Pontifical Mission Societies Catholic Relief Services Catholic Home Missions
Mission Cooperative Program Mandeville Twinning Project
For 2012, twenty-one diocese, religious groups of men and women, and organizations have been invited to visit the parishes within our diocese and make their appeals. You will be hearing more about this from your pastors as the time approches for the missionaries to speak in your parish. The Missionary Cooperative Plan was established in the 1930's to allow missionaries from around the world to speak in parishes about their work and to give the parishioners within our diocese an opportunity to aid them in their mission. The Plan not only educates the people in our diocese to the missionary work of the Church, but it also provides the financial aid to the societies and dioceses in our country and throughout the world to assist them in doing their work.
"We ask that you missionaries share with us your experience as well as the faith experience of the people you serve. Our faith is deepened and broadened as we learn from you."
Bishops' Pastoral Statement on World Mission
To the Ends of the Earth 74
When your parish is visited by a missionary, you can help by your warm welcome and your prayers, as well as your financial support. A sister in the missions in West Africa says, "Please keep praying. I can actually feel your prayers." A priest of Paraguay says, "What we need most is to know you are with us in Prayer." Their words are typical. The gift of spiritual support is the greatest blessing the missions can receive.
"We cannot forget the specifically Missionary Societies and Religious Congregations which are capable of educating people about the vast challenges of the non-territorial sphere of mission ad gentes and shaping a missionary spirituality that will give new life to our Church and motivate her to evangelize ... more effectively.
There is another important contribution we can and must make to our local Churches. Our mission animation endeavors are nourished by our contact with missionaries who serve ad gentes, beyond the limits of the United States. Their experience tells us that evangelization necessarily involves a dialogical dynamic. We realize that before our contact with the diverse human groups, they have already experienced the life-giving action of the Holy Spirit which draws them to a participation in the paschal mystery of Christ. They express this experience in the language and symbols of thier own culture, be that culture traditional and religious or modern and secular. Those involved in the pastoral care of those of their own cultural groups do not have this experience or this special focus on evangelization. The "new evangelization" must be shaped by this dynamic if it is to be effective." Father John Gorski, Maryknoll Missioner
Representatives from dioceses in the Philippines, Africa, Haiti, and India; orders of sisters and priests whose members have made a difference in the lives of our diocesan people through their teaching and ministering; and missionaries who live and work all over the world have been coming since May to speak with the people of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese at each of the parishes. We trust that you will be gracious in your attention and generous with you prayers and donations to help these visitors spread the Good News to all they meet.
