Agenzia Fides

Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) - As every year, on 3 and 4 December a missiological session and a prayer vigil of the members of the Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU) was held at Jasna Góra. As Fides informs Don Tomasz Atlas, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Poland, more than 260 people - including priests, seminarians (2 from Lithuania and 2 from Belarus), women religious and lay animators - participated in the session whose theme was "Thank you for John Paul II’s missionary spirit". On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the venerable Pauline M. Jaricot (1799-1862), founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the movement of the Living Rosary, the program also includes the theme of her missionary work.
The session began with the Eucharist presided by don Tomasz Atlas, which was followed by a show prepared by the young people who described the life and commitment to the missions carried out by Pauline Jaricot. The participants then listened to Mgr. Roman Sadowski’s report, on the missionary spirituality and example of life of Blessed Pope John Paul II, followed by the contribution on behalf of father Bogdan Michalski, upon the missionary task of Pauline Jaricot finally father Kazimierz Szymczycha, SVD, focused on the concept of John Paul II's interreligious dialogue in the African context.
The vigil began with Jasna Gora’s appeal and the prayer of the Rosary. Participants were able to reflect once again on John Paul II’s missionary teaching, presented by the seminarians of Tarnow. At midnight His Exc. Mgr. Adam Szal, on behalf of the Episcopal Commission for Missions, presided at the Eucharist concelebrated by 40 priests. During the vigil the testimonies of missionaries in Togo, Central African Republic, Paraguay, and the former Yugoslavia were presented. The act of entrusting to the Mother of God of the members of the PMU concluded the prayers which continued until the following morning. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 06/12/2011)