Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Essen (Agenzia Fides) - The idea of opening an Office for the coordinate and provide information on the activity of the country's Fidei donum sent on mission to Latin America and Caribbean came to the Catholic Bishops of Germany in 1973. Bishop Emil Stehle, the then President of the council of administration of the Bishops' Conference charity agency for Latin America Adveniat, suggested building a network to facilitate communication with and among German speaking Fidei donum priests spread all over Latin America. Since then the coordination Office has prepared the priests for their missionary endeavour and kept contact with them until their mission service ends.
Special meetings are held at Adveniat headquarters in Essen (Germany), to prepare diocesan priests who will leave the country to serve in other dioceses. During these meetings the Fidei donum priests are informed of the legal aspects, needs and particular challenges of the respective countries to which they are sent, as well as information with regard to the territory and the climate and security conditions. While on mission they receive news and information, magazines, letters, circular letters. The main purpose is not so much to offer help as to offer fidei donum missionaries the means of helping themselves: this is why regional networks were established in Latin America to organise regular meetings the most important being a meeting for all German fidei donum missionaries in Latin America.
According to Adveniat information, the total number of fidei donum priests sent from German diocese on mission to Latin America is 140. The Catholic Missionary Council of Germany gives the figures of German Fidei donum missionaries around the world: 26 in Africa, 5 in Asia and 4 in Eastern European countries. This means that all together 175 fidei donum missionary priests come from German dioceses. To these must be added 88 lay missionaries, including many members of associations, organisations and movements connected the religious orders and institutes. (MS) (Agenzia Fides 5/10/2007; righe 24, parole 319)
