VATICAN - Growing in faith, also from a vocational perspective: the proposal of Missionary Childhood

Friday, 21 February 2020 pontifical mission societies   missionary animation   children   youth  

Fides

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - What contribution do the many groups and activities of Missionary Childhood and Adolescence make today to awaken the missionary vocation of the youngest? This is the question posed by Sister Roberta Tremarelli, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood (POSI), in the new issue of the POSI Bulletin, which is written in five languages and disseminated in electronic format through the national directions of the Pontifical Mission Societies present on all continents.
"Every man, every woman, every child, has a vocation since birth", writes Sister Roberta in the editorial. "The experience that children and young people live in the proposals of Missionary Childhood and Adolescence can arouse in their hearts the willingness to commit their whole life to the service of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. So that animators, priests, religious women who accompany them will have to live their commitment to animation, formation and missionary cooperation with joy and coherence. And this is because the work began by Christ is to be continued and the Gospel to be announced".
The contribution of Cameroonian Fr. André Marie Djon Limay is dedicated to the biblical roots of the missionary vocation, who underlines, among other things, that "vocation is, by its very nature, missionary", and offers some indications on vocational discernment and on the formation of the missionary conscience of children: the proximity of the accompanying person/guide, attentive listening towards who is being accompanied, familiarity of the guide/acompanying person with the Lord, trust in the one who he accompanies. Particularly significant is the experience told by two catechists of the diocese of Chantaburi, in Thailand, who reflect on the missionary vocation rooted in baptism and on personal commitment, in the light of missionary discipleship and Pope Francis' invitation to renew the missionary commitment of the whole Church.
As always, ample space is dedicated to the "children's voice", reporting experiences and testimonies from Cuba, Kenya, Rwanda, Argentina, Peru. Particularly interesting is the experience of a group of Missionary Childhood and Adolescence in a school for the deaf in Porto Alegre (Brazil), which demonstrates how deaf children can also be missionaries.
Father Hervé Tienou, National Director of the PMS, therefore describes the commitment for missionary animation of children in Mali, which can count on radio and television broadcasts, on the production and dissemination of various documents and aids, on the organization of moments of prayer and collections. What completes this February issue of the Bulletin, is the description of some projects supported by POSI in the different continents and the prayer of Pope Francis for missionary vocation. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 21/2/2020)


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