Message from the Most Reverend William Nolan Archbishop of Glasgow
Dear sisters and brothers, when I learned that Pope Francis had appointed me as the new Archbishop of Glasgow, I felt somewhat overwhelmed at the prospect. However, I soon became aware of the prayers and support of everyone throughout the Archdiocese. That reality of supporting one another lies at the heart of what the Church is and World Mission Sunday witnesses to that in a very public and global way.
World Mission Sunday has taken place in Scotland every October for the past 100 years and has been organised by the Pontifical Mission Societies. Over that time many women and men left our shores to witness to the Gospel all over the world. Through our donations and prayers on Mission Sunday, thousands of Scottish missionaries were supported in their work of bringing the Good News by caring for the poor and sick, bringing development through education and establishing the Church. Scottish missionaries still carry out that work in many places today but they are fewer in number. Now the Church communities they helped to grow abroad are sending priests and sisters to us. The donations we give and the prayers we offer on Mission Sunday will not only help missionaries but also our sisters and brothers in those countries where the Church is growing and blossoming.
The Bishops and the Catholic community in Scotland congratulate the Pontifical Mission Societies, nowadays known as Missio Scotland, on the 200th anniversary of the foundation of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of its branches, and the 100th anniversary of becoming the Pope’s official charity for mission.
I would ask you to please be generous on Mission Sunday.
May God bless you and our parish communities.
Archbishop William Nolan, Archbishop of Glasgow
Message from the Fr. Vincent Lockhart, National Director
Your generosity enables Missio to act on behalf of the Catholics in Scotland to support Church communities in the parts of the world which are designated as mission countries - in Africa, Asia, South America, Oceania and the Caribbean. This year we hope to fund projects in many places but in this issue of our Mission Month magazine we thought to highlight two projects for the Church in Ethiopia.
Although Catholics only make up 1% of the population of Ethiopia, the Catholic Church provides 80% of social services in the country.
This work is carried out by women and men religious and Ethiopian lay people. That statistic in itself is a powerful witness to the Gospel and demonstrates that the Catholics in Ethiopia are part of a Church which is ‘outward looking’.
The Pontifical Mission Societies are the Pope’s official means by which richer parts of the Church help the parts which are new or small or poor through prayers, donations and the sending of priests, sisters and lay missionaries. It has been carrying out this work for the past 200 years. The founder and inspiration for all this was a young French woman, Pauline Marie Jaricot, who was beatified on the 22nd May this year. Pauline lived her entire life in Lyon, France but had a heart which reached out to the whole world through her support for missionaries. She bore witness to the solidarity which makes the Church one family.
On this World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis reminds us that we are all called to be witnesses of Christ by our example and by our support of the worldwide Church.
Fr. Vincent Lockhart, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies Scotland