The Missionary Union
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History of The Missionary UnionIn 1916, Father Paolo Manna, a PIME missionary serving in Myanmar (then called Burma), envisioned an organization that would help him to share the spiritual graces he had received through his work in bringing the “Good News” of Christ to others. He wanted to encourage those already engaged in the work of the Church to support the work of the missions — and perhaps to become missionaries themselves. And so, he formed the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.
Father Paolo Manna
Today, this spiritual apostolate started by this Italian missionary continues to address itself to those called to bring Catholics to a better understanding of their baptismal responsibility for the church’s missionary work — to priests, Religious, seminarians, pastoral leaders and those engaged in catechesis and religious education.
In fact, the success of the efforts of the three other missionary societies is linked to the vitality of the Missionary Union, because it is through this work that the missionary spirit –– a spirit of prayer and generous sacrifice – is developed and nurtured. Animators inspiring other animators to carry out the baptismal mandate to “go to all nations and proclaim the ‘Good News’” is what inspires so many men and women, Religious and lay to witness and share their faith with so many more.
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The specific purpose of the Missionary Union is to increase missionary work and expand the missions through the direct commitment of those, like the Apostles, who have received the call: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” (Mt 28:19). The goal of its work is not only to make known the progress of faith around the world and to help the missionaries through prayers and offerings, but above all to support and put the Church in a position to carry out her evangelization task with more missionaries, the indigenous clergy, and committed laypersons.
The Missionary Union aims to:
- Promote missionary awareness among seminarians, priests, religious, and pastoral leaders, and those engaged in catechesis and religious education
- Animate all the animators of the People of God for the Mission (RM 84) spreading and promoting the other Pontifical Mission Societies
- Favor the union of Christians so “that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me…” (Jn 17:23);
- Put the whole Church “in a state of mission”
- Meditate on Holy Scripture to understand God’s plan of universal salvation and know the missionary nature of his Church;
- Read and study the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Popes’ missionary encyclicals;
- See one’s personal history and that of one’s Church from a world perspective in order to think and act on the universal level;
- Pray “the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Mt 9:37-38).
Encyclicals
- Papa Francesco Evangelii-Gaudium (ENGLISH)
- Papa Francesco Lumen Fidei (ENGLISH)
- Redemptoris Missio–Pope John Paul II (ENGLISH)
- Papa Francesco Lumen Fidei (SPANISH)
- Redemptoris Missio–Pope John Paul II (SPANISH)
- Papa Francesco Evangelii-Gaudium (SPANISH)
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