Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Fides Service) - “I think Mission Sunday this year will help us understand the authentic sense of mission and certainly lead many in different walks of life to do their best to make their life a mission” said Archbishop Francisco Perez, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies PMS in Spain, in a letter for DOMUND, World Mission Sunday on 23 October with the theme chosen by Pope John Paul II “Mission: Bread broken for the world”. Archbishop Perez recalled that “ mission is essential in the life of the Church because it nourishes and fortifies her” and that the Eucharist is the highest expression of mission “because its aim is to offer Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind”.
Cardinal Carlos Amigo Vallejo, archbishop of Seville, said in a pastoral letter for the day, “humanity continues to call for bread to satisfy hunger and so much need. Men and women from different worrying situations call for help necessary for life. And our only answer is to share the Bread with which we nourish ourselves: the bread of the Word of Christ and the Bread of the Eucharist”. “The Church - the Cardinal said - has no other reason for existing that the missionary mandate to carry Christ to humanity”. Therefore the missionary, besides offering the bread of help for a dignified life, must also offer the Bread of the proclamation of Christ, his most precious and most loved possession, the Eucharist.
PMS Spain will celebrate World Mission Sunday with various initiatives in view of which material has been distributed to dioceses and parishes. Numerous dioceses will hold “Light Vigils” to pray for missionaries all over the world. The Missions Delegation of Badajoz diocese organised a Missionary Meeting 8 October with the slogan “the joy of sharing the Bread”, with testimony from a number of missionaries. Saragozza mission delegation organised meetings called “Mission and Contemplation” for the fourth year running. Following indications in the Encyclical “Redemptoris Missio”, which states “prayer must accompany the path of missionaries so the proclamation of the Word may be made effective by the grace of God” (RM 78), these meetings are held in convents and monasteries to promote prayer as a way of helping the missionary activity of the Church.
Mission Sunday material issued by the PMS Spain includes a pastoral reflection by national PMS director Archbishop Francisco Pérez; a theological reflection by Fr. Anastasio Gil García, Vice director; catechesis, schema for teachers of religion, liturgical schema, a CD, a Video presenting Mission Sunday and a DVD.
According to figures issued by PMS Spain the total number of Spanish missionaries is 17,515 working all over the world mostly in America (71.51%), Africa (14.52%), Europe (8.12%), Asia (5.69%) and Oceania (0.17%). Of these 56.29% are women religious, 34.25% Brothers; 5.15% priests and 4.31% lay people. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 10/10/2005, righe 37, parole 521)
