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The Southern Cross, Page 4
Thursday, June 1, 2000
World
IVlission
Sunday
June 11,2000
"M
ission must
I be the passion
of every Christian; a
passion for the salva
tion of the world.
...There must be un
ceasing prayer to nour
ish the desire to carry
Christ to all men and
women.
n
Pope John Paul il
* This World Mission Sunday, be Christ’s witness to all
peoples!
* Pray for the Church’s worldwide missionary work.
In Tulla, Ethiopia, members of the faith community
offer their sacrifices at Mass.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith
enables the Catholic Church to proclaim the Gospel
to the whole world.
Pentecost: World Mission
Sunday
I n faith communities around the
world, many people have very
little in the way of wo r ldly goods,
but they have a “passion” for mis
sion and, like Catholics in the
United States, express that love on
World Mission Sunday, observed
on Pentecost in the Diocese of
Savannah—June 11 this year.
Father George Stephen, pastor of
the parish in Chinnalapatty, India,
says that the usual Sunday collec
tion amounts to a total of $5.00.
Despite the poverty of the parish,
however, the people celebrated
World Mission Sunday last year by
contributing $125 for the Church’s
missionary work. The parishioners
brought lunch with them that day
and ate together on the church
grounds. “It promoted the feeling
of one community and kindled the
spirit of evangelization,” Father
Stephen said.
Pope John Paul, in his message
for World Mission Sunday this
year, reminds the Catholics of the
world that: “Mission must be the
passion of every Christian, a pas
sion for the salvation of the world.”
Just weeks before the opening of
the Great jubilee in celebration of
the 2000th anniversary of the birth
of Jesus, two-thirds of the world’s
people still do not know him in
faith. Who can invite them to
Christ but those who have been
blessed with the gift of faith and a
passion for mission?
The invitation goes out, in per
son, every day. From the United
States, missionaries serve in coun
tries throughout Africa, Asia,
Islands of the Pacific and Latin
America. The United States is not
alone in this endeavor! Indeed, the
in diocese
Church in many mission countries
sends out missionaries: Korean
Sisters, for example, are serving in
Mongolia; priests from Nigeria are
at work in other countries of Africa
and in parishes in Texas and Mary
land, and African priests and reli
gious are serving in Asia.
The celebration of World Mission
Sunday is a reminder that the call
to mission is directed to all and that
everyone can answer—and needs to
answer—through prayer and per
sonal sacrifice and by financial
support.
World Mission Sunday gives
Catholics the opportunity to pray for
the Church’s worldwide mission in a
special way—together, at Mass—
and to offer help from the very heart
of their faith for those who hunger
and thirst, even un-knowingly, for
the news of God’s love and his gift
of salvation in Christ.
Bishop Joseph Ajomo of Lokoja,
Nigeria, says that World Mission
Sunday in his diocese begins with a
week-long program of talks, Bible
study and question-and-answer gath
erings about the meaning and impor
tance of the occasion. On World
Mission Sunday itself, the Liturgy
reflects the missionary spirit.
Bishop Joseph Das of Berham-
pur, India, writes that in connection
with World Mission Sunday the
people are told: “If our children are •
given mission education, it is due
to the sacrifices of many abroad
who contribute from their bless
ings.” And, he adds: “Though our
people are poor as a whole, whole
heartedly they contribute for
Mission Sunday.” Wholeheartedly,
they express their passion for mis
sion.
601 E. Liberty St.
Savannah, GA 31401-5196
Bishop J. Kevin Boland received the following
letter from Bishop William J. McCormack of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith, regard
ing the 1999 collection:
Dear Bishop Boland,
It is with prayerful gratitude that I write to
thank you for the most generous contribution of
$20,009 for the Society for the Propagation of
J the Faith and $674 for the Society of Saint Peter
Apostle from the people of the Diocese of
Savannah.
I express this gratitude on behalf of approxi-
1 mately 1,000 of our brother bishops responsible
s for the Church among two-thirds of the human
family living in “the Missions.” ror them,
Propagation of the Faith support represents their
Annual Diocesan Appeal. For all, it is critical;
Letters
for many, it means the very existence of the
local church.
As we celebrate the Third Millennium of the
Incarnation, we reflect on the miraculous growth
of the mission Church in just the last 100 years.
Today, there are, for example, 368 major semi
naries and more than 28,700 major seminarians.
Today, a growing number of priests from Africa
and Asia are serving a real need in many dioce
ses of our own country.
A primary responsibility of the Propagation of
the Faith is to serve the Holy Father and the
bishops in fostering a vital missionary spirit and
missionary vocations. A major opportunity for
this important objective is the serious celebra
tion of World Mission Sunday. This year marks
the first when the Home Missions will be sepa-
FAX: (912) 238-2339
E-mail: DClark5735@aol.com
rated from the collection for the mis
sion ad gentes on Mission Sunday.
May this be a graced moment in our Jubilee
celebration for a renewal of our commitment to
the support of both the missions at home and the
mission ad gentes, a commitment rooted in the
very nature and purpose of the Church.
Most Reverend William J. McCormack, D.D.
National Director
Readers respond
Dear Editor:
Without sounding uncharitable I must comment
on the letter from our Augusta brother (Bill Peter
son) that appeared in The Southern Cross on May
11. He threw daggers and darts, but left us won-
(Continued on page I I)