VATICAN - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OPENS WITH SPECIAL SESSION FOR NEW NATIONAL DIRECTORS

Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Annual General Meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies opened on May 5 at Pala Cavicchi in Ciampino (Rome) with a special Session for new National Directors. Participants at the meeting were welcomed by Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, president of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
The special three day Session, 5 to 7 May, for 40 National Directors recently appointed, includes conferences and workshops on the history, theology and spirituality of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, Propagation of the Faith, St Peter Apostle, Missionary Childhood and the Missionary Union, as well as the organisation of the societies and work of the respective General Secretariats and national offices.
The Assembly will continue with its Pastoral Session from 8-10 May. Lastly from 12 –16 May, participants will listen to reports by the four General Secretaries of the Societies on the activity of the past twelve months and discuss subsidy requests received from Churches in mission territories. The Assembly will close with an audience with Pope John Paul II. SL (Fides Service 5/5/2003 EM lines 13 Words: 161) out