October 2000 - General Assembly

Life of Missionary Childhood

OCTOBER 2000
GENERAL ASSEMBLY

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE PONTIFICAL SOCIETY OF THE MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD TO THE PMS RESTRICTED SUPERIOR COUNCIL

With my last report in May I had spoken of my participation in the farewell ceremony for Msgr. Poll which took place in Aachen on April 3rd. So, I would like now to report on some activities since then.

I was in CINCINNATI from April 11th-13th for the Annual meeting of the Diocesan Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The meeting was hosted by the National Office of Propagation of the Faith. Fr. Frank Wright and I gave talks on Holy Childhood. Next year the meeting will be hosted by the National Office of Holy Childhood. The meeting gave me the opportunity of meeting our collaborators from all over the United States.

On Friday, May 5th I participated in the introductory course for the new Directors. From May 8th-12th I took part in our annual meeting of the Superior Council.

I was in PARIS from May 19th-21st for the annual Assembly of CCIC-UNESCO (Catholic International Centre for UNESCO). While in Paris I stayed with Fr. Emmanuel Lafont and met with the staff of the National Office especially the Holy Childhood coordinator.

I was in POLAND from May 30th-June 4th to take part in the Third National Congress of Holy Childhood held in Czestochowa. There were 40.000 children present with their animators. We also celebrated a diocesan Congress of Missionary Childhood near Warsaw with the presence of 7000 children. There were delegates present from some of the neighbouring East European countries and so we hope to see an expansion of Missionary Childhood throughout Eastern Europe.

On Saturday June 10th the EXPO MISSIONARIA 2000 was inaugurated at the Monastery of the Three Fountains. With the other Pontifical Mission Societies we of Holy Childhood maintained a stall there giving to the visitors lots of material and information during one month.

On June 20th, here in Rome, I took part in a one-day seminar on the theme of child soldiers, organized by the COALITION TO STOP THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS. This Coalition brings together leading NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) working on the issue internationally.

The next day, June 21st, I took part in the meeting, here in Rome, of R.O.A.C.O. (Riunione Opere Aiuto Chiese Orientali - Meeting of Agencies for project assistance in territories of the Oriental Churches). We started the day with the celebration of the Eucharist, presided by Cardinal Silvestrini, Prefect of the Congregation of the Oriental Churches and President of R.O.A.C.O..

I was in ANGOLA from July 14th-23rd. This visit was planned to coincide with a National Congress for Peace held at the Catholic University of Luanda. This gave me the opportunity to meet several times with all the bishops. I also visited many of our projects in Luanda.

From September 27th-October 1st I took part in the First National Missionary Congress in the PHILIPPINES which was held in Cebu. This Congress highlighted the importance of Philippine missionary activity ad Gentes especially in its outreach to Asia. While in the Philippines I visited several of our Holy Childhood projects.

We published the bulletin "Missionary Childhood" n°8 of the General Secretariat in English, Spanish, Italian and French. Copies have been sent to all parts of the world. We welcome your comments and observations.

We are continually visited by bishops, priests, Religious men and women, lay-people in the office. All of these visits are welcome and help us to understand the struggles of our children and their families throughout the world.

Apart from the Ordinary and Extraordinary Subsidies, we continue to respond, where necessary, with some emergency subsidies, for instance in Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Angola, Iraq.

Once again I thank all of you, National Directors, for the hard work you and your staff put in on behalf of Holy Childhood and mission awareness in general. Also I thank the staff, here in Rome, for the constant service and attention to duty shown in their daily work.

Let us all renew our faith in the power of God's love, keeping in mind the words of Jesus in John, chapter 10, verse 10 " I have come that they may have life, and life in abundance".