Agenzia Fides

Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) - About 500 people attended the vigil of prayer at the Shrine of Jasna Góra, in Poland, for the evangelization of the world (see Fides 30/11/2012), which was held on December 1. Thousands of people, including the sick, were able to join in this prayer through radio and television.
According to information sent to Fides Agency, during the appeal of Jasna Góra, Mgr. Tomas Atlas, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Poland, in response to the Holy Father's request for an intense prayer for the mission during the Year of Faith, prayed in order to obtain renewed zeal and a greater commitment in the Christian proclamation of the Good News in the contemporary world. He also underlined the need to support, materially and spiritually, our brothers and sisters in mission countries, so that they can get to know Jesus Christ, strengthen their faith and develop a local Church.
His Exc. Mgr. Zygmunt Zimowski, President of the Pontifical Council for the Health Pastoral Care, presided at the midnight Mass. In his homily he stressed the value of suffering in the life of the Church, especially for missionary service: "I was happy to learn that the sick and disabled were invited to participate in the vigil." He also noted that they constitute a particularly creative missionary activity of the Church.
The prayer for the evangelization of the world was accompanied by the testimonies of missionaries from different continents. The Vigil ended with the solemn act of entrustment of the missionary work of the Church to Our Lady of Jasna Góra. The Prayer Vigil in Jasna Gora, organized by the Pontifical Missionary Union on the occasion of the feast of St. Francis Xavier, started 22 years ago. For the first time group members of the Living Rosary and the sick participated in this year's event. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 06/12/2012)