VATICAN - Through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, may be this land of bountiful missionary harvest Cardinal Sepe said during Mass for Evangelisation in Bangkok

Friday, 3 December 2004

Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Dear Brothers and Sisters, this celebration of the Feast of St. Francis Xavier becomes a fitting moment to deepen your religious vocation in its triple dimension of consecration, communion and mission” said Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples when he addressed missionaries and men and women religious in Thailand who took part in the Mass for Evangelisation celebrated by the Missionary Prefect at St Louis Catholic Church in Bangkok, yesterday afternoon, 2 December, the vigil of the feast of the Patrons of the Missions.
After thanking God for the gift of this great Saint, a model for missionaries, Cardinal Sepe voiced gratitude to those present from different congregations and institutes for their work: “As missionaries you are a vital part of the ecclesial community in Thailand…The Congregation of Propaganda Fide greatly appreciates the contributions made by the Religious Institutes, whether local or international, in the area of evangelisation”. The Cardinal also thanked groups of lay people and catechists who render a unique service, absolutely necessary for the spread of the Gospel, especially in mission stations.
The Missionary Prefect encouraged all to continue the mission Christ entrusted to His Church, to announce God’s plan for the salvation of all peoples. “the primary object of our proclamation is Christ,” the Cardinal said urging those present to bear witness of authentic Christian life, the first and irreplaceable form of mission. The Cardinal ended his homily with these words: “Through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions, let us pray in this Eucharistic Celebration for a new commitment to the mission of Christ so that this Nation may be the land of bountiful harvest in this new Millennium.”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 3/12/2004; righe 22; parole 282)


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