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way to a meeting with the catechists and
Your faith has
given them life
When 14 year-old Mumba’s parents died, his
brothers, Simon and Chiti, were aged 11 and
7 and his sisters, Blessing and Kabwe were 9
and 2. Mumba was almost an adult but he
was frightened. Perhaps one of the priests in
his parish of Kasanka, Zambia could help.
Finding food was easy. From an early age he
had learned to use a canoe and catch fish. The
problem would be paying school fees for the
younger children. Even if Mumba sold every
fish he caught, life would be very difficult. If
he was fishing and Blessing was in school,
who would care for Kabwe? If one of them
became ill, how would they pay for their
medicines?
Mumba spoke to Fr Bernard, a Missionary of
Africa, who lived two hours away in the
swamp. Fortunately, Father was just on his
To read these stories in full and for information about
Missio’s support in other continents please visit our website
www.missio.org.uk
invited Mumba to accompany him. The
catechists agreed the parish would help to
look after the family but Mumba had to do his
part. One of the mothers would help with the
childcare if Mumba would help on their farm.
And, thanks to Missio, the parish could help
with school fees, uniforms and books needed
by Mumba’s family. And supported by Missio
and World Mission Sunday the parish was able
to help many more child-headed households
in the community. When you share your faith,
you are also giving life, love and hope.
Her faith helps
others to find life
Sr Rogita Bonaventure is a Franciscan
Missionary of the Divine Motherhood from
Nigeria who works in the same Zambian
village of Kasanka. She works with child-
headed families in which children must care
for sick adults and orphans. Sr Rogita helps
others to visit and comfort the sick. Help and
support from the parish community are vital
and enable the children to
look to the future with
some sense of hope.
Thanks to the support
of Catholics on World
Mission Sunday
thousands of parishes
across the world are
able to share their
faith and give life
through the work
of catechists and
missionaries like
Sr Rogita and
Fr Bernard.
What is Mission
Sunday?
World Mission Sunday is celebrated
everywhere in the world on the penultimate
Sunday in October. Celebrations on this day
encourage prayer and financial support for
the mission outreach of the Catholic Church
in a world where millions are thirsting to hear
of God’s love for them and longing for the
light of Christ in their lives.
Why does Missio
coordinate World
Mission Sunday?
Missio is the official support organisation
for the overseas mission of the Catholic
Church. It supports EVERY mission diocese
in the world on their journey to becoming
self-sufficient. It is charged with enabling all
the faithful to actively participate in the
Mission of the Church. It also makes sure
that financial support received by local
bishops, churches and missionary
congregations is distributed fairly – on the
basis of need rather than particular links.
‘Twinning’, although worthy, can sometimes
cause an unfair disparity in the distribution
of resources.
The people of our day are Where do
more impressed by witness donations go?
than by teachers, and if
The World Mission Sunday collection is
they listen to these it is given in its entirety to support the outreach
because they also witness. of the Church where it is too new, too
young or too poor to fend for itself. Monies
from England and Wales go directly to the
(Evangelii Nuntiandi §41) bishops in the mission territories - local
Church directly helping local Church!
The prayers and contributions of our
ordinary parishioners are vital. They provide:
• places of prayer and worship
• health and education
• support for 'front-line' missionaries
• training and support for the
thousands of catechists who teach
the faith and provide spiritual
support in their own communities
Missio relies entirely on donations from
Catholic individuals and parishes; we
receive no grants or subsidies from any
other source.
For more information please see the
fact sheets on our website:
www.missio.org.uk/missionsunday.php
1. What is a Mission Diocese?
2. The origins of World Mission
Sunday
3. Why does Missio coordinate World
Mission Sunday?
4. Zambia fact sheet and stories in full
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World Mission Sunday Share your faith – Give life!

established in 1926 and celebrated in 159
Dear friend in mission
countries around the world
Thank you for all your support for the
worldwide mission of the Church. You can
be certain that the generous help from
Support from
Pakistan
your parish and community through World APF England (2 dioceses –
Mission Sunday is guaranteed to reach the Faisalabad and Quetta)
mission dioceses. Your financial support and Wales £109,988
equips catechists, Religious and priests to
bring hope and the fullness of life to
communities across the world.
Missionary cooperation is an exchange of India
gifts across the whole Church. On World (15 dioceses including
Mission Sunday this is expressed by a Hyderabad and
worldwide effort in which even the poorest Jammu-Srinagar)
countries have a collection to give what £997,015
they can. As Pope John Paul II reminded us,
‘No Church is so poor it cannot give; no
Church is so rich it cannot receive’. This Ghana
strong symbol of universal solidarity is (6 dioceses including
strengthened and made ‘mission’ by the Accra and Cape Coast)
prayers that we share and the faith that £491,488 Zimbabwe
unites us. For the sake of shared faith and (8 dioceses including
LITURGY PREPARATION
life, please encourage your parishioners Bulawayo and Harare)
NOTES
and community in this celebration. South Africa £450,873
(9 dioceses including
Mgr John Dale Durban and Rustenburg) NOTES FOR CHILDREN’S
National Director £404,559 LITURGY

HOLY FATHER’S MESSAGE

AND MISSION INTENTIONS
Every parish in the world is called to share in world mission.
World Mission Sunday helps PRACTICAL INFORMATION
World Mission Sunday helps each local Church to care for other & NEWSLETTER INSERTS
each local Church to care for
Churches and support its poorest members
the other Churches and COUNTING THE
support its poorest members. COLLECTION

World Mission Sunday unites Missio 23 Eccleston Square London SW1V 1NU
Catholics all over the world in Telephone: 020 7821 9755 POSTERS
prayer, mutual friendship Email: missionsunday@missio.org.uk
and support. Web: www.missio.org.uk Reg Charity No. 1056651

POSTERS

COLLECTION
COUNTING THE

& NEWSLETTER INSERTS

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

AND MISSION INTENTIONS

HOLY FATHER’S MESSAGE

LITURGY
NOTES FOR CHILDREN’S

NOTES
LITURGY PREPARATION