World Mission Sunday: a 'definite service'

When Pope Benedict visited Hyde Park recently, he said 'By letting the light of faith shine in our hearts, and by abiding in that light through prayer and participation in the sacraments, we ourselves become light to those around us. One of Cardinal Newman's best-loved meditations includes the words, "God has created me to do him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another"'.

Sister Janet Fearns from Mission writes: That work is our mission, given to us at Baptism. Our personal mission becomes part of the Church's universal mission of love.

World Mission Sunday is the special day each year when, through Missio, Catholics across the world reach out in global solidarity to its younger and struggling members. It is the day when Catholics across England and Wales help the Churches of Africa and Asia in their responsibility for building faith communities, as well as supporting their 16,152 health care facilities, 4,346 orphanages, 2,848 homes for the elderly and disabled, 19,020,871 Primary School plus 9,875,709 Secondary and High School pupils.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for World Mission Sunday 2010, wrote: 'The month of October, with the celebration of World Mission Sunday, offers to... the entire People of God an opportunity to renew the commitment to proclaim the Gospel and to give pastoral activities greater missionary perspective.'

Offerings from Catholics in England and Wales, on World Mission Sunday and throughout the year, are combined with offerings to the Association for the Propagation of the Faith (APF) from Catholics worldwide. Mission dioceses - about 1,069 - receive regular annual assistance from the funds collected. In 2010, the money collected in England and Wales through World Mission Sunday 2009 and the APF amounted to £2,298,349 and supported 39 dioceses in five countries!

For more information see: www.missio.org.uk