CATHOLIC MISSION’S
Work in Mission Formation and Education Jenny Collins‑White Mission Formation Manager
The Mission Formation team carries the work of the Pontifical Missionary Union to transform hearts and minds to live the joy of the Gospel and lead mission. We facilitate opportunities to encounter God in the world through an immersive, interactive pedagogy of dialogue, encounter and experience which engages the whole person.
The Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU) is the society of the Pontifical Mission Societies that seeks to affirm Pope Francis’ call for renewal. ‘May the missionary ardour that consumed Blessed Paolo Manna, and from which the Pontifical Missionary Union flowed, continue still today to burn, to impassion, to renew, to rethink and to reform the service that the work is called to offer the whole Church. Your Union must not be the same next year as this year; it must change in this direction, it must be converted to this missionary passion.’ Pope Francis’ Address to the Superior Council of the Pontifical Mission Societies, June 2016. The Mission Formation team carries the work of the PMU to transform hearts and minds to live the joy of the Gospel and lead mission. We facilitate opportunities to encounter God in the world through an immersive, interactive pedagogy of dialogue, encounter and experience which engages the whole person. Our formation and education programs and resources have local and global perspective and include: • International and Indigenous immersions for students and adults; • Engaging workshops and international guest speakers on mission for school students; • World Mission Month resources for students, teachers and catechists;
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• Advocacy in support of children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; • Professional development and learning programs of contextual mission for adults and leaders working in Catholic organisations, institutions and agencies across sectors of health, social services, education and diocesan local church. This includes a biennial mission leadership conference.
Adult Formation and Professional Development The strong partnership with Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDOW) has continued throughout the financial year. The headlining program Educating with A Mission Lens, now in its sixth year, consists of six modules spanning three years. The 2021 program is set to engage teams within the CEDOW office, as well with 16 schools, which is almost half the number of schools in the Diocese of Wollongong. This represents almost 1,000 teaching and other school staff engaging in formation with this program. Work on developing similar partnerships with other dioceses is well underway but has faced challenges with ongoing border closures and lockdowns. Catholic Mission continues to play a critical facilitation role with the Plenary Council via Deputy National Director, Peter Gates, and Sr Marion Gambin, who has joined the Mission Formation team
Learn more about our work with mission formation and education
on a part‑time basis this year. This work represents a vital partnership with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC). Again, due to COVID‑19 restrictions, both the Plenary Council, and Catholic Mission and Catholic Religious Australia’s biennial Mission: One Heart, Many Voices conference have had to transition to online forums and are now scheduled for October and September 2021, respectively.
The Interculturality Program The Interculturality Program is designed to build cultural awareness and develop cross‑cultural skills to help participants live and work more effectively in multicultural communities. COVID‑19 has affected this area of work with most of the clients requesting a face‑to‑face experience, therefore most have elected to wait for the end of restrictions to reschedule the planned work. A business plan and promotional materials have been developed for 2021 and promotion activities are being rolled out, targeting multicultural religious congregations and multicultural dioceses, with the aim of possible training sessions in 2021. A new development in Mission Formation is training in “Facilitation for Adult Learning” which arose from a direct request from the Diocese of Wollongong. Three half‑days have been carried out since April 2020 with a final session in September.
Catholic Mission Annual Report 2020-21
