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TH E SO CI ETY F O R TH E PR O PAG ATI O N O F TH E FAI TH LA SO CI EDAD PAR A LA PR O PAG ACI Ó N D E LA FE
“We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)
O
Dear Brothers and Sisters, nce we experience the power of God’s love, and recognize his fatherly presence in our personal and community life, we cannot help but proclaim and share what we have seen and heard. Jesus’ relationship with his disciples and his humanity shows us the extent to which God loves our humanity and makes his own our joys, sufferings, hopes and concerns (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22). Everything about Christ reminds us that he knows our world's need for redemption, and calls us to become active-
ly engaged in this mission: “Go therefore to the highways and byways, and invite everyone you find” (Mt 22:9). THE EXPERIENCE OF THE APOSTLES The history of evangelization began with the Lord’s own passionate desire to call and enter into friendly dialogue with everyone, just as they are (cf. Jn 15:12-17). The Apostles remembered even the day and the hour when they first met him: “It was about four o’clock in the afternoon” ( Jn 1:39). Experiencing the Lord’s friendship, watching him
A Message from
POPE FRANCIS cure the sick, dine with sinners, feed the hungry, draw near to the outcast, touch the unclean, identify with the needy, propose the Beatitudes and teach in a new and authoritative way, left an indelible mark on them, awakening amazement, joy and a profound sense of gratitude. With Jesus, we too have seen, heard and experienced that things can be
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October 2021 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 35
World Mission Sunday
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
W
orld Mission Sunday – the annual, worldwide Eucharistic celebration for the Missions of the Church – will be on October 24 this year. This important day in the life of the Church universal fortifies our understanding of our shared call to mission, bestowed upon us at Baptism. Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday reflects on the theme: “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). The Holy Father shares his zeal, reminding us that, “as Christians, we cannot keep the Lord to ourselves,” as we “recall with gratitude all those men and women who by their testimony of life help us to renew our baptismal commitment to be generous and joyful apostles of the Gospel.” He invites us to speak of our faith! World Mission Sunday provides us with that very opportunity. We can speak about our faith and respond to our missionary call – through prayer, participation in the Eucharist, and giving generously to the collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith on that special day. Your gifts support and sustain priests, religious and lay pastoral leaders in more than 1,100 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe as they proclaim the Gospel, build the Church, serve the poor – and speak of our shared faith in all corners of the world. “The global pandemic has brought to the fore and amplified the pain, the solitude, the poverty, and the injustices experienced by so many people,” reminds Pope Francis. This year, as the world recovers from the loss and the challenges that resulted, let us respond with reciprocal generosity to the fullest extent that we are able. If you were unable to support missionaries last year due to difficulties arising from the pandemic, please consider a “little extra” this year for those most in need. As we rebuild our lives, help us to also reach out in solidarity and support for the Mission Church, and the work and witness of missionaries in the Pope’s missions. In this spirit, I offer my sincere personal gratitude for your kind missionary heart, reaching out in love throughout Mission Month. Respectfully yours in the Lord,
Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M., J.C.D. Bishop of Trenton 36 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE October 2021
C
2021 Awards
ongratulations to the following parishes and schools who have the highest contributions to the missions this year. This is based on the amount they gave as reflected on the number of enrolled students. Thank you for your help and support. Per Capita Contributions
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:
First Place: St. Jerome School, West Long Branch Second Place: St. Joan of Arc School, Marlton Honorable Mention: Our Lady of Sorrows School, Hamilton Total Contributions
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS:
First Place: Our Lady of Guadalupe Religious Education Program, Lakewood Second Place: St. Veronica Church Religious Education Program, Howell Honorable Mention: St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral Religious Education Program, Freehold
es a photo from er Alindogan shar
Fath
his mission trip to
India.
DIOCESAN WORLD MISSION SUNDAY MASS The diocesan observance of World Mission Sunday will take place Oct. 24 at the 12 p.m. Mass to be celebrated at St. Mary of the Lakes Church, Medford. Father Peter James Alindogan, pastor of St. Veronica Parish, Howell, and diocesan director of missions, will be the principal celebrant of the Mass. All are welcome to attend, in adherence to pandemic guidelines.
Father Alindogan with a group of youngsters during his mission visit to Tanzania in 2019. Courtesy photos
Dear Friends of the Missions,
P
eace! World Mission Sunday will be celebrated this year on the weekend of October 23 and 24. Our diocesan celebration will take place at FOR A REPORT OF the Church of St. Mary of the PARISH DONATIONS Lakes, Medford, on October 24 at the 12 p.m. TO THE MISSIONS, go to Mass. TrentonMonitor.com and Gina Selah, a student from the Religious Edclick on NEWS>DIOCESE. ucation Program of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, was one of 24 young people from throughout the country to have her artwork selected as a winner 2021 ANNUAL REPORT in the National Christmas Art Contest of the Year ending 12/31/20 Missionary Childhood Association. It will be an CASH RECIEPTS honor for me to present the award to Gina. This Personal Donations $5,389 is the fourth time in a row that our Diocese has Legacies $255,511 won the award. Bination Stipends $23,850 As Bishop O’Connell has shared, “We cannot Mass Stipends $3,370 but speak about what we have seen and heard” Missionary Cooperation Plan $21,420 (Acts 4:20), and World Mission Sunday gives us Interest $10,850 this important opportunity to reach out to the Mission Sunday Collection $136,947 Mission Church, to speak about our faith and Refunds of Expense $1,100 about missionaries who proclaim the Gospel as they serve the poor. We each can participate in $458,437 this worldwide moment for prayerful and finanDISBURSEMENTS cial support for the Pope’s missions. The Society of the Propagation of the Faith $348,383 I humbly and sincerely ask for your own joyMissionary Childhood Association $11,375 ful participation in the Church’s worldwide moMssionary Cooperation Plan $80,948 ment for prayerful and financial support for the Mass Stipends $3,420 Church’s Missions, in particular to our collection Catholic Near East Welfare Association $2,626 for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Through this collection, you provide for $446,752 more than 1,100 mission dioceses in territories covering more than half the globe. Your prayers and sacrifices will support priests, religious, and lay pastoral leaders who are proclaiming the Gospel, building the Church, and serving the poor and most vulnerable. Their work and witness to Christ brings both practical help and God’s love, hope and peace. Father May your help and love for the Church’s MisAlindogan sion, which is a passion for Jesus and a passion for during a His people, grow ever stronger. I thank you as visit to well for all you do for the missionary work of the Nepal. Church each October and especially this year, as we all cope during these troubling times. United with you in prayer,
Rev. Peter James Alindogan Diocesan Director of Missions
October 2021 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 37
NES AGRADECIDOS World Mission Sunday ARIDAD MISIONERA!
Called to witness Continued from 35
de la Fe.
EL FIN DE SEMANA DEL DOMINGO MUNDIAL DE LAS MISIONES HOY ES EL DOMINGO MUNDIAL DE LAS MISIONES. Celebramos este día recordando nuestra llamada bautismal: ¡llevar el Evangelio a todas las personas! La colecta de hoy para la Sociedad para la Propagación de la Fe asegura el trabajo y servicio de la Iglesia Misionera, ya que apoya a los sacerdotes, líderes religiosos y líderes laicos quienes ofrecen la misericordia del Señor y ayuda concreta a las comunidades más vulnerables de las misiones del Papa. Gracias por su generosidad.
ThisDEmission has always been the hallmark us, a closeness that abandons LA closeness SEMANA toDESPUES DEL DOMINGO MUNDIAL LAS MISIONES
the Church, “she exists tode evangelize” no onepor along the side aporte of the road. GRACIAS su generoso a la colecta para laofSociedad parafor la Propagación la Fe que (St. Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14). Our There is urgent need for the mission se llevó a cabo durante el fin de semana pasado, el Domingo Mundial de las Misiones. Nuestra life of faith grows weak, prophetic of compassion, cancantidad). make social parroquia recaudó $which (insertar Puede permanecer conectado todo elloses año its a las misiones to awaken amazement an opportunity for encounter, del distancing Papa, manteniendo el compromiso del Domingo power Mundialand de its lasability Misiones, visitando MISSIO.org. and gratitude when we withdraw into care and promotion. “What we have
(HCH 4,20)
“WE CANNOT BUT SPEAK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD” ( ACTS 4:20) “NO PODEMOS DEJAR DE HABLAR DE LO QUE HEMOS VISTO Y OÍDO”
different. Even now, he has inaugurated future times, reminding us that “we were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love” (Fratelli Tutti, 68). The ecclesial community reveals its splendour whenever it recalls with gratitude that the Lord loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19). “The loving predilection of the Lord surprises us, and surprise by its very nature cannot be owned or imposed by us ... To be ‘in a state of mission’ is a reflection of gratitude” (Message to the Pontifical Mission Societies, 21 May 2020). The first Christians began the life of faith[with] experiences of marginalization, imprisonment, and struggles that seemed to contradict what they had seen and heard. Yet, those experiences impelled them to turn difficulties into opportunities for mission. Limitations and obstacles became a privileged occasion for anointing everything and everyone with the Spirit of the Lord. We have a vivid testimony toSPEAK all this ABOUT in the Acts of the Apostles, [which] AFRICA… teaches us to endure hardship by…where clinging 19,000 firmly to Christ, in order to grow in the young men are “conviction that God is able to act in anyfor preparing the priesthood. circumstance, even amid apparent setbacks” and in the certainty that “all those HABLAR who entrust themselves to God will bear good fruit” (Evangelii Gaudium, 279). The pandemic has amplified the pain, solitude, poverty and injustices experienced by so many people. It has unmasked our false sense of security and revealed the brokenness and polarization quietly growing in our midst. However, “we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). This message of hope bestows the freedom and boldness needed to rise up and seek to show compassion, the “sacramental” of God’s
little groups. The first Christians were seen and heard” (Acts 4:20), the mercy we have experienced, can become a point inspired by the Lord and his offer of new life to go out and bear witness to what they of reference and a source of credibility, had seen and heard: the good news that enabling us to recover a shared passion the Kingdom of God is at hand. I like to for building “a community of belongthink that “even those who are most frail, ing and solidarity worthy of our time, limited and troubled can be missionaries our energy and our resources (Fratelli in their own way, for goodness can always Tutti, 36). To those who wonder why be shared” (Christus Vivit, 239). they should give up their security and On World Mission Day, let us rememcomforts if they can see no result, our ber especially answer will always remain the same: SPEAKall those who resolutely set out toABOUT bring theTHE Gospel to all those places “Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin and PACIFIC and people athirst death and is now almighty. Jesus Christ ISLANDS…for its saving message. Jesus needs hearts capable of experiis truly alive” (Evangelii Gaudium, 275) ...where 3,500 bring encingreligious vocation asthe a true love story that and wants us to be alive, fraternal, and Lord’s mercy urges them to go and forth to the peripheries capable of cherishing and sharing this those in of ourpeace worldto as messengers and agents message of hope. need. of compassion. It is important Like SPEAK the Apostles and the first SPto grow in our daily ability to reach out to others Christians, we too can say with complete HABLAR ABOUT SPEAK DEnot LAS who are immediately part of our “circonviction: “We cannot but speak about ABOUT LATIN ISLAS DEL cle of interests” (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 97). To what we have seen and heard”AMERICA… (Acts PACÍFICO… be on mission is to be willing to think as 4:20). Everything we have received from …donde 3.500 Christreligiosos does: that those around us are also the Lord is meant to be put to good use llevan la misericordia y May his compassionbrothers and sisters. and freely shared with others. Just as paztouch del Señor los ate love oura hearts and make us all the Apostles saw, heard and touched the necesitados. true missionary disciples. saving power of Jesus (cf. 1 Jn 1:1-4), we May Mary, the first missionary discitoo can daily touch the sorrowful and ple, increase in all the baptized the desire glorious flesh of Christ. to be salt and light in our lands (cf. Mt AN INVITATION TO EACH OF US 5:13-14). The theme of this year’s World Mission For Pope Francis’ complete Day – “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20), is message, visit TrentonMonitor.com> a summons to each of us to “own” and to News > Church bring to others what we bear in our hearts.
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os por nuestro bautismo, ya que nos ofrece a sotros la oportunidad de apoyar la presencia la Iglesia entre los pobres y marginados en iócesis misioneras.
38 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE October 2021