Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Sebastian (Fides Service) - Sunday 18 March is Basque Mission Day promoted by the Spanish dioceses of Bilbao, San Sebastian and Vitoria to increase missionary spirit and commitment, sustain missionaries who work to help disadvantaged people and continue to support missionary commitment taken almost 60 years ago with certain dioceses in Angola and Ecuador.
This year’s theme is "With the Poor, Against Poverty" . ‘With the Poor’ means, the organisers explain, not just helping the poor but helping them to help themselves. ‘Against Poverty’ is to remind society that it is necessary and possible to build a world of more justice and equity and sharing with those who suffer from poverty.
In a pastoral letter for the occasion the Bishops of these dioceses, Bishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez of Bilbao, also president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Juan María Uriarte of San Sebastian, and Bishop Miguel Asurmendi Aramendia of Vitoria said "our dioceses are engaged with the generous help of people and material means in the mission Christ entrusted to his Church" and at the same time “our dioceses have benefited spiritually from the missionary cooperation". The Bishops say “let us participate in the Day praising and thanking God, the source of all goodness; renewing our missionary commitment, the Holy Spirit’s gift to our Church; and welcoming the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ which enables us to collaborate with the missionary project in its different realities".
In the letter the Bishops mention a statement issued by the Basque Missions on 24 January "The Future of our Diocesan Missions" with the purpose of updating and giving new impulse to diocesan mission efforts despite a drop in the number of vocations and presenting new forms of cooperation more suited to the present day situations in the young local Churches. Commitments assumed in that document included: confirm mission commitment of Basque dioceses; serve communities in situations of critical poverty and need; intensify contact and relations between the respective Bishops of sending and receiving dioceses; be ready and willing for new kinds of cooperation; encourage lay people well prepared in pastoral care to take part in mission abroad.
Basque Diocesan Missions presently cooperate in Africa, in a large parish in the suburbs of Luanda (Angola), and in Ecuador, in eight parishes in two dioceses Babahoyo, Los Ríos Province, and Machala, El Oro Province. There are 30 Basque missionaries in all: 3 priests and a layman in Angola, 11 priests and 15 lay missionaries in Ecuador. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/3/2007; righe 33, parole 460)
