SUMMER MISSION APPEAL

 

  


Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

            We might be tempted to discouragement when we look around us and notice a decline in church attendance and a decrease in the number of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and sacramental marriage.  This is not the trend in the Church universal.  The growth of the Church in Africa and parts of Asia is astounding.  By the photos above and below you can get a sense of the vibrancy of Catholicism in the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria.  The Archdiocese is served by over 500 priests, 117 religious men, and 498 religious women, who serve some 2,185,137 lay faithful.  It has 750 seminarians. 

            Christians in Nigeria have been the victims of horrific attacks by Islamic militants, and the government has been accused of not providing them with adequate protection.  Human rights organizations have accused some officials of complicity.  According to Genocide Watch, in the first four months of this year 1,470 Christians have been murdered.  The Church in Nigeria continues to grow despite the persecutions, bringing hope and renewal to the people by preaching the gospel, catechizing the faithful, and doing works of mercy.  The Archdiocese of Onitsha is especially dedicated to educating children in poor areas where government programs do not reach them.

The Pontifical Mission Society of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia arranges for the visit of missionaries every summer to parishes to raise awareness of the missionary dimension of the Church and to appeal for practical support.  This year we welcome Father Livinus as a representative of the Archdiocese of Onitsha.  He will speak of its efforts to form young men and women in the Catholic faith so that they can live happy and healthy lives and advance the common good of their society.  His presence reminds us of the universality of the Church, that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and have a responsibility for one another.  The fathers of the Second Vatican Council taught that “Since the whole Church is missionary, and the work of evangelization the fundamental task of the people of God, this sacred Synod invites all to undertake a profound interior renewal so that being vitally conscious of their responsibility for the spread of the Gospel they might play their part in missionary work among the nations…So all the children of the Church should have a lively consciousness of their own responsibility for the world, they should foster within themselves a truly Catholic spirit, they should spend themselves in the work of the Gospel” (Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church).  Thank you for your support for the Church’s missions!  


Father Scott



photos downloaded from https://www.onitsha-archdiocese.org



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