Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lisbon (Fides Service) - In Portugal 5 November is the 6th Day for Missionary Voluntary Work. The theme this year is “One mission, five continents”. The Day for Missionary Voluntary Work, promoted by the Evangelisation Culture Foundation, NGO for development instituted in 1990 by the Catholic Church in Portugal, is presided by the Patriarch of Lisbon, Cardinal José Policarpo da Cruz, as representative of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference. The culminating event will be the sending of lay missionaries for mission in Brazil, various countries in Africa and East Timor and the welcoming back of lay missionaries at the end of their experience in mission territories.
One significant initiative of the Day is a Missionary March starting from five different points in Lisbon, representing the five continents. As they move along the streets the young participants distribute material explaining who they are, where they are going and why they are going. The five groups will meet Piazza Rossio where the young people will perform a play on the theme of unbalance in the world: “If the world were a village of 200 people”.
This will be followed by Festa Kontáki at the Palazzo Indipendenza with the announcement of the results of a contest Kontáki Letters and Art, another initiative to promote missionary voluntary work through art, prose, poetry and painting. At 7.30 participants will share a pot luck supper. The Day will end with a Missionary Prayer Vigil and testimonials of mission life at the church of St Dominic.
On the occasion of Day for Missionary Voluntary Work 2004 FEC issued a document on the vitality of this activity. The document said for example that 18 years since the sending of the first groups of lay missionaries, thanks to the work of various bodies and institutions, today the Church in Portugal is involved in many missionary projects. In the last 2 years about 2,000 young Catholics offered to go on mission 64% girls (1,262) and 36% young men (704) in Portuguese speaking mission territories to follow Christ in the service of brothers and sisters in need. After this experience 4% of them decided to dedicate their whole life to God as priests or religious. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 4/11/2005, righe 30, parole 402)
