Sao Paulo (Fides Service) – In Brazil world Mission Sunday promoted by the national Pontifical Mission Societies office is celebrated in close collaboration with the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference. “We start our mission campaign for the month of October early in the year, preparing material for missionary animation in dioceses all over the country. Parishes, families, individuals are invited to follow the Pope’s call to “put out into the deep” for the Church’s universal mission” Rev. Daniel Lagni, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Brazil, tells Fides Service..
Each year the PMS choose a theme to reflect main Church events in Brazil or on the rest of the continent of America or in the universal Church. This year, the year of the “ Second American Mission Congress (CAM 2) and the Year of Vocations announced by the Bishops of Brazil, the slogan is “Church in Brazil your vocation is mission” . “The slogan is a call to go beyond national border – says Fr Lagni – to meet other and to announce the Gospel to everyone in the world”.
Material for the preparation and celebration of Mission Sunday prepared by the PMS in Brazil included: Pope John Paul II’s Message for World Mission Sunday 2003; leaflet for the national mission campaign; prayer in preparation for World Mission Sunday; Liturgical instructions in harmony with the Year of Vocations and the Bishops’ Fraternity Campaign and Mission “ad gentes”(Vocation and Mission. Ministries in the Church. Vocation and Mission in the urban world. Vocation and Mission “ad gentes”. Vocation and Mission. The human person and old age. The Missionary Rosary); suggestions for the recitation of the Missionary Rosary. Reference text on the baptismal missionary vocation, for missionary animation among the people of God, suggestions for promoting missionary animation and commitment in particular Churches to keep alive the flame of missionary ardour in communities etc.
PMS diffuses its activity also via the Internet (www.pom.org.br) and other media, Catholic, at the national level: Rede Vida de Televisão, TV Século 21, TV Canção Nova. Secular radios: Ràdio Nacional (del Sistema Radiobràs – Brasìlia, DF) and CBN, etc.
In “Nossa Senhora das Dores” parish Ipiranga, on Sunday October 5 the missionary campaign 2003 opened with Mass presided by Father Rinaldo OSM. During the homily National PMS Director, Father Daniel Lagni stressed the importance of the missionary month for the Church and, encouraging those present to reach out others, he said “mission begins by being open to the working of the Holy Spirit who leads us to others to proclaim Jesus”. (R.Z.) (Fides Service 14/10/2003; lines 36 - words 478).