Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Quito (Agenzia Fides) – The National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Ecuador, once the celebration of the Third American Missionary Congress (CAM 3) ended, began preparing their annual campaign for World Mission Sunday, which will be celebrated this year on October 19, with the theme: “You are God’s voice: Preach.” This was what Agenzia Fides was informed of, by Osvaldo Fierro Teran, Secretary General of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Ecuador. The theme goes with that of CAM 3: “America with Christ: Listens, Learns, and Preaches,” Osvaldo explained, “because once CAM 3 was over, we asked ourselves, ‘And after CAM 3, what can we do?’” and thus, they are doing a “Missionary October” campaign for all Catholics in Ecuador, to “preach” the Good News to all Humanity.
In order to prepare “Missionary October” in all of the Diocesan Churches, parishes, pastoral centers, schools, and high schools, the National Office has issued a pamphlet with an explanation of the history and importance of the Day, a brief biography of Saint Narcissa of Jesus, who will be canonized on October 12, the biography of Saint Paul written by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, a resolution for the Year of St. Paul, a summary as to the religious, social, economic, and cultural reality of each of the 5 continents, the Missionary Rosary, and the official Prayer for the Great Continental Mission. They have also put up several flyers promoting the Day in remote villages, using the local dialect, and have made advertisements on the radio and audiovisual presentation on CAM 3. All of the material is being distributed in the Dioceses of Ecuador and every effort is being made so that they can reach parishes, pastoral centers, schools, and high schools, as well as youth movements and religious congregations. Each Bishop has written a letter to their pastors, chaplains, and school principles, encouraging them to join the DOMUND campaign and to be generous in making a contribution in the special collection.
There are also diocesan activities being organize, including retreats and encounters with a missionary theme, in which several Ecuadorian missionaries (and foreign missionaries) will speak, especially to the youth, about their testimony of missionary life. In the Catholic schools, they hope to organize a series of activities in order to spread awareness among students as to this world reality, and the importance of their collaboration with the missions and being active in preaching the Gospel. They have organized student Missionary Days, with testimonies, explanations of the missionary reality in the world and the support being given to other countries in the world, through the collection on World Mission Sunday.
There is also a special Day being planned through the media. The Catholic Church’s radio stations have placed an “advertisement” promoting Mission Sunday and have promoted various programs of half an hour on the Church’s missionary dimension.
In the Archdiocese of Quito, the team of animators for CAM 3 have decided to continue working for the Missionary Dimension of the Archdiocese of Quito, and one of its most urgent initiatives has been that of the campaign for the Missionary Day throughout the Archdiocese. Thus, they are using the same strategy they used for CAM 3: division of pastoral areas, under the responsibility of a team, which will be in charge of distributing material and programming encounters for animation for the month of the missions. “One of the challenges for this communication is maintaining the spirit of CAM 3 alive in the Archdiocese of Quito, and they have seen that the month of the missions is a good means for achieving this end,” said Osvaldo. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 6/10/2008)
