Brazil: a favorable time to relaunch missionary projects

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Under the motto “You will be my witnesses”, the “Missionary Jubilee Year” continues in Brazil, which began in November last year with the theme: “The Church in a permanent state of mission” and with the objective that every archdiocese, diocese, and prelature, in addition to the “Ad Gentes” Project, should have a “sister Church” that transcends borders.

As Fides recalls, the “Missionary Jubilee Year” began in Brazil last November with the theme: “The Church in a permanent state of mission” and under the motto: “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

THE CHURCH IN A PERMANENT STATE OF MISSION

It is a propitious moment to celebrate the steps taken so far at the national and international level and, above all, an opportunity to give new impetus to the Missio ad gentes.

THE INTENTIONALITY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE JUBILEES

Father Mauricio Jardim, Coordinator of the Pontifical Mission Societies of America and Director of the PMS of Brazil, explains: “The logo that carries the visual identity of the Missionary Jubilee Year includes some elements that express the intentionality of the celebration of the Jubilees: the globe, the map of Brazil, the missionary cross, the year 2022, the colors of the five continents and the golden color that refers to the Jubilee”. He adds:

“The logo expresses the great missionary explosion that in 1972 marked a new impulse for the mission of the Church of Brazil and that in 2022 opens even more to mission without borders to reach all peoples, in all nations.”

MISSION WITHOUT BORDERS TO REACH ALL PEOPLES

The two major projects of the National Missionary Program, created to strengthen missionary awareness oriented to universality, go in the same direction: the Ad Gentes project and the Sister Churches project. Both will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2022.

AD GENTES PROJECT

The Ad gentes project works on missionary animation in pastoral care and involves sending missionaries to other regions and nations. In Brazil, of the nineteen regional offices of the Episcopal Conference, there are currently three with Ad gentes projects: two in Mozambique and one in Guinea Bissau. One of the challenges of the National Missionary Program is for each region to have an Ad gentes project beyond the border.

SISTER CHURCHES

On the other hand, “Sister Churches” is the name of an initiative that aims to create a network that shares spiritual, human, and material gifts with another ecclesial community.

Sister Sandra Regina Amado, advisor to the Missionary Action Commission of the National Conference of the Bishops of Brazil, comments:

“Openness to interaction and exchange with the sister Church gives renewed impetus to face society’s challenges with courage and faith.”

In this case, the objective of the National Missionary Program is that each archdiocese, diocese, and prelature has “a sister Church”.