The Pontifical Mission Societies (Missio Nigeria) Diocesan Directors meet for their annual National Council meeting with the theme:
"Go and invite everyone to the Banquet "(Mt 22:9) which is also the theme for the 2024 World Mission Sunday.
The opening mass commenced at 7:00 am on 17th April, 2024at St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria Durumi, Abuja which gathered about 50 Diocesan Directors and was presided over by the PMS Episcopal Chairman Most Rev. John Oyejola, the Catholic Bishop of Osogbo Diocese.
In his homily,the Bishop emphasized on the need to be courageous missionaries and be practical in preaching the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. He also admonished the Diocesan Directors to be convinced of the good news they preach not like hired labourers but as missionaries who understand the dynamics of Mission works. He further charged the directors to use different means to invite people to tye faith.
Immediately after the mass, there was an Opening. It began with the enthronement of the Bible,presided over by the PMS Diocesan Director of Nsukka Diocese, Rev Fr. Kelechi Justus Idike after which the PMS National Director,Very Rev.Fr. Solomon Zaku welcomed all present and called on all the directors to participate actively in the meeting. The reminded the directors that the national council meeting is an opportunity for them to meet one another, plan activities of the year,give report of past actives and share experiences.
The National Secretary of Synods, Congresses/Pilgrimages of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria,Rev. Fr. Nicholas Djebah, presented a paper on the theme of the meeting: "Go and Invite everyone to the Banquet" he spoke extensively on the need to invite everyone to the banquet of God's love and listen with empathy advocate for justice and live our the faith in intentional and meaningful ways. He called on the directors to use to embrace diversity as they preach the Gospel and give special attention to the poor and underprivileged.
The meeting will end on Friday with orientation for the New PMS Diocesan Directors. The orientation will help the new directors to understand the Pontifical Mission Societies and their responsibilities as Diocesan Directors.
By
Peter Adubi
Pontifical Misson Societies (PMS) is a worldwide network of prayer and charity at the service of the Pope for the evangelising mission of the church. The Vocations Sundays is a special day of prayer, awareness and support for vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life and support them financially and this year it's come upon sunday 30th April 2023. Join us this week in praying for vocations. Be charitable by contributing to the training of Priests and Religious. God bless you as you do so.
Preparations are in top gear for the celebration of World Mission Sunday which comes up on 22nd October, 2023. The National Office started the preparation for World Mission Sunday in June 2023. We produced animations materials which were distribution to all the 58 Dioceses of the Country and one moronite eparchy.
The Pope’s message was translated into four major Nigeria Languages for easy understanding and digestion. The National Director produced a short video and jingle about the mission month and mission Sunday.
In preparation for the mission month, we started a novena on 22nd October, 2023. We had online meeting of PMS directors during which we discussed on how to animate the people of God on the mission Sunday. We drafted activities which will be carried out in the mission month of October. There will be daily recitation of mission rosary and talks on different topics related to mission.
The National Office and diocesans Offices are set to use the social media such as TV, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to promote the Mission Sunday Celebration.
The National celebration will be in the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria which will be Aired live on AIT and Catholic Television. The Mass will be celebrated by the Bishop of Kafanchan Most Rev. Julius Yakubu Kundi
The Church in Nigeria will conclude the mission month with the 5th National Mission Congress in Owerri. It will take place from 24th to 27th October 2023. The National Mission Congress will be an opportunity for the Church in Nigeria to reflect and evaluate missionary athnies in Nigeria.
World Mission Sunday is a day specially set aside for prayer and support to mission. It is celebrated on every penultimate Sunday of October.
In Nigeria, preparation for World Mission Sunday started in August 2022. The national office in collaboration with the diocesan directors and the Diocesan Coordinators of the four arms of PMS: HCA.POF, SPA and PMU organized their activities from the Parish to national levels using the theme of the Pope’s message for Mission Sunday 2022: “You Shall be my witnesses’ (Acts 1:8)”. This was done so that all will be familiar with the message of the Pope
The national office produced 66,000 Pope’s message booklets for World Mission Sunday and 4,000 posters which have been distributed to all the fifty-six dioceses in Dioceses in Nigeria. The Popes message was translated into four different languages (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Tiv) so that many people can study it easily. We also produce a jingle for mission Sunday to create awareness and appeal for support. We employed the use of social media handles such as WhatsApp, twitter Facebook (Mission Nigeria) and television to create awareness about the mission Sunday.
The national office in collaboration with the Secretary general of Pontifical missionary Union, Fr. Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen, OFMConv have organized a mission formation course for all the PMS Directors in Nigeria from 11th-15th October 2022 which will take place in Oshogbo diocese. The directors will use the opportunity to widen their horizon on mission and conclude the plan for mission Sunday celebration.
Diocesan directors of different dioceses have mapped out plans in their dioceses on how the mission Sunday will be celebrated in their diocese. There will be exchange on pulpit in many parishes on that day. The priests will be celebrating the mission Sunday mass in different parishes. This is to enable them to have a little experience of being on mission.
At the National secretariat of PMS, the World Mission Sunday Mass will be celebrated at St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria by the Episcopal Chairman of PMS Most Rev. Dr. John Oyejola and will be concelebrated by the PMS National Director, Rev. Fr. Solomon Zaku by 8:00am on 23rd October 2022. The mass will be aired live on African Independent Television (AIT) and Catholic Television of Nigeria (CTV)
Massive animation has been carried out both locally and nationally especially on our Facebook handle (Missio Nigeria).
Fr. Solomon Zaku, PMS National Director in Nigeria
The coordinators of the four (4) different arms of the Pontifical Mission Societies:Pontifical Society for the Propagation of Faith (POF), Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood A(HCA), Pontifical Society of St Peter Apostles and Pontifical Missionary Union of Priest and Religious (PMU) met at the Resource Centre, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi Abuja for their annual general meeting from the 24th to the 27th of January, 2023. The opening Mass was presided over by the PMS National Director, Very Rev. Fr. Solomon Patrick Zaku on the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. Fr. Zaku encouraged the coordinators to be passionate about the mission of proclaiming Christ to all people like St. Paul. He said “there is no better day to celebrate the feast of the conversion of St. Paul than on a day like this day which marks the beginning of the meeting of PMS Coordinators”. He called on the Coordinators to emulate St. Paul in their missionary activities and promote the Pontifical Mission Societies in their Dioceses. During the opening ceremony, the Five Directors of the Catholic Secretariat gave their Good will Messages. They appreciated the work of the coordinators and encouraged them to do more in collaborating with other priests and religious in Nigeria. The Director of Social communications Very Rev. Micheal Umoh assured the coordinators that his Diocesan Directors of Social Communications will help in promoting the Pontifical Mission Societies in their Dioceses, as they will work in close collaboration. Rev. Fr. Joseph Nomhwange SMA, the Director of Mission and Dialogue, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, presented a paper to the participants on the topic: “Burning Hearts, Feet on the Move”. Reflecting on the story of the journey to Emmaus of two disciples of Jesus after his shameful death in Jerusalem, Fr. Nomhwange said the disciples had lost hope and were leaving for Emmaus when they met Christ on the way and showed him hospitality. When they recognized Jesus, the same persons who had said it was not safe for Jesus to travel in the night went back to Jerusalem that very night to broadcast the news of their encounter with the resurrected Christ. The presenter said that as the members of the Pontifical Mission Societies make sacrifices to advance the kingdom of God on earth, they might have faced challenging situations and might be intending to quit, but when they encounter Christ, they will have the energy to weather all situations. He therefore encouraged members to have personal encounter with Christ on a regular basis, he submitted that ‘We cannot be missionaries if we have not encountered Christ.
