Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Quito (Fides Service) - “Turning tears into smiles” is the motto chosen by the national Pontifical Mission Societies office in Ecuador for its programme to promote missionary animation, formation and reflection all over the country in view of World Mission Sunday 24 October. Mission Sunday material distributed to parishes, schools of all grades, pastoral centres in the country’s 23 ecclesiastical circumscriptions includes holy pictures with the missionary prayer bearing the Mission Sunday 2004 logo, posters in
Kichua and Shuar, envelopes for collection of offerings, bookmarks, etc.
In a report sent to Fides, Osvaldo Fierro, of the PMS in Ecuador, said this year they have harnessed the media to spread information about Mission Sunday in order to reach as many people as possible. Radio programmes are prepared on the basis of handbooks issued by the national PMS office for the occasion. Catholic newspapers and magazines are also helping to circulate Mission Sunday material.
Mission Day is being advertised regularly by 65 different radio stations. The Sunday weekly, Light of Sunday “Luz del Domingo”, with a circulation of 310.000 copies, has issued a special World Mission Sunday dossier. During October there will be special programmes with testimony by Ecuadorian missionaries ad gentes, missionaries working in Ecuador, young people sharing their experience and messages issued by various Bishops.
Here are titles of PMS Mission Sunday 2004 handbooks for different groups, clergy, young people, children: Turning tears into Smiles; Knowing our Reality; Jesus Christ in all; We are all Missionaries; Following Jesus; being witnesses; the Missionary Week; Eucharist and Mission; testimony with encourages; the Eucharist renews mission; the Eucharist sends us on mission; mission stems from the Catholicity of the Church. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 14/10/2004; Righe 28; Parole 340)
