"We cannot remain silent about what we have seen and heard".

Missionary month opens, including World Mission Day on 24 October

With the liturgical commemoration of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, proclaimed by Pope Pius XI as Patroness of the Missions along with Saint Francis Xavier, October, Missionary Month, opens with the celebration of the 95th World Missionary Day on Sunday 24th. The theme chosen by Pope Francis in his message on the solemnity of the Epiphany is taken from the Acts of the Apostles: "We cannot remain silent about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). The Holy Father writes: "Like the Apostles and the first Christians, we too say with all our might: 'We cannot be silent about what we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20). All that we have received, all that the Lord has gradually bestowed on us, he has given to us so that we might put it into play and give it freely to others. Just as the Apostles saw, heard and touched the salvation of Jesus (cf. 1 Jn 1:1-4), so today we can touch the suffering and glorious flesh of Christ in everyday history and find the courage to share with everyone a destiny of hope, that undeniable note that comes from knowing that we are accompanied by the Lord".

Witness is the leitmotif of the message, the theme of which is taken from what Pope Francis calls the "book that missionary disciples always keep at hand". "Celebrating Mission Month and World Mission Day every year means remembering that our faith is always missionary. We cannot remain silent about what we have heard, seen and experienced in our encounter with the Lord", emphasises Archbishop Giampietro Dal Toso, president of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).

Witness goes hand in hand with remembrance because, as the Pope emphasizes, on World Mission Day, which is celebrated every year on the penultimate Sunday of October, "we remember with gratitude all those people who, through their witness of life, help us to renew our baptismal commitment to be generous and joyful apostles of the Gospel. We especially remember all those who have been able to set out, leaving land and family so that the Gospel can reach without delay and without fear the corners of peoples and cities where so many lives thirst for blessing".

No one is excluded from God's mercy and the missionaries, who share their lives with the faithful entrusted to them, remind us of this also in the video message born of the collaboration between some national directorates of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the world. The video gives voice to thousands of women and men on mission around the world: "We are still here and we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard". [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvTQ_o7P68LP9HD12KDSiZmM1BhB9oHOg is the link to access and share the video in different languages].

In the meantime, initiatives of formation, prayer and animation are underway throughout the world to prepare and celebrate World Mission Day, despite the continuing pandemic that is still gravely affecting in some countries.

In the Americas, the continental co-ordination of the Pontifical Mission Societies has produced training material, prayer schemes for liturgical animation, themes for reflection, fruit of the joint work of the national directorates of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the continent.

In Africa, the Church in Uganda is making increasingly active use of the new media, which during the lockdown kept the Christian community together, both in terms of missionary animation and prayer. In Tanzania, a number of influential people and lay leaders were chosen to broadcast the Mission Day message on radio and TV.

Moving on to Europe, in Switzerland Mission Month is an opportunity to get particularly close to the Church in Vietnam, while in Spain World Mission Day is known by the acronym Domund and reminds the faithful that "we are all missionaries" [the link is https://domund.es ].

In Asia, where the pandemic situation is still very complex, the POMs in Vietnam are committed to concretely helping the population affected by the virus by preparing animation materials and planning various on-line prayer initiatives.

On the oceanic continent, in Australia, the Day will be lived with special attention and sensitivity towards the pastoral and missionary work of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Thailand, in support of children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds.

In addition to all the activities dedicated to Mission Month, on the website of the PMS, [www.ppoomm.va], starting on 1 October, there will be a daily in-depth study dedicated to the founder of the Pontifical Work of the Propagation of the Faith, the Venerable Pauline Jaricot, entitled: "Getting to know Pauline Marie Jaricot better and meditating on the mission of the Church".

Vatican City, 30 September 2021

International Secretariats

of the Pontifical Mission Societies

For contacts and communications

Dr Elena Grazini

Fides Agency

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