Poland: more than 2,000 children attend conference in Czestochowa

Promyczki dobra - Rays of goodness

More than 2,000 children attended the Second Congress of Missionary Childhood at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa yesterday.

The gathering was attended by all the leaders of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Archdiocese, along with the Diocesan Director, Jacek Gancarek, and Dom Bogdan Michalski, national Secretary of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and Pontifical Society of St Peter the Apostle.

The Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of John Paul II was presided by Mgr Stanislaw Nowak, Archbishop of Czestochowa. Some missionary priests concelebrated in Ecuador, Cameroon, Oceania, and Papua New Guinea. The liturgy was animated by the children's musical group 'Promyczki dobra' ('Rays of goodness').

In his homily, Archbishop Nowak underlined that "the missionaries play an important role in the proclamation of the Gospel, and many times also offer their lives for the Gospel of Christ". The Archbishop then asked the children to always pray for missionaries, because "with your prayers you become small missionaries".

During the Congress, missionary catechesis on the theme 'With John Paul II we learn to become saints', was presented and an exhibition was opened dedicated to the missions of the Church. The first Childhood Congress of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa was held in 1999.

Source: Fides/ICNPOL