News - January 2025 Edition

Kevin Foy reflects on the USCMA mission and updates members about current efforts to form working groups, assemble an Advocacy Committee, and revamp the website.

The dates of our pilgrimage have changed to October 2-11 due to adjustments in the schedule at the Vatican, which is now celebrating the Jubilee of Missions on October 4 and 5. Join USCMA and Nativity Pilgrimages for this exciting event at the Vatican and other experiences in Rome and Assisi. Get the details at our informational Zoom meetings in February.

After two years, USCMA is ceasing production of the Go Forth… Missionary Interviews podcast. We thank our podcast host, Dr. Benjamin OuYang, for his dedication to inspiring everyday Catholics through your mission stories. Go Forth… will continue to publish our weekly reflections on the Sunday readings, available online and through email.

“As we commence the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025, these lessons inspire us to renew our commitment to mission and live as faith leaders grounded in God’s will.” USCMA Board President Antoinette Mensah, Ph.D., reflects on themes from the Sixth American Mission Congress, which took place this past November in Puerto Rico.

Daniel Lizarraga, Mission Services Department Manager for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners, reflects on his experience at the recent USCMA conference. Moved by the testimony of Fr. Abdon Rwandekwe, SJ, on his experiences during and following the genocide in Rwanda, Daniel connects lessons of peace, justice and reconciliation to his own experiences and the work of Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

Get the details about this important role which seeks to advance dialogue and build bridges between Catholics in the United States and China. Consider applying or sharing this opportunity with a friend!

How is the church serving as a field hospital? What opportunities, changes, and challenges abound in Africa, Latin America, Oceania, and the Middle East? What are the latest appointments and messages in the Vatican? Get the full round up!

Kevin Foy reminds us that Advent is an opportunity to turn our gaze away from things we can not control and focus on God in the birth of his Son and in the people we meet.

Join USCMA leaders and other missionaries on this extraordinary opportunity to experience Rome and Assisi. The 10-day pilgrimage includes daily Mass, a meeting with the Holy Father, and a private visit to the Vatican Gardens in addition to other tours and prayer opportunities.

Our recent conference revealed that members crave opportunities to meet, learn, and share with each other. Check out our upcoming plans and provide your insights!

Code Equity would love to work with missionary organizations to provide free training in computer skills to teenagers and young adults.

This month, Kevin Foy explores how the Church still struggles to understand and embody mission, missiology, and missionary discipleship. He focuses particularly on whether where mission takes place impacts what mission is – and if we go far enough beyond our comfort zone.

We've confirmed that Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of St. Louis will celebrate Mass with us, and our social hour sponsors look forward to meeting you.

In his new book, Community of Missionary Disciples: The Continuing Creation of the Church, Stephen Bevans unpacks the profound Catholic conviction that the church is missionary by its very nature as he considers what it means for the church to be on mission, in community, and together in discipleship.

On October 23, 2024, the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers invite you to a groundbreaking Zoom webinar as we celebrate the newly proclaimed Day of Indigenous People in the Americas. Don’t miss this opportunity to honor indigenous peoples' legacy, hear transformative stories, and join the global conversation on reconciliation and hope. Register now on the Maryknoll website.

This month, we share news about relief efforts for Hurricane Helene in the United States and how Catholic Relief Services continues responding to emergencies around the world and addressing the escalating crisis in Lebanon.

Looking ahead, we see the Synod of Bishops general assembly, our conference, the upcoming Ordinary Jubilee Year and the Jubilee of the Missions in October 2025.

Our new executive director, Kevin Foy, shares some of experiences during his first month, including attending the US-China Catholic Association conference in Chicago.

Your feedback helps USCMA continue to discern how best to support you and the communities you serve in mission.

Dr. Antoinette Mensah reflects on her transformative experience at the National Eucharistic Congress this summer.