Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Warsaw (Agenzia Fides) - "A great celebration of the missions": this is how organizers and participants defined the IV National Missionary Congress, which was held from June 12 to 14 in Warsaw, organized by the Episcopal Commission for Missions and the Pontifical Missionary Societies (see Fides 20/09/2014, 17/02/2015, 12/06/2015).
"The joy of the Gospel, the source of missionary zeal" was the motto of the Congress, which wanted to honor the 50th anniversary of the "Ad Gentes" decree of the II Vatican Council, the 40th anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi" of Paul VI and the 25th encyclical "Redemptoris Missio" of John Paul II. According to information sent to Agenzia Fides, on the first day of the Congress a scientific symposium at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw was held. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, during the Eucharist at the end of the day, said: "The missions are recorded in the DNA of the Church in Poland, which was born, grew up and was formed in society through the Missionary activities of its patron St. Adalberto".
The second day of the Congress had a pastoral character: in three different places of Warsaw separate meetings for children (who were about 5 thousand) were organized.
During the solemn Eucharist presided at the end of the day by Cardinal Fernando Filoni in the Church of All Saints in Warsaw, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples encouraged both the laity, priests and consecrated persons to respond again to the call and to proclaim the Gospel of salvation.
On the last day, Sunday, June 14, the Bishops celebrated Mass for the missions in their dioceses, and in many parishes celebrations and meetings with the missionaries were organized. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 18/06/2015)
