Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Montreal (Agenzia Fides) - With great enthusiasm the French speaking section of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Canada is preparing for World Mission Sunday 22 October. In June heads of missionary pastoral from about thirty French speaking dioceses attended a series of meetings organised by the PMS to reflect on the theme “You will be my witnesses!”.
To help the participants in their reflection Univers magazine issued a special edition containing material for the missionary animation of children and young people, parishes, the sick and housebound, as well as suggestions for Mission Sunday Mass and the “hour of planetary prayer” which Canada has willingly joined for the past five years. A calendar with missionary intentions, hymns and prayers for families and the sick complete the mission animation material prepared for parishes.
National PMS Director for French speaking Canada, Huguette Le Blanc, during a formation meeting dwelt on the message issued by Pope Benedict XVI for this year’s Mission Sunday with the title “Love, the soul of Mission”, mentioning certain parts of the message where God is said to be the first “home” for the human person and only those who live in Him burn with the fire of divine charity which can set fire to the world, Huguette Le Blanc urged parishes to see the material is distributed everywhere. She also recalled the special collection on Mission Sunday for the universal mission.
Fr Bertrand Roy, PME, missiologist and well known speaker, recalled the exemplary figure of Mgr. Gustave Prévost witness for his entire life in China and in Peru of the “fire of divine charity” which burned in his heart. The study session of French speaking PMS also discussed preparations for the 49th International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Quebec in June 2008, and the third American Mission Congress CAM 3 to be held in the same year in Ecuador. The PMS in Canada desire to be closely connected with both these important Church events.
There was great enthusiasm among the participants at the meeting for the new dynamism of the local Holy Childhood Society office, national secretary Véronique Rondeau, presented the programme of missionary animation and the new web site opened by the Society. Meanwhile the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Pontifical Society St Peter Apostle continue to grow continuing their national campaign for the ‘adoption’ of seminarians. These and many other motives for joy and new missionary impulse were remembered at Mass celebrated by Mgr Eugène Tremblay, President of the PMS. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 5/7/2006; righe 34, parole 429)
