Pope Francis announced the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV’s Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud. Photo: EMMOCT2019 Website
VATICAN City – 100 years ago, Pope Benedict XV released the encyclical Maximum Illud, which called on Catholics to bring the Good News to all peoples (Missio Ad Gentes). To commemorate this anniversary, Pope Francis has declared October 2019 to be an Extraordinary Month of Mission (EMM). This special month of prayer and action calls us all to renew our missionary commitment. We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all peoples.
The Theme of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019
Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World” is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the Extraordinary Mission Month. Awakening the awareness of the missio ad gentes, and reinvigorating the sense of responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel with new enthusiasm, are themes that combine the pastoral concern of Pope Benedict XV in his Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, published 100 years ago, with the missionary vitality expressed by Pope Francis in his recent Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium: “Missionary action is the paradigm of every work of the Church.” (EG 15)
Revitalize, renew, reawaken
For the four weeks of October 2019, the Holy Father has approved four themes:
A personal encounter with Jesus Christ living in His Church.
1. The witness of missionary saints and martyrs.
2. Biblical, catechetical, spiritual and theological formation for mission.
3. Missionary charity as a commitment to support the Church’s missionary activity and communities too poor to support themselves, through Missio.
Through these dimensions the Holy Father invites us to renew and reawaken our commitment to mission.
Encouraging us to help
The EMM is to be an opportunity for reflection, prayer and support for the whole Church. As the Pope’s official charity for overseas mission, Missio enables Catholics in Scotland to live out the call received at Baptism: to share in the Church’s universal mission.
The Holy Father’s expresses his care for all Churches through the prayer and solidarity Missio encourages. It can help Churches in mission dioceses reach out to their own communities with the love and compassion of Christ.
You can access the EMM Prayer below, or find the official EMM guide here.
The EMM is not an end in itself, but a means to revitalize, renew, and reawaken ongoing commitment to Missio Ad Gentes. Missio will continue to play its part in encouraging and channeling this commitment to developing Church communities abroad.
In particular, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo, intend to use EMM as a catalyst to solidify October’s status as Mission Month. To that end, our Diocesan Commission on Mission Director, Rev. Fr. Alan Oresca requests the following activities to be done in all Parishes in line with the said worldwide celebration;
1. To include the recitation of Prayer for Mission in all Sunday Mass Celebration for the whole month of October and in the recitation of the holy rosary in the Rosary Month
2. To promote and explain the Mission Sunday Envelops in October Masses.
3. To conduct Holy Childhood Association Awareness especially in parochial schools. This is to inspire and encourage Grade 1-6 to join students the Holy Childhood Association especially in parochial schools.
4. To organize Mission Animators. Parishes must create a group to devote in promoting the commissions’ activities and that the parish may have a representative for the diocesan meetings and updates.
5. To join and send 50 delegates and Parish Catechists for the Diocesan Holy Eucharist Celebration on October 01, 2019, Tuesday, at Antipolo Cathedral at 9:00 o’clock in the morning and to be presided by Most Rev. Nolly C. Buco, JCD, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of Antipolo This will be an opening activity for the awareness for the Extraordinary Missionary Month.
