EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - The Extraordinary Missionary Month will start from the oldest baptistery in Switzerland

Thursday, 19 September 2019 extraordinary missionary month   missionary animation   pontifical mission societies   episcopal conferences  

Freiburg (Agenzia Fides) - Bishops and representatives of the Church of Switzerland at the Baptistery in Riva San Vitale, the oldest christian building in Switzerland, for the celebration of the opening, at national level, of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019, under the motto "Baptized and sent".
"The starting point that makes us ‘mission’ is Baptism, which is not just belonging, but is a unique opportunity to unite our forces for mission here and elsewhere and to give courageous witness to Christ in our lives - write the Bishops of Switzerland in their appeal for the Extraordinary Missionary Month -. The leitmotif "Baptized and sent. Being together Church in the world", will therefore accompany us throughout the month. The Swiss Bishops encourage you, to make the Extraordinary Month of the universal mission a month of prayer and reflection on the meaning of the mission. Solidarity with Christians on earth is also part of the mission. The Swiss bishops recommend the faithful in our Country to generously support the Sunday collection of the universal Mission. We need mission and mission needs us".
According to the note sent to Agenzia Fides by Missio Switzerland, the parishes and religious communities from all over the country were invited to decorate the baptistery of their church with the missionary symbol. A leaflet inviting the faithful to participate in the Extraordinary Missionary Month was distributed to all the parishes. Opening celebrations are planned in different cantons or at a regional level. All parishes and communities are invited to join a chain of prayers and put on the website www.missio.ch. Celebrations for the missionary sending will be organized at a local level.
A dedicated website (www.baptisesetenvoyes.ch) allows parishes, groups or individuals to record their events and to download some practical tools made available by Missio and the Missionary Month work group. Some initiatives have been scheduled since September. These include a missionary day on September 26 in Saint-Maurice (VS), missionary evenings, small group meetings. A bilingual "Church in the World" forum will be held on 10 and 11 October at the University of Friborg. On Sundays in October, masses will be broadcast on RTS-Religion. Social media have also been involved since September, Facebook #MyMission "Click to Pray" app. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 19/9/2019)


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