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IN-DEPHT STUDY |
| 6 JANUARY – MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD
DAY |
| PONTIFICAL SOCIETY OF MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD |
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“To reach this objective we offer two services: missionary
education and missionary cooperation in id of poor children on the
five continents. This activity involves educators, families, teacher
in a network of activities co-ordinated by the local Churches but
which is part of the vaster outreach of universal evangelisation”.
Children’s offerings are collected and distributed every year
as ordinary and extraordinary subsides thanks to which we support
about 2,500 projects in favour of children in difficulty.
Some of the projects regard the sector of health care, opening and
running dispensaries, mobile health care units, assistance for children
with a disability. Others are for orphans or abandoned children.
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“It is beautiful to see the Pontifical
Society of the Missionary Childhood as an immense choir made up of
children from all over the world, who together sing their "here
I am" to God with prayer, enthusiasm and concrete commitment!
This has been going on for 160 years, ever since the Holy Spirit called
your society to life, suggesting to Mons. Charles de Forbin-Janson,
Bishop of Nancy in France, that he should turn precisely to boys and
girls, and ask them to help the children in China.” With these
words Pope John Paul II greeted on 14 June 2003 more than 6,000 Missionary
Childhood children from all voer Italy a to celebrate with the Pope
the 160th anniversary of the foundation of the Society which, thanks
to little seeds sown by children “has become a majestic tree”.
And again the Pope continued: “<In the "south"
of the planet, the cry of millions of children, condemned to die of
hunger and diseases linked to poverty, is becoming more heartrending
and directly addresses everyone. Dear Children of the Missionary Childhood!
You are the first to respond to this call. You form a chain of solidarity
across five continents, and you offer the poorest children an opportunity
to "give" and the richest to "receive" in giving.
Continue to play the lead role in this "exchange of gifts"
which helps build a better future for everyone.>
This is the spirit of the pastoral commitment of the Pontifical Society
for Missionary Childhood expressed in thousands of initiatives and
events as we are told by Rev. Patrick Byrne, Secretary General of
Missionary Childhood.
| LIST OF OFFERINGS MADE AVAILABLE
TO THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL OF THE PONTIFICAL SOCIETY FOR MISSIONARY
CHILDHOOD 2002 |
| AFRICA |
184.492,98 $ Usa |
| AMERICA |
2.918.343J2 $ Usa |
| ASIA |
771.788,40 $ Usa |
| EUROPE |
9.313.356,39 $ Usa |
| OCEANIA |
645.002,70 $ Usa |
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| A BOOK AS BIG AS THE WORLD |
Looking through the big book which tells us where
the money will be sent we find many schools, formation centres,
professional and religions.
In Kasongo diocese in Democratic Congo a subsidy of 10,000 dollars
will go towards school programmes for 7 kindergartens victims
of sacking during the war.
A thousand children, thanks to didactic material and commitment
of teachers will go to school every day to learn the ABC of
instruction.
In Nigeria in Ekitit diocese the St Thomas Aquinas Nursery/Primary
School run by the Sisters of St Michael the Archangel is digging
a well to provide water for 700 children who up to now had to
be content with a little dirty water. An extraordinary subsidy
of 5,900 dollars will change their life and their of their families.
More than one thousand tribal children in the diocese of Khammam
in India will receive and education, a meal and day, school
books and clothes thanks to an extraordinary subsidy of 10,000
dollars.
In Peru in Cajamarca diocese 80 street children in “situations
of total abandonment” are given a home and care by the
Sisters of Los Ninos in a house which is still being built.
And we could mention thousands and thousands of situations which
international Missionary Childhood supports all voer the world.
There is room for everyone in the big book of solidarity in
the name of the Gospel and with respect for the human person.
In its 160 years of life Missionary Childhood has seen many
generations of little men grow but its heart always beats with
the hart of children, the smallest ones, the most defenceless,
those most in need in the world.
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| AN EXPERIENCE MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD AT
CAM 2 |
With about 3000 adults participants there were also
300 children members of Missionary Childhood from all over America,
as we are told by Sister Maria Teresa Crescini at the International
Missionary Childhood office. During the Congress children animated
several moments of prayer and they presented missionary rosaries to
each of the delegates, saying: The Holy Father asked children to recite
at least one decade of the Rosary to save the world, we ask your help
and we give you a rosary so that the power of prayer will help all
missionaries to carry the Good News to the whole world”.
The children also gave a rosary to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect
of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Papal Delegate,
and on that occasion they also gave him a white and yellow Holy Childhood
scarf. |
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