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!

Palm Sunday: A Misfit King

The Holy Week begins with the Palm Sunday procession commemorating the triumphant entry of Jesus into the Holy City of Jerusalem.  This liturgical action has ancient roots and symbolizes our present willingness to walk with Jesus.

Some 500 years before the event we reenact today, Zechariah prophesied to the Israelites captive in Babylon about the future messiah: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). The prophet foretold the triumphant entry of the new king into the city. It would be a great day of joy and celebration. The new king would come victorious and take possession of the besieged city.  There is no question that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem must be seen as the fulfillment of that ancient prophecy.  Nevertheless, while the king comes to Jerusalem in triumph, this triumph is unusual. He comes mounted on a donkey, not a powerful stallion. What kind of a triumph is that? This unusual triumph is understood only through the person of Jesus. Jesus is the promised king and messiah, but he is unlike any other king. He is a misfit king. 

Jesus is not the type of king the ancient world, or any other time or culture, is familiar with. He is a misfit king. He comes not to conquer his enemies with military might. He offers them love and forgiveness.  He does not seek to be served but washes the feet of his followers and commands them to do likewise. He does not respond with violence but offers the other cheek. He does not punish offenders but rejoices with their change of heart. He does not sentence others to hell but pardons and promises paradise to those who want it.  His throne is not made of gold but of rough wooden beams. His crown is not bejeweled but made of thorns. His greatest victory was accomplished through suffering and death.

His kingdom too is unlike any other kingdom ever.  It is a misfit kingdom. It is founded on the counterintuitive rule of mutual love and service.  The citizens of Jesus’ kingdom are misfits too as they live by the unpopular rule of the love of God and neighbor.  They are meek and humble in the world run by power and pride. They work for peace and rely on God in the world of aggression and the ever-growing cult of self-centeredness. They hunger and thirst for justice and speak the truth in the world that promotes personal benefit and moral compromises. They give generously to the poor and protect the weak in the world where the dignity of people is measured by their market value. They reject evil in the world that pursuits its empty promises. They glorify God and give light to the world by the way they live in the world that rejects God and celebrates the works of darkness.  They suffer ridicule and rejection in the world of reversed values.  Indeed, they are the true heirs of this misfit king who came to establish his upside-down kingdom.  And yet, it is those who pray for the coming of this kingdom and practice its values that have historically accomplished the most good in the world by being faithful in small and great things. In the end, they will rejoice hearing “come, good and faithful servant, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

As we walk with Jesus this Holy Week, let us honor our king by living like faithful citizens of his kingdom, and thus prepare ourselves to renew our baptismal allegiance on Easter Sunday. 

Fifth Sunday of Lent: I Am Doing Something New!

The readings for this Fifth Sunday of Lent invite us to hope in God for the future by reminding us of the many wonderful things that God has accomplished in the past.  The reading from Isiah (Is. 43:16-21) and the responsorial psalm (Ps 126) recall the two greatest events in the history of the Chosen People: how God freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and how he brought them from their exile in Babylon.  These two pivotal saving events which shaped the identity of Israel are just two examples of God’s loving action towards his people.  We are encouraged to look forward to even greater things God is able to accomplish now and will accomplish in the future.  God speaks through Isaiah saying:  “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”  God always does new things!

Jesus makes this “new thing” a reality in the life of the nameless woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). The woman is in danger of being killed because while being married or promised to a man, she had an intercourse with another.  The lovers got caught in the act so there is no question as to the facts. Neither there is a question as to the prescribed penalty: death (Deuteronomy 22:23-240 by stoning (Ezekiel 23:43-47). 

Nevertheless, the apparent religious zeal of the Pharisees and Scribes is just a cover for their sinister plans. For them, the woman is a collateral damage (What happened to the man?); the real purpose of bringing her to Jesus is to test him.  The same word “test” is used to describe the devil’s temptations in the desert.  In a way, the religious purists utilize not just the woman but the very law they claim to love to gain advantage over Jesus.  They know what the law prescribes, yet they ask his opinion.  If he opines to let her go, they will accuse him of breaking the law. If he tells them to stone her, the common people will turn away from him as no longer being “a friend of sinners.” He might even get in trouble with the Romans as it is their and only their prerogative to impose capital punishment!  Fortunately, the religious leaders’ evil scheme does not work! 

The response Jesus gives stuns them: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Speechless and shamed, they walk away one by one.  What they mean for evil, Jesus turns into good.  He turns to the woman and completes the act of mercy and restoration not by denying her sin but rather by freeing her from it.  He says, “Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” A new life begins.  We do not know what happened after Jesus saved her life and soul.  We hope she took that moment of grace and challenged herself to start fresh.  Based on the other life-changing encounters between Jesus and sinners, we can presume she took that opportunity and allowed God to recreate her, to do something new with her life.

God gives us similar opportunities all the time through Christ.  When we are touched by the living Christ, we have a chance to become a new creation.  We no longer need or even want to dwell on the sinful past or the past spent on insignificant and meaningless pursuits.  We are compelled to start anew and change the direction of our lives. St. Paul describes it this way:  “forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:8-14). In other words, we choose to live a different life and want to make different choices because “the Lord has done great things for us” and “we are filled with joy”   (Ps. 126).