Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Masan (Agenzia Fides) - With a new capillary campaign “With Jesus Christ” to announce the Gospel with door to door mission, Masan diocese is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Festivities opened with a special Mass presided by Bishop Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok, in the presence of apostolic nuncio Archbishop Paul Tscherrig, Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, first bishop of Masan, other bishops and religious and civil authorities and about 17,000 people.
In his homily the Bishop thanked God for the blessings received by the community in Masan, and for the previous bishops who led the diocese in these 40 years. “God has been with us all through these 40 years, helping us to face difficulties. Let us respond to Christ’s love with deep faith. Let us be light and salt for the world”.
In this spirit lay Catholics are undertaking a campaign of evangelisation to tell others about God and the Church. Each Catholic has been invited to carry the news of God’s love to at least one non believer, looking for a person who is sensitive and open to the message and accompanying them on the path to approach God and the Church. In this way every baptised person will be responsible for evangelising another brother and the number of the Catholics in the diocese (about 145,000 in a population of 2 million) could soon double.
The faithful of Masan responded to this call with enthusiasm: a sign that after 40 years of pastoral work, the people of God of the diocese has reached sufficient spiritual maturity to be able to concentrate on mission. First of all to the brother next door but also to mission ad gentes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/11/2006 righe 27 parole 275)
