WHILE Scotland's preparations for Extraordinary Mission Month in October are underway with many people participating in the #MyMission campaign, the Vatican has announced plans of its own to celebrate it.
In a message to the Missio Scotland office, Archbishop Giampietro Dal Toso, the President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, thanked us and our fellow branches of the PMS worldwide for the preparatory work already undertaken, before outlining some of the events that are to take place in Rome during Extraordinary Mission Month itself.
"As well as encouraging the PMS worldwide to pray and to invite others to pray during these moments of missionary prayer, on Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the liturgical memorial of St Thérèse of Lisieux, Patroness of the Missions, Holy Father Pope Francis will preside over the celebration of Vespers to inaugurate the EMM 2019 in the Patriarchal Basilica of St Peter," Archbishop Dal Toso said. "Vespers will be preceded by a moment of prayer and testimonies of missionary life.
"Then on October 20, 2019, World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis, together with the bishops participating in the Special Synod on the evangelisation of the Amazon Region, will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration in the Patriarchal Basilica of St Peter.
"Both of these celebrations will be broadcast by the Vatican media in live streaming (https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican and https://www.vaticannews.va), as well as through the TVs that receive the signal from the Vatican Television Centre. We will provide more information of the precise scheduled times for these celebrations as soon as they are communicated to us.
"Additionally, on Monday, October 7, 2019, the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, will preside over the World Mission Rosary in the Patriarchal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore at 3pm Italian time.
"Radio Maria will broadcast live and worldwide this moment of prayer so dear to us, in memory of the Missionary Rosary of the Venerable Pauline Jaricot, foundress of the Pontifical Mission Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
"I want to thank each and every one of you for your missionary commitment and service. I wish you all a fruitful celebration of the Extraordinary Missionary Month this October, which is now upon us."
In Scotland, in an initiative backed by the Scottish Bishops, Catholic schools are expected to hold Missionary Children Masses on the first Friday of October, while many more are using the Mission Month Prayer Calendars and our St Thérèse of Lisieux Little Way resources available on our website during the course of EMM2019. Parishes meanwhile, are preparing to undertake their annual World Mission Sunday collections on October 20 and have received information packs to give them greater insight into Extraordinary Mission Month and the work of Missio Scotland.
To avail of our downloadable resources for Extraordinary Mission Month visit: http://www.missioscotland.com/extraordinary-mission-month
To take part in our #MyMission and #OurMission campaigns visit: http://www.missioscotland.com/whats-your-mission
Why not like our Facebook page too: http://www.facebook.com/missioscotland and follow us on Twitter: @Missio_Scotland
gerard@missioscotland.com