mossul for Chaldeans (Iraq). The Archbishop was kidnapped after having celebrated the Way of the Cross. As he exited the Church of the Holy Spirit – the same church where, on June 3, 2007 – the parish priest and three deacons had been killed.
“As in early times, today too Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus, did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed him without second thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for him he suffered and died. How timely his example is today!”
Pope Benedict XVI
Learn More…
www.themissionreport.org
www.youtube.com/pmsusa.org
According to the information provided by Fides News Service in 2008, 20 men and women lost their lives in pastoral service for the spread of the Gospel. Among these were 16 priests, one Brother, two lay missionaries and Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mossul for Chaldeans (Iraq). The Archbishop was kidnapped after having celebrated the Way of the Cross. As he exited the Church of the Holy Spirit – the same church where, on June 3, 2007 – the parish priest and three deacons had been killed.
“As in early times, today too Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus, did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed him without second thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for him he suffered and died. How timely his example is today!”
Pope Benedict XVI
Learn More…
www.themissionreport.org
www.youtube.com/pmsusa.org
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Our History
From Pauline’s vision came the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The very first collection of the Propagation of the Faith in 1822 supported the vast diocese of Louisiana, which then extended from the Florida Keys to Canada, as well as the Missions of Kentucky and China.
The Propagation of the Faith continues to seek prayer and sacrifice for the world’s Missions, now some 1,100 dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America. Help is offered for pastoral and evangelizing programs, for catechists and catechetical work, to build churches and chapels, for the work of Religious Communities in health care and education, and for communication and transportation needs.
One day in 1843, now Bishop Forbin-Janson had a talk with Pauline Jaricot about his longtime dream. In the course of the conversation, she suggested that he appeal to the children of France to help children around the world — and the Holy Childhood Association (HCA) was born.
Today, HCA continues to follow the vision of Bishop Forbin-Janson – “children helping children.” After learning about the great needs of the world’s poorest children, young people are invited to pray and to offer financial help so that children in the Missions may know Christ and experience his love and care.
In the first year of its foundation, the Society of St. Peter Apostle aided some 2,700 seminarians. Today, some 28,000 major seminarians, mostly in Asia and Africa, receive an average annual subsidy of $700 per student; assistance is also provided for men and women Religious novices.
This spiritual apostolate continues to address itself today to those called to bring Catholics to a better understanding of their baptismal responsibility for the Church’s missionary work — to priests, Religious seminarians, pastoral leaders, those engaged in catechesis and religious education. In fact, the success of the efforts of the other three mission societies is linked to the vitality of the Missionary Union, because it is through this work that the missionary spirit — a spirit of prayer and generous sacrifice — is developed and nurtured.
These four societies each received the official title of “Pontifical” work in 1922, and their central administration was transferred to Rome. National offices exist now in more than 120 countries. Today, this “family” of mission societies in the Church’s primary means to inform Catholics about her worldwide missionary work and encourage their active participation — through prayer and sacrifice — in those efforts. Almost two centuries after our story began, it continues — a story of all of us together — as “one family in mission” — committed to the worldwide mission of Jesus.