*Fr. Celestino Bundi
Collections taken up for World Mission Sunday, gifts from individual benefactors, and contributions that come in thanks to various missionary projects, are all sent first to the respective National Offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies in each country, and then forwarded to Rome to the General Secretary's Office, to be put in a common fund, the Universal Solidarity Fund.
During the Annual General Assembly of the Pontifical Missionary Societies, normally held during the month of May, presided by the Archbishop President and the Secretary Generals of the four Societies, participants discuss hundreds of requests from all over the world for funding for building churches, chapels and local centers for apostolate, for aid and formation of seminarians and catechists, for educational projects and activities for children.
The Assembly, taking into account the available economic resources and criteria of equality and justice, decides on the distribution of the funding. Unfortunately, the Universal Solidarity Fund is never large enough to be able to respond positively to all the petitions for aid.
As we approach Mission Sunday on 24th October, it is a moment to share our faith proudly, help others to hear Jesus Christ. In addition, it is an opportunity to participate in alleviating spiritual and material poverty for our brothers and sisters living in hardship mission zones as well as practice our charity to help in building evangelization centers like schools, parish churches, convents, fathers' houses, pastoral centers among others.
As the day draws nearer I am appealing to you to create more awareness among all the faithful on their responsibility to support the church in her needs to become an effective vessel of consolation and salvation. Kindly let us join the universal church following the invitation from our baptism to unite with Pope Benedict XV1 to build ecclesial communion through financial sacrifice and prayer.
As Catholics we have a wonderful responsibility by reason of our baptism, to bring about change for the good of others in our world. But in order to do that, we need to become aware of the necessity to bring about change, first of all in ourselves, and then in our local parish communities. This is what we are asked to do by the Holy Father because people today either consciously or unconsciously wish for change and they also want "to see Jesus".
This is part of the central theme of the message: "Building Ecclesial Communion is the key to Mission" for the celebration of World Mission Sunday this year. It encourages all of us at diocesan and parish levels as well as the Institutes of Consecrated Life, Ecclesial Movements, and the entire People of God to renew our commitment to proclaim the Gospel and give pastoral activity a greater missionary character.
The Holy Father says that each one of us should enrich our lives by an ever-greater awareness of God's unconditional love for us and its experience which transforms our lives. Then through us our ever more divided societies can be changed into an ecclesial communion.
We do this by our own active and creative support within the community and by inviting others so that together we may promote "a new humanism, founded on Jesus' Gospel". "He Himself tells us: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (John 14:21). It is only from this encounter with the Love of God that transforms our existence that we can live in communion with Him and among ourselves and offer our brethren a credible testimony giving reason for our hope (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).
Today people are searching for something different in the everyday confusion of our world and many of them want to "see Jesus". As a Christian community we can and should give them witness of our hope, "but that cannot be fulfilled in a credible manner without a profound personal, communal, and pastoral conversion". The messages goes on to thank missionaries for their witness and asks all of us to help to bring about an "integral renewal and to an ever greater openness to missionary cooperation among the Churches, to promote the proclamation of the Gospel in the heart of every person, every people, culture, race, nationality, in every place."
As National director of Pontifical Missionary Societies in Kenya I am obliged to promote this Mission Sunday of the Holy Father and I would like to thank everybody who is cooperating with our Diocesan Directors to ensure successful realization of our special Mission Solidarity Collection to be taken up on 24th October 2010.
As I travel through our country on course of duty to create missionary awareness I can see how our missionaries did great work. We are grateful to them, family members and their benefactors. Many parishes and institutions are today managed by our sons and daughters who need our material support to effectively address the many pastoral needs for better witnessing and service to humanity for glory of God.
Together we are the Church and we are missionaries by reason of our baptism; we are all missionaries and together we can make a difference. It is important to recognize that your kind generosity and prayers truly makes a difference and it is greatly appreciated. I assure you the money will be put into the proper use following the relevant church structures meant for its administration. Our Local Churches throughout the world could not survive without your support.
So let us, "in spite of our economic difficulties" give generously on this Mission Sunday and may we continue as one family in mission to achieve by "prayer, meditation on the Word of God, and study of the truths of the faith" an ever-greater awareness of God's unconditional love for all of us as brothers and sisters.
You may give your donation to your parish priest on Sunday for submission to the Bishop and eventually forwarding to our office or You may write a cheque addressed to:
Pontifical missionary societies
P.O Box 48062-00100 Nairobi
On behalf of Holy Father Pope Benedict XV1, International PMS Secretariat especially Rev. Fr. Timothy Lehane Barrett, SVD, Secretary General of the Propagation of the Faith Rome, our PMS National office and Rt. Rev. Anthony Ireri Mukobo Bishop Chairman Commission for Missions I wish you a fruitful celebration of this important day in our missionary work. May God bless you and increase your faith.
*He is the National Director Ponitifcal Missionary Societies- Kenya
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