AMERICA/PERU - Pontifical Mission Societies and the National Office for Catholic Education join forces for missionary formation in the country's schools

Tuesday, 9 December 2025 pontifical mission societies formation education publishing house religion

PERU

2025-12-09
Pontifical Mission Societies and the National Office for Catholic Education join forces for missionary formation in the country's schools

2025-11-06
Over 600 participants at the First National Congress of the Union of the Sick and Elderly Missionaries

2025-11-04
Appointment of bishop vicar apostolic coadjutor of San Ramón

2025-10-16
Amazon Water Summit of the Catholic Church: “We Are Water, We Are Life, We Are Hope”

2025-07-25
The faithful of Chiclayo celebrate with Primate Castillo the Conclave document that elected Pope Leo XIV

2025-07-15
The Argentine Church's missionary contribution in the Peruvian Amazon

Lima (Agenzia Fides) – The new didactic and pastoral teaching materials, presented on Wednesday, December 3, the Feast of Saint Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of the Missions, in the auditorium of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference by the National Office for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Peru, are intended to enrich Catholic religious education and foster a missionary vocation among students throughout the country. Representatives from various educational institutions, including school principals, teachers, pastoral coordinators, and members of institutions that actively participated in the conception and implementation of these materials, attended the presentation. Father José Hipólito Purizaca S., National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Peru, explained the educational, pastoral, and evangelizing importance of these new materials and how they were designed to integrate the missionary dimension into religious education in schools and meet the educational needs of all three levels of schooling. “These texts will not only enable students to understand what the Pontifical Mission Societies are, but also to experience the mission in their daily lives,”
Father Hipólito stressed, adding that they include suggestions for meaningful activities and well-structured educational proposals, all written in clear and understandable language. “Mission is at the heart of the Church, and schools are a privileged place to awaken, nurture, and guide the missionary vocation of children and young people,” explained Father Hipólito, who also noted that the texts have been included in the National Library of Peru, a gesture that recognizes their educational and pastoral value and represents a response to the appeal of the Church and Pope Leo XIV, who lived as a missionary in Peru for many years before his election as Bishop of Rome. The Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies also explained that the Peruvian education system is currently undergoing a curriculum renewal aimed at cultivating students who are compassionate, fraternal, and responsible. These materials, which aim to strengthen religious education from a holistic, human, and spiritual perspective, should be seen in this context. “Mission is not just a matter of information. It is an essential part of the life of the Church. We are all called to live it, both within and outside the Church,” added Father Richard Santos Caycho, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Education, Culture, and Cultural Heritage. Alfredo León Sánchez, Director of the National Office for Catholic Education, emphasized the importance of synergistic collaboration with the Pontifical Mission Societies and named the four pillars that support missionary work: collaboration, animation, formation, and spirituality. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 9/12/2025)