Missionary Childhood Association A P o n t i f i c a l M i s s i o n S o c i e t y children helping children

MCA e-news Vol. 3, Issue 9, April 2013

J O I N U S ! Holy Father’s Mission Intentions for April: MISSION CHURCHES Pray the World Mission in May! That mission churches may be signs and instruments of May is a month where we focus on the rosary and the interces- hope and resurrection. sion of our Blessed Mother. Consider making this prayer with a mission mindset, praying each decade for a different part of the world! Activity of the Month: For more information on the World Mission Rosary, click here! WHEN NECESSARY, USE WORDS There is the phrase, “Preach the Gospel at all times; when neces- sary, use words.” Discuss with your Love the poor students what this means to them. Brainstorm a list of “Gospel values” tenderly, then have students act out skits or charades that demonstrate these regarding them as Gospel values. your masters and yourselves as their servants. Mission of the Month: Saint John of God CONRAD OF PARZHAM Conrad grew up in Parzham, Bava- ria but spent most of his life as por- Mission Country of the Month: JORDAN ter in Altoetting, Bavaria, letting peo- Jordan is in the Middle East and is mostly covered in ple into the friary and encouraging arid desert. The official language is Arabic though the them to let God into their lives. majority of the middle and upper classes also under- stand English. 92% of Jordanians are Sunni Muslims As a young man he joined the Capu- and half of the population is under the age of 22. chins as a and was assigned to the friary in Altoet- ting. He held the important job of porter with patience and The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood staff a Mother and Child health holiness, dealing with many people and providing for the poor clinic in a relatively poor industrial area of Marka, in the outskirts of Amman. For 50 who came to the door. He treated all with the courtesy ex- cents per visit, young mothers receive medical attention similar to that offered in the pected of Francis’ followers. Conrad also developed a special more expensive clinics in Amman. It has become a special haven for the hundreds of rapport with the children of the area. He enthusiastically pro- women who seek medical care each week. The Marka clinic, which now serves some moted the Seraphic Work of Charity, which aided neglected 70 to 90 patients each day, works mainly among the Muslim poor. children. “We specifically work with the poor women He spent hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and and children because they are the most regularly asked the Blessed Mother’s intercession for himself neglected in the community,” says Sister and for the many people he encountered. The ever-patient Miriam. Conrad was canonized in 1934. His feast day is April 21st. The working in Jordan set an (from www.americancatholic.org) example of our call to serve the poor. Let us pray for them and for all of the people they meet, joining them in our universal mission!

Questions or Comments? Email me at [email protected] or call 410-625-8450 www.archbalt.org/missions