Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Fides Service) - Diocesan directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies are “called to be the chief agents of missionary animation and cooperation”, a task which “the Church entrusts to you as a special mandate which comes from Christ and sets you at the heart of ecclesial life ”: said Fr. Jairo Calderón Benavides, PMS national director in Argentina, in his welcoming address at the National Meeting for diocesan PMS Directors.
Fr. Calderón reported that the meeting held 7 and 8 March was attended by Bishop José Vicente Conejero of Formosa, president of the Argentinean Bishops commission for missions and 44 diocesan directors in charge of mission animation in the dioceses whose work is to encourage communities to be more aware and active with regard to the duty of sharing in the universal mission of the Church.
At the meeting Mgr. Luis Heriberto Rivas spoke about “Discipleship in the New Testament” in preparation for the American Mission Congress (CAM 3) in 2008 in Ecuador. Then the national secretaries of the PMS delivered reports: Fr. Adrián Santarello of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith spoke of commitment to forming young missionaries and giving new impulse to missionary youth as a service of evangelisation by youth for youth. Sr. Susana Aguilar of the national Holy Childhood office asked the directors to increase mission awareness among children. The secretary of St Peter Apostle Society said the month of May will be devoted to this Society to encourage animation, prayer, economic support and study grants for local vocations. The first Sunday of May will be St Peter Apostle Society Day. The Meeting closed with Mass presided by Bishop Conejero who in his homily called for ever greater missionary animation “to help our missionary Churches grow in missionary spirit”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 27/3/2006 - Righe 26, parole 334)
