The Church with the most needy
Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
As a result of the synergy of various European sections (including the Portuguese, Polish, Austrian, Spanish and English), and with the supervision of the North American direction, the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) are present at the World Day of Youth, more specifically in Cidade da Alegria, thus allowing young people “direct contact with various movements, associations, communities, religious orders and ecclesial initiatives.” The presence of the PMS, with a stand set up and programmed animation, intends to be a concrete way of highlighting the missionary dimension of the Catholic Church.
A worldwide network at the service of the papacy with the objective of supporting the missions and young Churches, “through prayer and charity,” the PMS include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of Saint Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association and the Union of Priests
and Religious. These four bodies have been defined as “pontifical” since 1922, thus indicating their status as “official instruments of the Pope and of the universal Catholic Church.”
All over the world, the Pontifical Mission Societies are committed to proclaiming the Gospel and building churches, relying on the work and witness of countless missionaries, religious and priests, and lay pastoral leaders. They are the ones who with their commitment bear witness to “the compassionate heart of Jesus,” providing not only spiritual support, but also food, education and medical assistance to the most vulnerable communities.
In most countries, it is the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (currently the Reverend Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington) who leads the four societies and oversees the Worldwide Missionary Sunday Collection, held annually on the third Sunday of October in all Catholic parishes in the world. The donations collected there are intended, in their entirety, to support churches, hospitals and schools in countries “where the Church is new, young or poor.”
The history of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith begins in France at the beginning of the 19th century. Pauline Marie Jaricot, inspired by her brother’s letters about the missions in Africa, began to gather small groups, mostly employees of her family’s silk factory. Pauline asked each of them for daily prayers and a small monetary contribution (the equivalent of a penny at the time) “destined for the worldwide missionary work of the Church.” Thus was born the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which, as early as 1822, supported the vast diocese of the state of Louisiana (which then stretched from the Florida Keys to Canada) as well as the missions of Kentucky and China. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith continues today to “rekindle the missionary ardor of Christian communities and individual believers” through a missionary program that reaches all over the world: 1,100 dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and the most remote regions of Latin America.
A decade before Pauline Jaricot’s vision, a compatriot of hers, the young Charles de Forbin-Janson, was ordained a priest with the intention of one day being able to dedicate his ministry to the poorest children on the planet. In 1843, the now Bishop Forbin-Janson would share his old dream with Pauline Marie Jaricot, who, in the course of a conversation suggested that the bishop appeal to French children “to help the most needy children in the whole world.” As a result of this meeting, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) was born. Today, following Bishop Forbin-Janson’s philosophy – “children helping children” – MCA’s support reaches more than 2 million children enrolled in catechetical and Christian formation programs, as well as more than 600,000 children, from nursery to high school. Additional help is sent to over 700,000 children benefiting from “lifesaving” programs. This help includes health care (basic, rehabilitation, children with disabilities and special needs), advocacy (orphans, street children, child soldiers, human trafficking) and logistical support (food, water, etc).
At the end of the 19th century, Jeanne Bigard and her mother, Stephanie, saw their lives change radically after receiving a letter from a French bishop serving in Japan. In that missive, the prelate mentioned “the 50 young people who were preparing for the priesthood” and the obstacles faced by these and all those, “an ever-increasing number,” who applied for admission to the seminary. Stephanie and Jeanne, responding to the call, began raising funds to support these seminarians. Thus, in 1889, the Society of Saint Peter the Apostle was founded “to support missionary vocations, both priestly and religious.” In the first year, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle helped approximately 2,700 seminarians. Today, around 28,000 seminarians, mainly and in Asia and Africa, receive an average annual subsidy of US$700 per student from that institution.
Finally, in 1916, Father Paolo Manna, a PIME missionary, founded the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious. This spiritual apostolate supports those dedicated to catechesis and religious education “to help Catholics better understand their baptismal responsibility in the Church’s missionary work.”
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