Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) – On Sunday, March 8, the Second Sunday of Lent, the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa organized a Day of Prayer for the Missions of the Church in all the parishes, with collections to help support missionaries and fund missionary projects. The collection of donations took place along with the “Ad gentes” Missionary Society that began in Poland in 2005, as a response to the appeal launched by the Holy Father Benedict XVI.
“The prayer and the collection are our way of helping the missionaries who want to organize projects of evangelization, charity, and education,” Fides was told by Fr. Jacek Gancarek, Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa. “For three years now, all of Poland has been celebrating the “Ad gentes” Day on the Second Sunday of Lent. We, as the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa, should participate in an active way in this beautiful initiative. We should bear witness to the faithful of the missionary necessities and helping our missionaries is an important aspect of the Church's activity and of daily Christian life.”
There are currently 13 priests and 3 lay missionaries of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa working in various countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Cameroon, Zambia, Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Ecuador, Philippines, Tunisia), as well as Eastern Europe (Belarus and the Ukraine). In the parishes of Czestochowa, there are many groups and movements of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Also, in the schools, during religion class they address the missionary theme. The Pontifical Mission Societies in Czestochowa also organize “missionary workshops” during the year, with the main purpose of informing people on the missions. The workshops are attended by priests, religious, catechists, mission group leaders, and all leaders in the Pontifical Mission Societies in the parishes of the Archdiocese. During the workshops, several missionaries give their testimonies, presenting the situation of the missions and the Church's challenges in the area of evangelization. In the Archdiocese of Czestochowa, there are “Missionary Rosary” groups for children and young people in nearly 70 parishes and 50 schools. (MF/SL) (Agenzia Fides 9/3/2009)
