World Mission Sunday supports struggling young churches

Catholic parishes around the world joined in World Mission Sunday on 19 October 2008 as a sign of the Catholic Church's global solidarity in mission.

The Association for the Propagation of the Faith, which co-ordinates World Mission Sunday, had urged all Catholics in England and Wales to take part in the day of prayer and generosity, held under the theme of 'Help others to see Jesus'.

APF said the collection gathered in churches in England and Wales alone on World Mission Sunday would help support 194,855 schools, 5,246 hospitals, 17,530 dispensaries, 577 leprosy centres and 80,560 social and pastoral projects.

Across the world but especially in Africa and Asia where the Catholic Church is rapidly expanding, young churches often struggle in difficult circumstances and urgently need support. Many of the mission dioceses would be forced to close without help from the APF, which is the only Catholic organisation that supports the growth and development of each of the 1,075 Catholic dioceses worldwide.

In places such as Zimbabwe, people search for God in the midst of great hardship.

Bishop Schoelz, of Chinhoyi in Zimbabwe, wrote to the APF London headquarters saying, "Droughts and famine are regular occurrences and our children grow up with an overwhelming experience of hunger... Life on the border has, for most people, been a precarious existence on the border of life. The hardships and suffering have had a profound impact on our faith and pastoral approach... for several years...the people had to nourish their faith from their own spiritual resources."

He told the story of Regina Kagura, who during a period of conflict, walked 80 miles once a month from her village to Mount Darwin through very dangerous territory to attend Mass and have a word with the priest.

"Thus strengthened she returned to her village where she was the pillar of faith for her community. She sustained her people for three years. She has died but her faith lives on and continues to inspire younger Catholics. One of our catechists was martyred; one of our priests is still in hiding," said Bishop Schoelz.

In rural communities throughout Africa, in the absence of a priest, the life of the Church continues under the direction of a catechist and the Small Christian Communities (SCC). There might actually be more than one priest in a parish, but there can be as many as 50 or 60 sub-parishes, with the possibility of Mass only once or twice in the course of a single year. The parish catechist and the SCC is absolutely vital for the daily life of the Church in such parishes.

Bishop Schoelz continues, "In choosing Small Christian Communities as our preferred pastoral method, we are building on the faith of these women and men, on their suffering and on the sacrifice of their lives. The subsidy we have received from England and Wales in 2007 will help us train a new generation of lay leaders and sustain them in our present dire situation. Thank you. We are deeply grateful for the support of our brothers and sisters."