World Mission Sunday falls this weekend. The theme – Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move, was chosen by Pope Francis for this annual message in support of missionaries and those engaged in the missionary activity of the Catholic Church.

This theme is inspired by the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).

“Those two disciples were confused and dismayed, but their encounter with Christ in the word and in the breaking of the bread sparked in them the enthusiastic desire to set out again towards Jerusalem and proclaim that the Lord had truly risen. In the Gospel account, we perceive this change in the disciples through a few revealing images: their hearts burned within them as they heard the Scriptures explained by Jesus, their eyes were opened as they recognized him and, ultimately, their feet set out on the way. By meditating on these three images, which reflect the journey of all missionary disciples, we can renew our zeal for evangelization in today’s world.

All of us can contribute to this missionary movement: with our prayers and activities, with material offerings and the offering of our sufferings, and with our personal witness. The Pontifical Mission Societies are the privileged means of fostering this missionary cooperation on both the spiritual and material levels. For this reason, the collection taken on World Mission Sunday is devoted to the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.” (Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2023. Full text available here).

This week Catholic Mission offers the opportunity for you to partner with Sr Carolina and the Salesian Sisters in Timor-Leste as they continue to provide an essential community project that addresses the gaps in care and well-being in rural communities like Venilale. These life-changing programs equip families with the confidence to act and autonomy over their health and well-being.

The Maria Auxiliadora Clinic is a vital project for the Salesian Sisters and the Church in Venilale. Since its establishment, the clinic has provided life – saving treatment for families in need, like Petrolina’s, whose daughter Vitoria was found to have tuberculosis. But, with an increase in the demand for treatment, the Sisters resources can only carry them so far.

Please give generously to help continue this life-giving program by clicking this link. Your gift will also help many other similar Church-run mission programs around the world.

You can Journey with Sister Carolina this World Mission Month