Four Dimensions

Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, outlined four dimensions “or ways” to live out the Extraordinary Missionary Month:

1.       A personal encounter with Jesus Christ alive in his Church.

2.       The witness of missionary saints from around the world.

3.       Formation for missio ad gentes – human, spiritual, biblical, theological and catechetical.

4.       Missionary charity.

Those gathered felt that this extraordinary missionary month is a golden opportunity to re-examine the missionary roots of, and the contributions to mission by, the diocesan Church.

Pope Benedict XV

A brief presentation was given on Pope Benedict XV who wrote the 1919 apostolic letter Maximum Illud. Pope Francis wanted the Church to remember this extraordinary pope – often called the “mission pope – because of his prophetic stance that stressed the purity of an evangelical mission over national or economic motivations for mission, the need for indigenous bishops, priests, and religious, and the need to rebuild the missionary efforts of the Church after World War I. The complete text of the apostolic letter is on USCMA’s and PMSUSA’s websites.

Ideas for Implementing the Extraordinary Missionary Month

The various ways groups and dioceses are preparing for the Extraordinary Missionary Month can be summarized under four strategies – gather, tell, invite, and discern. One theme that ran through many of these ideas – highlight the local connection to mission.

1.       Gather – there are a variety of events being planned. Two emerged; one is a special “Mission Mass” with the Bishop or, in dioceses where this tradition is already established, to enhance this celebration. One of the religious communities was also going to have a special “Mission Mass” to celebrate their mission stories of enculturation; how their witness to the Gospel took root, and is given expression, in the countries they served.

2.       Tell – the is a strong desire to tell the story of mission – especially if there is a strong connection locally to that story. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, for example, has a strong connection to the Story of Sr. Dorothy Stang, SNDdeNamur who was martyred for her missionary work among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil. There is even a Dorothy Stang award given through the high schools. Another group is doing a video of the missionary stories from the diocese to be shown at all the parishes. Another group is featuring the 12 mission sending organizations and getting them to share their stories throughout the diocese. One diocese will stress the current mission connection with the missions on the border. Another diocese is using Baptized and Sent, the 400+ page resource developed by the Pontifical Mission Societies and make it available every day during the month of October in smaller, more accessible pieces. From Mission to Mission will host a story telling circle for missionaries. Finally, some dioceses see the “periphery” – people in need – coming to our cities; How do we welcome into our communities “the stranger?”

3.       In telling the story, there is an implicit invitation to consider how we – each one of us – is “baptized and sent.” One diocese will use the Extraordinary Missionary Month to launch a whole year of activities to encourage and accompany parishes as they become more intentional about their “missionary impulse.” PMSUSA is reaching out to people to share how they respond to the call to mission through prayer, fasting, and other spiritual works – in the spirit of St. Therese of Lisieux. At the heart of the invitation is for the faithful to consider how he or she is living their call to mission. For some, it will be spiritual activities – the mission rosary, befriending a country or a people, encouraging others to consider mission, and welcoming the missionary. For others, it will involve their time and talent. Everyone needs to discern how they can support mission materially – through World Mission Sunday, as an associate of a mission sending religious community, through the parish mission, etc. Finally, there is a deep spiritual reality at work – how the Holy Spirit is moving within each person’s heart, prompting them to move beyond themselves, step outside their comfort zone, cross some type of border, risk a personal encounter with a complete stranger, and do it all as a witness to Jesus. Still others stressed deepening of established relationships – so the Church embodies its value, its preferential option, for the poor – and twinning or parish partnerships adjust to the changing dynamics of immigration.

4.       Jesus is the inspiration behind the stories of mission. The stories of mission invite all the baptized into a deeper, richer, and formed participation in mission. The invitation to mission then evokes the need for discernment – how will I respond to the call to mission? One group is pondering how it responds to the indigenous people they encountered. Another is discerning how to balance nationalism with Catholicism; recognizing everyone’s dignity.

Next Steps

1.     Missio – a website powered by PMSUSA, has a lot of backgrounders and resources for the Extraordinary Missionary Month. Go to www.missio.org/resources.

2.       USCMA has resources on www.uscatholicmission.org/extraordinary-mission-month-2019

3.       The Vatican also has a website: http://www.october2019.va/en.html

4.       You can order Baptized and Sent for shipping and handling ($12) for USCMA.

5.       Or download: http://www.october2019.va/en/mmsott2019/la-guida.html

Call to Action – email [email protected]

Help us build the momentum so that every Catholic will pause, consider how they live out their baptismal call to mission, and discern their mission. Keep us informed of your plans as they develop. Let us know if you want another Open Conversation.

Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World