Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Havana (Agenzia Fides) - The Pontifical Mission Societies in Cuba will celebrate Mission Sunday on 21 October on the theme of Pope Benedict XVI Mission Sunday Message 2007, "All the Churches for all the world", said PMS national director Fr. Raúl Rodríguez who told Fides that on 28 October in Rome there will be the beatification in Rome of Cuba's first Blessed, Augustinian Fr José López Piteira.
To accompany pastoral and missionary initiatives all over the country, the PMS national office published a CD with the Pope's Message and suggestions of the celebration of Mission Sunday with Holy Childhood members to help children realise that October is the month of Mission Sunday, a month to pray and make little sacrifices to help more people know Jesus. The material includes two themes for formation and catechesis for children who have made their First Holy Communion and is an opportunity to discover the universal nature of the Christian faith and life. The aim of the catechesis is to help children live Mission Sunday and encourage them to take part in missionary activities at school or in the community. The CD contains the script of a play for children to perform on the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux and suggestions for the celebration of Mass on Sunday 21 October, and a schema for Holy Hour during the third week of October. It also includes a report on special collections on Mission Sundays from 2001 to 2005, and the collections in 2006 in Cuba's 11 dioceses.
The PMS Cuba encourage parish mission groups to organise in October small mission exhibitions with photographs and testimony of missionaries and handcraft objects made in small communities and villages. The PMS encourage concrete prayers for special intentions for each week in October: week 1 for children and adolescents members of Holy Childhood Mission Society and their leaders that Christians communities may live their mission commitment with joy and generosity; week 2 during which 7 October was National Seminary Day- prayers for priestly vocations; week 3 the Church in Cuba celebrates 20 years of health pastoral care, sick people are encouraged to live sickness in a spirit of mission; week 4, Mission Sunday, prayers that communities may live the faith in a missionary spirit of self-giving; last week in October, beatification of Cuban, Brother José López Piteira, who died a martyr at the age of 23, prayers that young Christians may live the faith with missionary commitment and generosity.
Moreover this year for the first time, Holy Childhood Society Cuba is taking part in and after school prayer campaign on 18 October "One million children pray for unity and peace in the world ". Finally PMS Cuba will join the PMS French initiative of a 'prayer around the world' from 9-10am on Mission Sunday. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2007; righe 43, parole 626)
