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Catholic Mission
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NEWS
HELP DARIUS CARRY HIS CROSS. Darius Modi was in seminary at Juba in southern Sudan when civil war erupted in his country. In 1991, following the government's brutal attempt to suppress the peoples of the South, he and others fled. They finally gave themselves up to the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). MORE
FOOD FOR LIFE COOK BOOK. Chefs, sporting identities, celebrities, politicians and local people have contributed recipes to a magnificent cookbook that makes a great gift as well as being a fundraiser for Catholic Mission. MORE |
About
Mission
"The
call to mission acquires a singular urgency, particularly if we
look at that part of humanity, which still does not know Christ
or recognise him.
"Mission
is a matter for all Christians, dioceses, parishes, Church institutions
and associations" (Redemptoris Missio,
2). It is at the same time an opportune circumstance to
reaffirm that "the missions demand not only for a contribution
but for a sharing in the work of preaching and charity towards
the poor. All that we have received from God - life itself, as
well as material goods - does not belong to us".
(Ibid, 81)
"May
this anniversary, then, be an opportunity to reflect on the need
for greater common effort to promote the missionary spirit and
collect the necessary material aid which missionaries need".
(Pope John Paul II, Message for World Mission
Sunday 2001)
Catholic
Mission is the official mission aid agency of the Catholic Church
providing practical, spiritual and emotional support to communities
in 160 developing countries worlwide - encouraging all people
to be active participants, not passive recipients of assistance.
Our
Charter
• To inform
and educate our Australian communities about mission in the
world today; our role in this work, AND
• To encourage
individuals, parishes, schools and community groups to participate
in this work by sharing their time, talents, money and prayers
for the benefit of desperately poor and marginalised communities
overseas and in remote Australian dioceses.
 Catholic
Mission: Background
For almost two centuries Catholic Mission (the work of the Pontifical
Mission Societies) has responded to the challenges of the Gospel.
Those challenges are spiritual and material. They provoke a life-giving
and loving response: they demand outcomes in the form of spiritual
and humanitarian responses to the poor and oppressed people of
the world.
It was established
in 1822 through the inspiration of a young French woman, Pauline
Jaricot, who felt that she was called to use her talents and social
advantage to help those less fortunate. She dedicated herself
to raising funds to improve the standards of the many desperately
poor in the lands, especially China and Japan.
This was the
beginning of mission work as we know it. Today that work continues
in over 160 countries through the Church's Pontifical Mission
Societies worldwide.
Catholic Mission
(the work of Pontifical Mission Societies) has existed in Austrralia
for over 80 years.
From the earliest
days of the church in Australia, until today, Catholic Mission
has played a central role in the development of the local Church.
The first
Australian Catholic Bishop, Archbishop Polding, spoke of the centrality
of one of the Societies of Catholic Mission and how its support
was essential to the formation of the early Church. In fact, the
first schools built by Blessed Mary MacKillop were funded by the
Pontifical Mission Society.
Today one
third of the funds raised by Propagation of the Faith appeals
is used in Australia to support the work of the Church in remote
area dioceses, like Broome, Darwin and Wilcannia/Forbes.
Our
Work
Catholic Mission works in three main areas:
Children
- assisting those threatened by chronic shortages of food, healthcare,
religious and general education which helps to: 
- nurture
the dignity and self respect of children in their local communities
- provide
long term protection against future crises
- support
thousands of children in kindergartens, schools, orphanages,
refuges, homes for the developmentally challenged, health and
nutrition programmes in over 160 countries.
"We
support and promote the well being of children by implementing
aid programmes that benefit "not just one, but many".
Communities
- offering spiritual, healing and practical assistance to communities
with the greatest needs by:
- building
schools, chapels, churches and community centres
- providing
education, pastoral care and emergency relief
- training
and supporting lay catechists
- providing
hygiene, health, medicines and nutrition and literacy programmes
to clinics and hospitals.
Seminaries
and Novitiates - supporting the education, formation and physical
wellbeing of local young men and women entering or studying for
the priesthood or religious life in developing countries.
These everyday
needs are addressed with sensitivity and care, which allows and
encourages the people to retain their dignity and self esteem.
Each local community invites our assistance for their particular
needs, which they have identified. This
commitment and dedication to the poor, oppressed and disadvantaged
is a living witness, making Jesus present and known to the world. It is part
of the mission given to all of us, it is our call to discipleship:
and your practical support for our work is your response to this
call. Together,
we can offer a very real and meaningful "face of God" to the most marginalised.
Help
Us
Would you be willing to join our network of mission helpers in
the parishes? If you feel you could help to organise fundraising
activities, or help with material distribution, or prepare your
parish church for appeals etc then simply ring the diocesan office
contact shown below.
Contact
Us
Mr
Barry Urwin (Diocesan Director)
Street: 841 Hunter Street Newcastle West NSW 2302
Postal: PO Box 756 Newcastle NSW 2300
Ph: (02) 4979 1142 or Fax: (02) 4979 1149
Email: mission@mn.catholic.org.au
Or visit our national site www.catholicmission.org.au
or ring freecall Australia-wide on 1800 257 296.
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