Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lisbon (Agenzia Fides) - The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) will be present at the XXXVII World Youth Day in the City of Joy, within the Vocational Fair, where young people will come into contact with different movements, associations, communities, religious orders and ecclesial initiatives. The presence of the PMS with a set up and animated stand (stand V-528, operational from Tuesday, August 1 to Friday, August 4 at the times established by the organization), the result of the synergy of several European national directions (including the Portuguese, the Polish, the Austrian, the Spanish and the English Direction) with the support of the American leadership, intends to be a concrete way to turn the spotlight on the missionary dimension of the universal Church.
"We want to be a sign of the universality of the Church - explains Father José António Mendes Rebelo, M.C.C.J, director of the Portuguese PMS, who coordinated the presence at WYD2023 on site - We will be there to bear witness to our mission: to be a sign of fraternity and communion among all the local Churches of the world". This is a very important occasion to introduce young people to the history, mission and initiatives of the PMS, which function as a capillary network worldwide, to put them in contact with those who work in the field of missionary work and to address each one a personal invitation to feel involved in this missionary dimension that challenges every baptized person.
To this end, from today a page dedicated to WYD2023 is available online on the PMS website, which young people can access through a QRCODE located on the roll up that will serve as background to the stand. At the same stand, missionary rosaries will be donated, of which the five thousand that arrived from Poland come from the XI National Pilgrimage of the Rosary Communities from all over Poland, in the sanctuary of Jasna Gora, where a symbolic number of rosaries destined for WYD were brought before the altar in the offering procession. The website is divided into three sections: the section "The PMS in the world", to discover in which countries the PMS are present; the "Let's keep in touch" section, which contains a form to get in touch with the PMS, and the "Let's pray together" section, which offers useful content for prayer, such as the outline for praying the Missionary Rosary, in-depth content on Blessed Pauline Jaricot (foundress of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, a woman of faith and action, from which the history of the Pontifical Mission Societies began) and also the podcast version of the Holy Rosary of WYD2023 produced by Click To Pray, the platform of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. "The rosary is a wonderful gift, first of all because it reminds us that we must pray. Prayer is the first act of mission, as Pope Francis has reminded us several times," says Father Josè Rebelo. "Secondly", adds the national director of the PMS of Portugal, "the Rosary reminds us of the Virgin Mary, who walks and prays with us". Finally, on August 3 at 11:30 a.m, the PMS will have a dedicated space in the testimony area within the Vocational Fair, where some boys and girls from different geographical areas will share their missionary experience. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 28/7/2023)
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