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The Society for the Propagation of the Faith National Director’S Message Mission Today Message Spring 2015

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Vol. 73, No. 2 Spring 2015 The Jesuits Celebrate 400 years of service in Vietnam The Changing Face of Christianity in Latin America Two new Saints of Evangelization Church Building in the Arabian Peninsula The Society for the Propagation of the Faith National Director’s Message Mission Today Message Spring 2015 Lent: A Spring Time slavery: that millions of children, women and men throughout the world are deprived of their freedom and forced to live in con- For baseball fans like Mr. Co- ditions akin to slavery. He spoke with bluntness about the greed ady, the beginning spring train- and corruption, which prey upon the dignity of our fellow hu- ing causes the adrenaline to man beings who are trafficked from place to place and treated as pump fast, and the anticipation objects to be exploited and prostituted. Many of them, he said, of the first game to heighten. found themselves in this situation because of extreme poverty. Spring gets the blood in us These were caught up in a vicious circle and were compelled to to pump with energy. Spring accept roles and situations that were beneath their human dignity. promises renewal of life, fresh According to the Holy Father, because of selfishness and indiffer- growth, newfound warmth, ence, we can easily remain blind to, and ignorant of the plight of creative opportunities, and a new beginning. As a season of re- these people. newal and new beginning, Lent and spring belong together. In a way, therefore, the season of Lent is a spring season. We, the people of God, are called in virtue of our baptism to be torchbearers—bearers of God’s love in today’s world. We are Lent is the springtime of the Liturgical year, a time to renew our- called to pass the torch of God’s saving grace to others. As Chris- selves by renewing the life God graciously offers us. It is a time to tians, to be torchbearers means to profess across the continents undertake penance in order to renew our relationship with God, what we believe about the dignity of all human persons, to run self and others. This penance is for the sake of goodness and new unflaggingly toward the prize of justice for all, to strive with all life. Through our Lenten penance, we redirect our lives toward our energy for right relationships, to discover our gifts and place God whose graciousness, mercy, and kindness lead us to the grace them at the service of humanity, to treat others as our own be- and salvation only our creator can give. This is to say that true loved brothers and sisters, etc. This torch was lit within us when penance pulls us out of ourselves toward the day of salvation. It is we were baptized. It remains lit as long as we are faithful to who about dying to self and becoming God-centered. we are in Christ. During Lent, the whole Church is called to a conversion experi- Lent is the time to assess to what extent we are living lives worthy ence, a journey of conversion. It is in a way, our desert time, a of our Christian vocation. Perhaps for some of us, it is a time to time to assess how well he have said yes to God; a time to pray for re-enkindle our baptismal light, a time for a new beginning, a the grace to be faithful to God and to live the Gospel with more springtime of grace. fervor and insight. Father Alex Osei, C.S.Sp In his New Year message for World Day of Peace, our Holy Fa- ther Pope Francis placed before us the cruel facts of modern day Missionary Prayer Intentions Remembering the Missions in your Will MArCh: That the unique contribution of women to the life of Help the missionaries of the future through the Church may be recognized always. • a specific bequest amount • securities bequest APriL: That persecuted Christians may feel the consoling pres- • all or part of the residue of your estate ence of the Risen Lord and the solidarity of all the Church. • real property (e.g. a building) bequest MAy: That Mary’s intercession may help Christians in secular- In your Will use our legal name: ized cultures be ready to proclaim Jesus. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith for Canada, English Sector Registered Charity BN 12888 2883 RR0001 2 MISSIONS TODAY In This Issue… Vol. 73, No. 2 Spring 2015 The National Director’s Message ............p.2 Across the Globe ........................................p.4 The Jesuits in Vietnam ..............................p.6 Return to Shamator Mission ....................p.7 Christianity in Latin America ...................p.8 Church Building in the Northern Arabian Peninsula ....................................p.10 The United States: Saint Junipero Serra ................................ p.12 Sri Lanka: Saint Joseph Vaz .................... p.13 Holy Childhood Association .................p. 14 The Society of Saint Peter .....................p. 16 A Farsi Translation of the Bible in Iran ......................................................... p.17 Mission Conversation with the Editor ..................................................p. 18 In Remembrance .....................................p. 19 Photo by: Jon Sullivan, publicdomainphotos.com Pontifical Mission societies Missions Today is published four times a Propagation of the Faith & St. Peter the Editor: Paul Coady year by the Society for the Propagation of Apostle: Income Tax Number: Comments on this issue or other topics the Faith, 2219 Kennedy Road Toronto, BN 12888 2883 RR0001 are always welcome.Contact us at: Ontario M1T 3G5 [email protected] or at International Standard Serial Number Holy Childhood Association: Income Tax Missions Today – The Editor - ISSN 0843-1515 Number: BN 11909 5818 RR0001 2219 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario M1T 3G5 Design: Marcucci Studios Canadian Publications Mail Sales Printed: Timeline Printing Inc. Product Agreement No. 0040008362 Telephone: (416) 699 7077 Toronto, ON Toll Free: 1 800 897 8865 Fax: (416) 699 9019 Office Cover photo – Basilica Del Voto Na- Subscription Rates: E-mail: [email protected] cional. Martin St-Amant - Wikipedia 1 yr. - $8.00, 2 yr. - $15.00(GST includ- - CC-BY-SA-3.0 Back Cover Photo: Uri ed, no tax receipt issued for subscription Visit our web site at: [CC-SA-BY- 3.0], Wikimedia.org fees.) http://www.missionsocieties.ca MISSIONS TODAY 3 Across the Globe MONGOLiA – First Mongolian deacon represents EThiOPiA - Evangelization continues… “immense grace for the Church” Rome - “… it is so true what John Paul II said in Redemptoris Ulaan Baatar - The ordination of the first deacon of Mongolian Missio: after 2000 years of Christianity the evangelizing mission nationality, 22 years after the rebirth of the Church in the coun- is just beginning”, states Fr. Giuseppe Ghirelli, a priest from the try, “is an immense grace and a priceless gift for the small com- diocese of Anagni-Alatri who works in southern Ethiopia. munity of the baptized in Mongolia, which has about a thousand “For me it was a discovery to find people who have never heard believers” says Fr. Ernesto Viscardi, a Missionary of the Conso- of Jesus” continues Fr. Joseph, who is 61 years old and has been lata, Apostolic Vice-Prefect of Ulaan Baatar. a priest for 36 years. “Before going to Ethiopia I went to Ireland The diaconate ordination of Joseph Enkh-Baatar will take place to improve my English. Most of the inhabitants of the region on December 11, at the Cathedral of Daejeon, Korea, the diocese where I work are Oromo farmers. I have a catechist who works where the young man attended the Major Seminary. The local as interpreter at the moment, but I am learning their language”. Bishop, Mgr. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, will also ordain seven other “The region of Oromo, in the center-south, has about 30 million young South Koreans. inhabitants…We currently have five parishes, with four religious, Fr. Viscardi told Fides: “Joseph is the first deacon and after him two Italian priests plus one Ethiopian (priest)”. there is already another young man, Peter, who is studying theol- “Our pastoral approach provides, in addition to the first evan- ogy, always in Korea, as in Mongolia we do not have a Seminary. gelization, human development, starting from education. Every Their vocation is a sign of great hope for the Church in Mongo- parish has a school. We help many orphans and mothers. We lia. After the diaconate at least a year will go by before priestly have also initiated projects to improve agriculture. The Oromos ordination. We hope it will coincide with the celebrations for the are nomads. We try to help them develop a farming culture, 25th anniversary of the Church’s presence in Mongolia, which teaching them to cultivate plants like moringa, a strong plant falls in 2017”. that offers cheap food and white bean. So these people can diver- According to the vice-Prefect “the Church in Mongolia, although sify their traditional diet based on milk and cereals”. very young, is already rooted and these deacons are the first When asked what he would say to a young priest who decides sprouts. We have over 30 catechists engaged in the six parishes of to follow his experience, Fr. Giuseppe answers by saying, “Jesus’ the Prefecture and five full-time lay leaders of the communities. command is current and urgent. We cannot forget who has These young people represent a source of vocations to priesthood”. not been evangelized yet”. An edited version, taken from Agenzia An edited version, taken from Agenzia Fides 12/10/2014. Fides 12/11/2014 4 MISSIONS TODAY hONG KONG - Pilgrims in yim Tin Tsai recall St. MEXiCO – Nine indigenous Permanent Deacons Joseph Freinademetz Ordained Hong Kong– The Catholic community on the island of Yim Tin San Cristobal de Las Casas– Nine members of the Tzeltales in- Tsai, in Hong Kong, is paying tribute to the great Divine Word digenous peoples were ordained as permanent deacons on De- missionary St.
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