Planting Seeds of Mission

 MCA and LMH Partner for the Msgr. Anthony Brouwers Essay Scholarship Contest

At the heart of every missionary calling is a spark—an awareness that God’s love is meant for all people, everywhere. Each fall, the Lay Mission-Helpers Association (LMH) partners with the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) of Los Angeles to nurture that spark through the Msgr. Anthony Brouwers Essay Scholarship Contest. Catholic school students in grades 6–8 reflect on a missionary theme, growing in faith and global Christian responsibility.

This year’s topic: “Why is it important that we share God’s love with people from every country, language, and culture?”

The top writers were honored at the MCA Youth Appreciation Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on October 16, 2025.

2025 Scholarship Winners:
• Noah Diaz, 6th Grade – St. Matthias School, Huntington Park
• Sophia Ramirez, 7th Grade – St. John of God School, Norwalk
• Gabriel Juarez, 8th Grade – Our Lady of the Assumption School, Claremont

Each student received a $500 scholarship for their thoughtful, faith-filled reflections.

Noah Diaz (6th Grade) reminded us that sharing God’s love begins with small acts of witness:
“Imagine a world where everybody would live how God wants us to. This would be an amazing world, but sadly that is not reality. There are people who lack faith, love and respect. All things that God wants everyone to have. This is why it is important that we share God's love with people from every country, language, and culture because God wants his message and love shared with all people, so that the world could be the best place possible. This can begin with people sharing the gospel and God's message of love for all people.”

For Sophia Ramirez (7th Grade), missionary love knows no limits:  “When we reach across countries and cultures, we show that God’s love has no boundaries. Missionaries are a great example of this. They leave their homes and travel far away to bring comfort, kindness, and hope to people who may not know about Jesus yet. Their work reminds others that God is real and that His Love stretches across borders. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus showed us the same lesson: Love should never be limited by race, country, or background. Our neighbor is anyone in need, no matter who they are.”

And Gabriel Juarez (8th Grade) captured the transforming power of mission in both giver and receiver:  “There’s also something deeply satisfying about sharing God’s love. It changes not only those who receive it but those who give it. When we engage with people different from us, we’re stretched. We learn to listen more, to be patient, and to see others through God’s eyes. It humbles us and deepens our faith.”

At LMH, we see this truth lived daily by missionaries in Sierra Leone, Peru, and Ghana, where faith becomes a universal language and cultural differences become bridges 

Make A Will, Make A Difference

 

As Lay Mission-Helpers celebrates our 70th Anniversary this year, we are filled with deep gratitude—for the lives changed through mission and for you, whose generosity makes it all possible.

You’ve been part of our story, and we hope you’ll continue to be part of our future.

August is Make-A-Will Month, a perfect moment to reflect not only on the legacy you’ve helped build, but also the one you wish to leave behind. One simple and powerful way to do that is by including Lay Mission-Helpers Association in your will or estate plans.

This kind of gift costs you nothing now and ensures that future missionaries will continue to bring education, health care, and pastoral support to those who need it most. It’s a way to extend your faith and compassion to generations yet to come—while also protecting your family and your values.

There are many ways to include LMH in your legacy:

Bequests – Leave Lay Mission-Helpers Association a specific dollar amount, percentage, or the remainder of your estate (personal property, stocks or real estate).

Beneficiary Designations – Name Lay Mission-Helpers Association as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, IRA, life insurance policy, or donor-advised fund (DAF).

Payable on Death (POD) / Transfer on Death (TOD) Accounts – Easily name Lay Mission-Helpers Association as a beneficiary on bank or investment accounts.

Charitable Remainder Trusts – Provide income for loved ones now, with a future gift to Lay Mission-Helpers Association.

Each of these is a meaningful way to express your faith and ensure your resources serve causes that reflect your values. Without a will, your estate may be distributed according to state law, potentially supporting causes you would never choose to support.

We understand that providing for loved ones comes first. With thoughtful planning, you can care for your family and support the mission you’ve championed in your lifetime.

If you are considering a legacy gift—or have already made one—we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at 213.368.1874 or director@laymissionhelpers.org. Our legal name is Lay Mission-Helpers Association, and our Tax ID is 52-2407129.

Thank you for walking with us on this journey of faith and mission. The mission continues because of YOU!

A Missionary Pope for a Missionary Church

 

The recent election of Pope Leo XIV marks a historic and deeply symbolic moment for the Catholic Church. As the first American pope and a former missionary, Pope Leo brings to the papacy not only a global perspective but also a heart formed by service on the margins—walking with the poor and accompanying vulnerable communities in the developing world.

His election offers hope for a renewed emphasis on the Church’s missionary identity. Pope Leo XIV has already expressed his desire for “a Church that goes out,” echoing the words of Pope Francis, but with a unique urgency and pastoral clarity drawn from his own lived missionary experience in Peru. In his first public address, he stated:

“We have to look together at how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone (…) open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.”

These words affirm the vital role of missionaries, whose witness—in pastoral ministry, health care, education, development, and beyond—brings Christ’s compassion to life where it is most needed.

For the Lay Mission-Helpers Association, the election of a missionary pope is both a profound encouragement and a call to renewed commitment. As we celebrate 70 years of missionary service, we are heartened by this affirmation of our charism to share our gifts and witness the faith as laity in mission. We’ve witnessed firsthand that the professional and spiritual gifts of a few can transform the lives of many. Since our founding, more than 750 lay men and women, married couples, and families have served in 37 countries—and counting.

Yet Pope Leo’s election also challenges us. It urges us not to rest on the legacy of the past, but to look forward—to continue our Gospel witness and to support a new generation of missionaries.

We, as Lay Mission-Helpers, embrace this new chapter in the Church under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV, with hope that his papacy will re-center missionary discipleship at the heart of Catholic life and ecclesial culture around the world.

As we mark this milestone year, we pray that his election will not only be a symbol of hope, but also a summons: a call for all Catholics—ordained, religious, and lay—to go forth, to cross borders both physical and spiritual, and to encounter Christ anew in the face of every neighbor, especially the poorest and most forgotten.

May the Holy Spirit, who guided the cardinals in the Conclave, inspire many—single men and women, married couples, and families—to share their gifts and witness their faith as Lay Mission-Helpers. May many others be moved to support them—through prayer, encouragement, and financial partnership—for the sake of the Gospel and the Church’s missionary mandate, which belongs to all the baptized.

Reflecting on the Papal Message for World Mission Sunday 2024

The papal message for World Mission Sunday 2024 was announced on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul in January. This year, Pope Francis chose the theme “Go and invite everyone to the banquet,” drawing inspiration from the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14. In his reflection on the parable, the Pope highlighted what he sees as the three key aspects of evangelization.

1. “Go and invite”

According to Pope Francis, “mission is a tireless going out to all in order to invite them to encounter God and enter into communion with Him.” The Church, without growing weary or losing heart in the face of adversity, continues Christ’s mission to seek the lost. Grateful for the work of missionaries, the Pope addresses them, saying, “Dear friends, your generous dedication is a tangible expression of your commitment to the mission that Jesus entrusted to His disciples.” He reminds all Christians that we are called to witness and share Christ with others. According to Pope Francis, “today’s drama in the Church is that Jesus keeps knocking on the door—from within—so that we let Him out!” Those who invite others to know Christ are called to “imitate the same ‘style’ as the One who is preached.” This means witnessing with joy, magnanimity, benevolence, compassion, and tenderness.

2. “To the marriage feast”

Since the banquet in the Gospel represents the eschatological banquet at the end of time, when the Kingdom of God is fully realized, mission also points to this ultimate fulfillment. As we anticipate this final promise, we experience a foretaste of it in the Eucharist, where the eschatological gathering of God’s people is sacramentally accomplished. Thus, mission and the Eucharist are intrinsically linked.

3. “Everyone”

In a divided and fragmented world, the Gospel offers a gentle yet firm voice, calling all to encounter God and one another. Those who carry this invitation should not impose new obligations on others, but rather share the joy they have found in accepting God’s invitation to a new life. They should live this newness of life authentically, wearing it like a wedding garment. This mission is for everyone, and it requires the commitment of the entire Church—those who go out into the world and those who support their efforts through prayer and financial assistance.  Emphasizing the importance of financial support for missions, the Holy Father encourages generosity on World Mission Sunday, when a second collection will be taken across the world to support the Vatican’s Society for the Propagation of the Faith (SPF) and its global programs. [This collection is distinct from the Mission Cooperative Plan (MCP) collections, which has been a unique annual initiative of the SPF in the United States since the late 1930s. Through the MCP, Catholics in the U.S. hear about the missionary work of specific groups and have the opportunity to support their efforts.  Each year, LMH applies to many dioceses seeking invitations to participate in the MCP, and we are deeply grateful for every invitation we receive].

Finally, Pope Francis entrusts the mission of Christ’s disciples to Mary, Star of Evangelization, seeking her maternal intercession for the work of evangelization.

For the full text of the message, visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/missions/documents/20240125-giornata-missionaria.html

Special Prayer For New Normal

By Janice England, LMH Program Director

During the past several weeks, while we have been unable to attend Mass in person and receive the Eucharist, I have had had the opportunity to participate in my parish’s liturgy every Sunday because they are live streaming it.  I can also participate by watching the live streaming from a variety of other parishes as well several television channels that broadcast Mass – sometimes daily

. 

However, I can’t help but think of the hundreds of thousands of people who are unable to attend Mass every Sunday, not because of a global pandemic or a “new normal,” but because this is their “normal” normal.

 

When I served as a Lay Mission-Helper in Makeni, Sierra Leone, I lived in the town where the Cathedral parish was located.  In addition to the parish (and all parishes in the diocese), there were roughly 20-30 outstations attached to it.

These outstations or Catholic Communities were in outlying villages and too far away for people to travel (walk) to attend Mass.  Some outstations may only have a priest come to celebrate Mass a few times a year.  In the meantime, they have a prayer leader or catechist who leads the faith community in prayer on Sundays and during the week.  They only receive the Eucharist and other Sacraments when the priest visits. This situation is not unique to Sierra Leone, but to so many other parts of the world. 

As I’m lamenting this temporary inability to celebrate Mass in a church and receive the Eucharist, and as I watch the live streaming celebrations of the Triduum and Easter from the relative comfort and safety of my own home, I have a special prayer intention. I pray that when this pandemic subsides, and we have a “new normal,” we will be in solidarity with those who are not able to receive the Eucharist on a daily or weekly basis, and never forget that we are privileged.  And with that privilege comes responsibility – to pray and care for our brothers and sisters around world.

Happy Easter – He Is Risen!

Finding God In Everything, Even The Crickets

By Pegi Sadler

I felt very called to serve as a lay missionary overseas.  After training I was sent to Sierra Leone.   I remember telling Msgr. Meyers that I was afraid of bugs and hated the heat.  Boy, was I in for a surprise.

About two months into the country of Sierra Leone, I had experienced so much; culture, weather, tradition, etc.  These experiences were well beyond my comfort zone as Sierra Leone was bigger than life itself.  Bugs, especially roaches, were twice the size than they were at home, tarantulas were common place, snakes next door, bats in my attic that made a lot of noise at night and on and on it went.  I had no way to relax or escape so I developed a chronic headache and wasn’t sleeping.  In other words, I was a mess!  

I thought learning to live with those issues was all I needed to do until that November when rainy season started.  We didn’t have thunder and lightning very often in California so that first big flash of lightning and bang from the thunder scared me to death.  Multiple flashes, followed immediately by a bang, happened every night for an hour or two without fail. To say the least, I was a nervous wreck and it was keeping me from doing things after dark.

One night during a storm and while curled up in a ball in the back room, I asked God for help and told him I wasn’t going to make it without it.  I wanted to stay in Sierra Leone so badly but I was losing hope that I could overcome this fear of everything.  I begged God for help. 

Sometime after that, I started noticing little things such as the crickets would start their screeching just before the last bang of the thunder.  I was so excited to realize that!  Just knowing when the end was coming was so helpful.  Also, it occurred to me one day to say my Rosary during the storms with my musical rosary tape.  I found it really helped to distract me during the storms.  Another gift from God was my Spiritual Director who decided to bring me a cat in hopes it would keep the bugs at bay and it worked!

From that time on I started to relax, especially when I heard the crickets.  I started to notice God in so many situations and realized that I wasn’t alone.  I became much more confident in my surroundings and could laugh at myself when I was being a wimp.  God is so good!  I did manage to stay and started to appreciate the new culture, the wonderful brave people, the beautiful country and I even got involved with the displaced people which was a great gift.  I grew in so many ways and wouldn’t change the experience for anything.

Note:  Pegi served in the Diocese of Makeni, Sierra Leone from 1993-94.  She was evacuated due to the civil war. She then served in the Diocese of Kumbo, Cameroon from 1995-96.

Easter 2019: Triumph from Defeat

This Holy Week started with the heartbreaking images of the flames consuming the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.  The fire at the 850 year old structure captured the headlines and the attention of the world.  As the world watched in horror, some bemoaned the forever-lost art while others the state of the Church in France symbolized by the apocalyptic sight.  The fire for them is the sad commentary on the condition of the “Oldest Daughter of the Church” who has walked away from its Christian roots as about only 5% of the population is practicing Catholics. 

While the images of the fire horrified the audiences around the world, the images from the day after can help us cope and even be inspired.  For the humanists and art lovers, the images of the saved stone structure of the cathedral, the artifacts rescued from the burning building, and the few rosette stain glass windows which were left intact will sooth to some degree the feelings of loss.  For the believers who feel like the Church is dying, the soothing comes from the image of the intact main altar with its pieta and the cross. Especially, the image of the gleaming cross in the sea of ashes should inspire us all to hope. The cross of the Cathedral of Notre Dame which shines like a beacon of hope is a reminder that God can turn any tragedy into victory.  It points to the reality beyond itself which we celebrate today – the triumph of Christ over sin and death.  Because Christ rose from the dead, the cross is the sign of hope and new life.  What better invitation to hope than the gleaming cross in the midst of the rubble?  What better way to think of Christ’s victory than the cross shining in the night of charred wood and melted metal? What better way to be reminded of the triumph of Christ who hung on the cross?

I hope this image of the cross raised above soot and rubble will inspire us to celebrate Easter with great hope, trust and joy.  I hope we find comfort in the mystery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ which is the cornerstone of our faith and the proof that all the claims that Jesus made about himself are true. I hope we feel encouraged to practice the teaching of Jesus which the resurrection proved true and trustworthy.  

May the cross from Notre Dame remind us that “Christ is risen! Alleluia! He is truly risen! Alleluia!” And may the presence of the Risen Christ, fill your heart with hope, peace and joy!