Dear Parishioners:
All Catholics are called to be missionaries by their baptism, sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus by their actions and words. Pope Francis states: "We must renew the Church's missionary commitment and give fresh evangelical impulse to Her work of preaching and bringing to the world the salvation of Jesus Christ to the world."
Every baptized Catholic has a responsibility to share the Gospel. Baptism and membership in the Church go together and are essential for salvation. And they also can contribute to peace and harmony in the world. The Mission of sharing the Gospel and offering them the gift of baptism "is part of our identity as Christians," Pope Francis has said.
We bear witness to this missionary calling at OLM this weekend. We welcome Father Jose Jacob, who is preaching all the weekend Masses about the work of missionaries in Papua New Guinea. It is a small South Pacific nation of about 7.5 million people, more than one-quarter Catholic. It is the world's most linguistically diverse nation, with more than 800 languages spoken. The Church first arrived by French missionaries in 1847, but the early efforts to evangelize proved problematic. In 1855, an Italian priest and missionary, Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi, was killed by hostile natives. He is now beatified.
By the 1880s, the Church began to make significant inroads, and as the 20th century arrived, there were several centers of missionary activity. Such progress, however, brought risk, and on August 13, 1904, ten missionaries, including five religious sisters, were killed on the island of New Britain. Yet many natives continued to convert to the Catholic Faith. However, missionary work was curtailed by the World Wars, particularly the Second World War, which saw invasion and occupation by the Japanese military. They persecuted, imprisoned, and killed many missionaries of any Christian denomination.
The post-WWII era saw a rise in missionaries, mainly from Australia, Canada, and the US. In 1966, the Catholic hierarchy of archdioceses and dioceses was established in Papua New Guinea. There are now a total of 19 dioceses, including four archdioceses. The Catholic Faith is the nation's largest denomination, with 27 percent of the total population, followed by Evangelical Lutheranism (19.5 percent), the United Church (11.5 percent), and the Seventh Day Adventist Church (10 percent), according to the US State Department. The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga is in the remote section of Papua New Guinea. It is 38,470 Square Miles with a total population of 211,000 people with 51,000 Catholics.
There are just thirteen parishes with only one Diocesan Priest. However, there are fourteen Missionary Priests who serve the Diocese. There are about 50 Religious Sisters and Brothers who also help there. The Missionaries who serve and have served there do incredible work proclaiming the Gospel and converting souls to Christ and the Catholic Faith. In 1970, there were just over 2,000 Catholics! Fifty years later, there are over 50,000!
This weekend we are called to support the Mission Church in Papua New Guinea. Each year we are reminded of our call to be missionaries. And while we cannot physically go to Papua New Guinea, we can support the Mission with our prayers and our financial donations. As we give thanks for the blessings of our faith, our Church, and our parish, let us be mindful of the Missionary Church. The Mission Church is poor but vibrant and needs our help.
The Second Collection this weekend is dedicated to aiding the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga in Papua New Guinea. There is no envelope for this Second Collection. However, you may make a check payable to OLM with "Mission Co-Op" in the memo. If you are unprepared to help at Mass this weekend, you can drop a check off at the Parish Office or in the deposit box in the vestibule this coming week. I thank you for your generous financial support and prayers for the Missions. Welcome, Father Jacob!
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox! Happy Feast of the Assumption!