EUROPE/SPAIN - “Like Paul, missionary by vocation”: the theme for World Mission Day. “Those of us who have gratuitously received the gift of the faith from God should bear witness to it.”

Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – “The one who has been given light, should give light. He cannot hide it under a bushel basket. He has to show it. Those of us who have gratuitously received the gift of the faith from God should make it the priority, we should bear witness to it.” These were the words of Archbishop Francisco Perez Gonzalez of Pamplona, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain, in presenting the campaign for DOMUND. The theme this year is: “Like Paul, missionary by vocation,” in light of the Jubilee Year dedicated to Saint Paul.
According to the PMS in Spain, the theme has been chosen because the figure of Saint Paul presents itself as the example of a witness to the faith for those who do not yet know the Gospel. The word “missionary” is a key word that makes reference to someone who “leaves” their land and goes to other places to preach the Gospel, dedicating their entire life and person, “with a self-surrender that knows no limits in strength or time”; and lastly, “by vocation” implies how Paul presents himself at the beginning of his letters, as one called by God to preach the Gospel, i.e. it is “a ‘special vocation,’ patterned on that of the apostles. It is manifested in a total commitment to evangelization” (Redemptoris Missio, 65). The National Director explains that “we should learn from the Apostle to the Gentiles, to face life how he did after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.”
The PMS have set five main goals for this Mission Day: discover the person of Paul, model of a missionary who placed his life at the service of the Gospel; promote awareness among the faithful in favoring service towards the poor and those most in need; participate in activities organized by parishes for DOMUND; collaborate generously in giving material aid to missionaries and the missions in general; intensify prayer and sacrifice for missionary vocations (priests, religious, and laity).
The National Director’s Office for PMS in Spain has published a great deal of material for World Mission Day, including catechesis for children and youth; religion class guides for schools; guides for planning prayer vigils and other celebrations for the Day, as well as a DVD with many testimonies. In addition, in the elaborate dossier published for World Mission Day, they offer information on the Spanish missionaries currently serving in various part of the world. There are a total of 17,515 missionaries, of which 90% are religious. There are 9.858 religious sisters, 5.998 religious brothers and priests, 902 diocesan priests, and 755 laymen. The continental distribution is as follows: America: 71.51%; Africa: 14.52%; Europe: 8.12%; Asia, 5.69%; and Oceania: 0.17%. The distribution according to place of origin is as follows: Castilla y Leon: 30.11%; Navarra and Euskadi: 10.12% and 10.09%, respectively; Andalucia: 9.55%; Catalunya: 6.49%; and Castilla La Mancha: 4.41%. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/10/2008)