Extraordinary Missionary Month – October 2019
Catholic Bishops in Malawi have served Catholic flocks with a 16 point statement, instructing them on how best ‘the Extraordinary Missionary Month in October, 2019’ (EMM 2019) can be prepared for and celebrated.
It’s almost century now since the Catholic Church first engaged new, better and aggressive ways and means in reaching out the masses with the gospel as per commanded by Christ in the Sacred Scriptures. (Mk. 16:15)
In a papal document titled Maximum Illud, dated November 30th 1919 by Pope Benedict XV, the pope spoke of the Church’s mission after World War I. The Holy Father underlined the necessity of proper preparation for the work in foreign cultures and the need to acquire language skills before going there.
Pope Benedict XV requested a continued striving for personal sanctity and praises the selfless work of female religious in the missions highlighting that pastoral mission is not only for missionaries, but that all Catholics must participate, through their Apostolate of Prayer, by supporting vocations, and by helping financially. The encyclical concludes by pointing out several organizations which organize and supervise mission activities within the Catholic Church.
100 years down the line Pope Francis urges all to celebrate the success of the mission and at the same time pray for the course of evangelisation.
Responding to the Pope’s call and Christ’s invitation to evangelize, Malawian bishops have issued a statement which has been on first Sunday of Advent in all Catholic prayer-houses in Malawi. In the communiqué, the senior pastors are direct the faithful to participate actively in the missionary initiative of the Holy Father, Pope Francis so as to achieve renewed missionary zeal and the objectives of celebrating the Extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019.
In Diocese of Mangochi, His Lordship Bishop Monfort Stima presided over a launch Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral where hundreds of Catholics congregated.
Speaking on behalf of the congregation and all Catholics in the diocese, Mr. Kamwendo assured the bishop of their very active participation for the church to meet its expectations.