Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Fides Service) - “You too are a missionary” is the slogan chosen by the Church in Spain for the national celebration of Missionary Childhood Day Sunday, 25 January 2004. In preparation for the event the Pontifical Mission Societies offices in Spain prepared and distributed informative material on the situation of children in the world and a report on projects supported with offerings collected in Spain for Missionary Childhood during 2003 including 370 projects to assist poor children.
The continent which received most help was Africa: 56.23% of the total amount which sustained 167 different projects; 40. 69% went to Asia to sustain 199; and 3,08% for 13 projects. Most projects were for schooling (129) followed by pro-life (82) and pastoral care for children (81).
“Tomorrow you may become a missionary and go all over the world to proclaim the Gospel …but you don’t have to wait until tomorrow. You can be a missionary today ” this was the message Bishop Francisco Pérez, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain sent to children commenting the slogan for national Missionary Childhood Day 2004. Bishop Pérez stresses the characteristic of the missionary vocation: total gift of self to Christ at the service of others especially the suffering, even to the supreme sacrifice if necessary. He calls on children and young people to be missionaries today through prayer, taking part in Mass, interest for and communion with the life of whole Church, generosity, gift and offering of everything for mission: “Today you can already be a missionary if you live the new commandment of love every moment, and every opportunity”.
Material prepared for Missionary Childhood Day in Spain, besides the message from Bishop Pérez, included a theological and pastoral reflection by Rev. Tomás Otero to increase children’s missionary awareness and catechesis for children in three stages: “Being missionaries with Mary”, “Being missionaries with the Apostles”, “You too are a missionary”. Other material distributed by the PMS national office included a book for use in school at religions classes and a video. The book illustrates the work of missionaries and aims to help children realise that through their baptism they too are missionaries. The video filmed in Equatorial Guinea tells 10 short stories about African children and it proposes simple paths adapted to their age for following Jesus. (RG) Fides Service 14/1/2004; lines 33; words 428)
