Let us celebrate mission.
Let us celebrate the World Mission Rosary, created 75 years ago by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Each color represents a continent. I especially like green since I served in East Africa for over 45 years. Green symbolizes the forests and grasslands of Africa. The green beads are either the first decade or the fifth decade, depending on where you start.
I grew up in a devout Irish Catholic family in Baltimore, Maryland. My mother was so strict she would not let even our dogs eat meat on Fridays! On Sunday nights we would say the rosary together as a family and then watch Archbishop Sheen’s program “Life Is Worth Living” on television. I am sure the seeds of my vocation to be a Maryknoll missionary priest were planted there. Let us celebrate this great American evangelist, who will be beatified in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sept. 24.
This year marks another important milestone to celebrate: the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday on Oct. 18. Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, World Mission Sunday reminds Catholics that we belong to a global Church. The theme Pope Leo XIV chose for this year, “One in Christ, United in Mission,” reflects the wisdom gained through his decades of experience serving in mission in Peru.
During Masses in East Africa, a land of many ethnicities and languages, we would invite everyone to say the Our Father in their mother tongues to illustrate the universality of the Catholic Church.
Let us celebrate the Maryknoll family in mission — priests, brothers, sisters, lay missioners and affiliates — proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to all people!
Featured image: Diane Mastrogiulio/U.S.
