MISSION Magazine Spring 2024

A MAGAZINE OF 

THE PONTIFICAL MISSION 

SOCIETIES 

SPRING 2024 

HERE I AM, 

SEND ME!

In this issue 

A Letter from the Secretary of the Society 

for the Propagation of the Faith 

02 

The Pontifical Mission 

Societies USA 

Shhhh. Let me tell you a secret 

From Missio: 

Though the Mountains May Fall 

From the Dioceses: 

‘Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’ 

Society for the Propagation of The Faith: 

For Cardinal Tobin, his missionary vocation 

began as an altar boy 

07 

10 

16 

20 

PUBLISHER: FATHER ANTHONY 

ANDREASSI, AD INTERIM 

NATIONAL DIRECTOR 

EDITOR: INÉS SAN MARTÍN 

CO EDITOR: MARGARET MURRAY 

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL 

OFFICE OF THE PONTIFICAL 

MISSION SOCIETIES IN 

COOPERATION WITH DIOCESAN 

OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES 

©THE SOCIETY FOR THE 

PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH 

MEMBER, CATHOLIC MEDIA 

ASSOCIATION 

Missionary Childhood Association: 

“What’s your favorite subject?” 

23 

The Missionary Union: 

The Real-Life Miracle Workers of Chisombezi 

30 

From Missio: 

Amidst War and Earthquake, Syria’s Struggle, 

and the Church’s Beacon of Hope 

34 

Making a Personal Connection with the 

Global Church 

The Fulton Sheen Legacy Society Part 2 

Editor’s Note 

Learn more 

about us 

38 

41 

48 

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©2023 TPMS-US National Office - Photo by Margaret Murray 

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3 

A Letter from the Secretary of 

the Society for the Propagation 

of the Faith 


On the Feast of St. Joseph in 2022, 

Pope Francis issued “Praedicate 

Evangelium,” an apostolic 

constitution that reformed the Roman 

Curia. To show that evangelization 

must be at the heart of all that the 

Church does, the Constitution did 

this in two ways. First, of the sixteen 

dicasteries (formerly congregations), 

the newly named “Dicastery for 

Evangelization” is listed first, thus 

showing its primacy in all the 

works of the Church. Second, the 

constitution names the Holy Father 

himself as the prefect of this dicastery 

(with the day-to-day running of the 

dicastery handed over to two proprefects). 

With the pope himself as 

the titular head of this dicastery, this 

too demonstrates powerfully that the 

spread of the Gospel should be of 

vital importance to the whole Church, 

from Rome to the ends (peripheries) 

of the earth. 

With the Church’s renewed 

commitment to evangelization in 

mind, I embarked on the December 

mission trip to Malawi with both 

enthusiasm and excitement. My joy 

was further deepened as I was not 

making this journey alone but rather 

with Mark Poletunow and Maggie 

Murray (TPMS-National Office), 

Maureen Heil (TPMS-Archdiocese 

of Boston), and Antoinette Mensah 

(TPMS-Archdiocese of Milwaukee). 

Upon our arrival in Malawi’s capital, 

Lilongwe, we were warmly welcomed 

by Father Vincent Mwakhwawa, the 

TPMS National Director, and Father 

Peter Madeya, the TPMS Director 

for the Diocese of Dedza. (Since our 

visit late last year, Father Vincent was 

ordained an auxiliary bishop for the 

Archdiocese of Lilongwe, and Father 

Peter was named the new national 

director.) 

In addition to greeting us, Father 

Vincent had planned a full but 

invigorating schedule of visits over 

the next six days to a whole host of 

places, including parishes, schools, 

and charitable institutions, all of 

which have been supported by 

Propagation of the Faith, Missionary 

Childhood Association, and the 

Priestly Society of St. Peter. At each of 

these visits, we saw the work of the 

local church transforming lives and 

giving hope to those in need thanks 

to the strong hands and generous 

hearts of dedicated priests, religious, 

and laypeople. 

While it is tempting to want 

to describe in detail each of the 

interesting places we visited and the 

welcoming people we met, I will limit 

myself to the first and last as these 

not only bookended our experiences 

but also in many ways encapsulated

4 

5 

the whole trip. Our first stop was at 

St. John’s Catholic Primary School 

in Lilongwe. Founded sixty years 

ago and built by a donation from the 

Missionary Childhood Association 

(MCA), the school continues to be 

supported by MCA. Amazingly it 

enrolls close to 5,000 students (in 

split sessions) and has a faculty of 

69 teachers. While the school enrolls 

children of all religious backgrounds, 

the student body is about 18% 

Catholic. In addition to visiting 

several classrooms where we saw the 

strong Catholic education in action 

helping to transform these young and 

promising lives, we also witnessed 

the deep need of the children and the 

school. 

In some of the lower grades’ 

classrooms, the children were forced 

to sit on the floor for lack of desks, 

and class sizes were well over forty 

students. In other places around the 

school, we sadly saw walls chipping 

away and roofs sagging or with 

holes poking through. While the 

government pays a modest salary to 

each of the teachers, it does not give 

any support to capital improvements 

or new construction. For needs such 

as these, St. John’s (and all the other 

Catholic schools in Malawi) must 

turn to groups such as the Pontifical 

Mission Societies, especially MCA. 

©2023 TPMS-US National Office 

Photos by Margaret Murray 

While our support continues, clearly 

much more is needed. 

We saw a similar situation during 

our visit to the Chisombezi Center 

in Blantyre, a residential school for 

children with multiple disabilities 

run by a local congregation of women 

religious, the Servants of the Blessed 

Virgin Mary. While these Sisters 

and their lay colleagues do amazing 

work caring for and educating 

these children, many of whom are 

deaf and blind, the need for regular 

maintenance and modernization of 

the buildings remains critical. 

We began the last day of our trip 

with a visit to the Church in Malawi 

with an early morning Mass at a 

Poor Clare monastery. Founded in 

1959 by French nuns, this convent is 

now composed of all African women 

and is situated on the grounds of 

the cathedral which is also where 

the archbishop lives. In many ways, 

concluding our mission trip in 

prayer was a perfect way to end 

our visit as we were able to raise up 

to the Lord all the people we had 

met, as well as their needs, in both 

thanks and supplication. And the 

setting in which we did this could 

not have been more beautiful and 

appropriate. Designed and crafted by 

local artisans using wood and other 

materials native to Africa, the nuns’

6 

7 

chapel contained images of both 

Saints Francis and Clare depicted 

with African features and placed in 

a setting very reminiscent of rural 

Malawi. While most of the Mass was 

in English, the first reading and some 

of the hymns sung by the nuns were 

in Chichewa, the language spoken 

by most Malawians. In addition, one 

of the Poor Clare’s gently played a 

drum to accompany our singing. All 

the elements, as well as the deeply 

reverent presence of the nuns, helped 

to make this liturgy most moving and 

prayerful. 

After Mass, we met with the nuns 

to share the story of our visit and to 

hear some words from the Reverend 

Mother as to how they see their 

vocation of prayer and penance to be 

very much at the service of the Church 

as well as for the sanctification of 

their souls. On our way to the airport 

following this, we all agreed that 

both this Mass and the visit with the 

Sisters were a moment we would not 

soon forget. 

While it has been several months 

now since our trip to Malawi, I think 

often of the many people we met, the 

vitality of the local Church, as well as 

her great need. As you read through 

this issue of Mission Magazine, may 

these stories and images be both 

an inspiration to your faith and a 

challenge to continue to pray for and 

support the Church in Malawi and 

wherever else the Church is young, 

poor, or persecuted. 

Father Anthony Andreassi 

National Secretary of the Society 

for the Propagation of the Faith. 



Shhhh. Let Me Tell You a Secret 

Bishop Vincent Mwakwhawa* 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ 

in the USA, 

As I pen this letter from the 

heart of Malawi, now serving as 

Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese 

of Lilongwe, my mind goes back to 

a pivotal moment in my priesthood: 

Being appointed as National Director 

of The Pontifical Mission Societies 

(TPMS). Until then, I had a vague 

idea of what the Societies did and 

represented, but through handover 

notes and reading various loose

8 9 

materials that were in the office, I 

realized I had been introduced to the 

Church’s best-kept secret. 

Reflecting on this experience, I am 

reminded of the parable in Luke 15: 

8-10, where a woman lights a lamp 

and diligently searches for a lost coin 

until she finds it. Once found, she calls 

her friends and neighbors to share in 

her joy. In many ways, discovering 

the depth and impact of TPMS was 

akin to finding that precious coin. 

The work of TPMS, in its quiet yet 

profound influence, is like the candle 

in the parable, illuminating the path 

to sharing the Gospel, and in doing 

so, changing lives. 

The Church in Malawi, much 

like many other mission territories 

in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, 

has been significantly shaped by 

the spiritual and financial support 

flowing through TPMS. This support 

has been a cornerstone in establishing 

churches, schools, health clinics, and 

various social service infrastructures. 

It is remarkable to think that the 


Church in the United States, itself a 

beneficiary of TPMS in its early years, 

has become a major contributor to 

our growth. 

Your contributions, dear friends 

in the USA, have been a lifeline 

to our community. Through your 

generosity, we have witnessed the 

spread of the Gospel and the tangible 

manifestation of Christ’s love in 

Malawi. Every mission-driven 

project here, from rural health clinics 

combating diseases like malaria to 

schools educating future leaders, 

has been fueled by your prayers and 

financial sacrifices. 

In my new role as Auxiliary 

Bishop, I carry with me the lessons 

learned from my TPMS experience. I 

see more clearly the crucial need for 

ongoing support and awareness of 

TPMS’s mission. As we continue to 

face challenges like poverty, disease, 

and the need for quality education, 

support from TPMS becomes ever 

more vital. 

Your involvement, dear brothers 

and sisters in Christ, transcends 

geographical boundaries. It is a 

testament to the universal call to 

mission we all share as baptized 

Christians. Your prayers and generous 

gifts are not just acts of charity; they 

are acts of faith that reverberate 

across continents, bringing hope and 

transformation. 

For over a decade as National 

Director of TPMS in Malawi, I 

witnessed first-hand how the 

support from TPMS, fueled by the 

generosity of Catholics like you in 

the United States, has been a beacon 

of hope and transformation. From 

the construction of churches to the 

establishment of schools and health 

clinics, the aid from TPMS has been 

a cornerstone in not just building 

infrastructure but also in nurturing 

faith and community. 

The journey of the Church in 

Malawi, supported by TPMS, is a 

testament to the power of collective 

prayer, financial sacrifices, and 

unwavering faith. It is awe-inspiring 

to see how our parishes, our schools, 

and our clinics stand as physical 

manifestations of the Gospel, serving 

not just our Catholic community but 

all who seek refuge, knowledge, and 

healing. 

As I embrace my new role as 

Auxiliary Bishop, this ‘best-kept 

secret’ of the Church is something I 

am committed to sharing everywhere. 

For it is through TPMS that the love 

and solidarity of the global Catholic 

community are most tangibly 

expressed. Your support through 

TPMS is not merely a donation; it is 

a sharing of the very treasure of our 

faith, akin to spreading the light of 

the Gospel in places where hope and 

guidance are most needed. 

This mission, to bring the light of 

Christ to every corner of the world, 

is more crucial now than ever. In a 

world marred by poverty, injustice, 

and despair, the Church stands as a 

beacon of hope and salvation. You, 

dear friends in the United States, 

through your support of TPMS, are 

an integral part of this mission. 

In closing, I want to thank you 

once again, American Catholics, for 

sharing your faith with us. Most of 

you have not met us, and would say, 

some of you until today had never 

thought of us. But you have been the 

extended hand sharing the love of 

Christ with us. 

Know that you are in my prayers, 

and that we are united in the mission 

of Christ, 

Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa 

*The author is the Auxiliary Bishop of the 

Archdiocese of Lilongwe. Between 2013 and 

2023, he also served as the National Director 

of The Pontifical Mission Societies Malawi.

10 11 

From Missio: 

Though the Mountains May Fall* 

By Margaret Murray 

©2023 TPMS-US National Office - Photo by Margaret Murray

12 13 

“On the fifth night of rain, we 

were sitting in the parish hall 

when an unholy sound came from 

the mountain. It sounded like the 

wrath of God was coming to meet 

us: I’ve never heard anything so 

loud in my life. A few moments 

later, parishioners came running in 

to tell us half of the village had just 

been swept away near the bridge,” 

recalled Fr. Vincent Matewere, visibly 

shaken as he recounted that night in 

March 2023. 

He stood in front of a vast, rocky 

landscape that once was a village 

market and hydro-power plant. 

Boulders over 15 feet in diameter lay 

strewn across the field, while the river 

that once roared under the bridge, 

just a few yards away, was reduced 

to a small stream as the waters were 

redirected a few miles away. The 

bridge, the only road connecting 

the villages to the rest of civilization 

within the 3 miles from where we 

stood to the Mozambique border, was 

obliterated. We stood at the edge of 

civilization: no vehicle had been able 

to travel past that point in an entire 

year, leaving countless people cut off 

from the rest of the world. 

In the span of six days, Cyclone 

Freddy dropped six months’ worth 

of rain upon the southern region 

of Malawi in torrential downpours 

that wreaked havoc on the lives of 

hundreds of thousands of people 

– wiping out their homes, a year’s 

worth of crops ready for harvesting, 

and entire communities that lived at 

the base of Mount Mulanje, Malawi’s 

tallest mountain. The scars of 

enormous mudslides that thundered 

down the mountain miles away are 

still visible from the handful of homes 

that survived the wave of rocks and 

mud. 

With no power, or means of 

transportation, and the remains of 

their small brick homes completely 

buried under feet of rocks and dirt, 

the Muloza Parish, Fr. Vincent’s 

parish at the time, was the city on a 

hill for the people of the Phalombe 

district at the foot of the mountains. 

Having miraculously been spared 

in the mudslides, over 150 families 

came to stay on the unscathed parish 

grounds in the aftermath – seeking 

shelter, food, and medical attention at 

the parish hospital. It took weeks for 

roads to be cleared enough for trucks 

to bring medical supplies out to the 

parish, over a two-and-a-half-hour 

drive outside of the city of Blantyre. 

The Pontifical Mission Societies 

(TPMS) were among the first to bring 

aid and support to the parish after the 

storm. 

When our delegation of members 

©2023 TPMS-US National Office - Photos by Margaret Murray


14 15 

**The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, through its crowdfunding platform Missio, has raised over $35,000 

of relief funds for Malawi following Cyclone Freddy. You can find this project, and many others, at 

www.missio.org. 

from TPMS-USA and TPMS-Malawi 

visited Muloza on Dec. 8, the Feast 

of the Immaculate Conception, the 

destruction of the storm nine months 

prior was silencing. But the people 

of the parish reminded us of Isaiah 

54:10: 

“For the mountains may depart 

and the hills be removed, 

but my steadfast love shall not 

depart from you, 

and my covenant of peace shall 

not be removed, 

says the Lord, who has 

compassion on you.” 

Despite the widespread 

devastation, a beacon of hope 

emerged amidst the chaos. In the 

face of overwhelming adversity, the 

community rallied together, united 

in their suffering and solidarity. The 

small team of nuns and nurses at 

the parish hospital worked tirelessly, 

despite the scarcity of resources and 

the absence of electricity, to tend to 

the injured and the vulnerable. The 

parish grounds, complete with a 

church, school, convent, hospital, and 

parish center, have become a unifying 

ground for the community: a safe 

haven. 

Yet, the scars of the disaster run deep, 

both physically and emotionally. The 

fear of another mudslide looms large, 

casting a shadow of uncertainty 

over the parishioners’ lives. The 

mountain, once a symbol of strength 

and stability, now serves as a constant 

reminder of the fragility of human 

existence. 

Amidst the rubble and ruins, 

however, faith endures. Gathered 

in the parish church on the feast of 

the Immaculate Conception, the 

community raised their voices in 

hymns of praise, their unwavering 

trust in God undiminished by the 

tragedy that had befallen them. For 

them, the cyclone may have tested 

their faith, but it has not broken their 

spirit. 

As we walked alongside Fr. 

Vincent, surveying the devastation 

that stretched out before us, it became 

clear that the road to recovery would 

be long and arduous. Lives may have 

been forever altered, but the resilience 

of the human spirit prevails. Despite 

the hardships they face, the people of 

Muloza Parish stand firm, their faith 

unshaken, their hope undimmed. 

In adversity, they find strength. In 

the face of despair, they find courage. 

And in the aftermath of Cyclone 

Freddy, they find a renewed sense of 

purpose—to rebuild, to restore, and 

to rise from the ashes, stronger than 

ever before.

16 

17 

From the Dioceses: 

‘Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’ 

By Maureen Crowley Heil* 

When a white van pulled into the 

courtyard of Chitula Parish in the 

Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Malawi at 

the beginning of December 2023, the 

reception was so joyful, so raucous, 

that you could be forgiven for 

thinking that Pope Francis himself 

was about to step out! 

Women in colorful, matching 

outfits danced, sang, and chanted as 

the door swung open to reveal the 

visitors: a group of regular American 

Catholics representing The Pontifical 

Mission Societies in the United States 


Photo by Margaret Murray 

(TPMS USA). Instead of deflating the 

crowd by our ordinariness, they got 

louder! 

As we left the van, the crowd 

surged and surrounded us, leading 

us to a small building constructed 

of locally made and fired bricks. It 

was their church – built years ago 

when they were still an outstation of 

another parish. They had long ago 

outgrown it but were so proud to 

show it to us. 

Now a full-fledged parish 

dedicated to Saint Bernadette, they 

have three outstations of their own. 

This means that the faith has been 

spread far beyond their original 

borders. Small Christian communities 

exist in places that are many miles 

from the parish proper. Members of 

these communities meet regularly to 

pray, study Scripture, and learn more 

about the tenets of Catholicism. As a 

parish grows, it will develop many of 

these so-called outstations. 

The lynchpin of this whole scenario 

is the catechist. 

This is my twenty-fifth year 

of service to TPMS; I have been 

privileged to witness the growth 

of the young mission Church on 

every populated continent. In all my 

travels, it is the catechist whom I have 

come to admire most. 

The ministry of a catechist in the 

missions is quite different from that 

of one in our Western society. We 

may think of this position as someone 

who volunteers a Sunday morning or 

a weekday afternoon to teach faith 

formation to children for an hour 

or so. In the missions, a catechist’s 

ministry is an all-encompassing, fulltime 

commitment. 

In Malawi, to become a catechist, 

one goes to live at a training center 

with their family for a couple of 

years. They are given a small plot 

of land to farm to feed themselves. 

The catechist-to-be attends theology 

and teaching classes. Their children 

go to school, and their spouses 

(not all catechists are men!) devote 

themselves to a different type of 

education. They learn economics, 

basic hygiene principles, farming 

techniques, land conservation skills, 

and more. This is so that once the 

catechist is commissioned, the spouse 

can also be active in the community, 

helping people to better manage 

their households, and farms, and 

participate more fully in the life of the 

Church. 

This program is just one of many 

supported by The Pontifical Mission 

Societies. 

After graduation, the catechist is 

responsible for the faith formation of 

everyone at their assigned outstation 

– children and adults alike. They 

prepare people for sacraments, run 

Liturgy of the Word services, and 

help to bury the dead in the absence 

of a priest. Some outstations are so 

remote that they may see a priest four 

or five times a year at most. In these 

cases, it is the catechist who is the 

glue that does whatever is necessary 

to hold the faith community together. 

One catechist I met, while on a 

mission trip to Zambia some years 

ago, walked thirteen miles each 

way to the outstation she served – a

18 19 

marathon of faith each weekend! 

She fell to her knees before me in 

tears when she discovered that I 

represented TPMS; she had just 

received a gift of a bicycle, at the cost 

of $250, from our General Fund. She 

would now ride the miles, giving her 

more time for her ministry! 

At Chitula Parish, towards the 

end of the beautiful liturgy that day, 

celebrated by priests who would 

not have been ordained without 

the scholarships from our Society of 

St. Peter Apostle, there were many 

speeches. One was from a young girl 

who represented the local members 

of our children’s Society, the 

Missionary Childhood Association, 

which the village’s first catechist had 

introduced to them while they were 

still an outstation. The girl spoke of 


Photo by Margaret Murray 

her pride in knowing that by sharing 

her faith with others, she was a true 

Catholic. 

Then, the parish’s three catechists 

were introduced. These men travel 

many miles every week to bring the 

faith to small Christian communities 

in Saint Bernadette’s outstations. 

As the catechists stood in front of 

the parishioners gathered, dressed in 

their “Sunday best,” the dedication to 

the Lord and their prophetic ministry 

emanated from their very beings. It 

was as if the heavens opened, and 

we saw the call of Isaiah living in our 

midst: “Then I heard the voice of the 

Lord saying. ‘Whom shall I send? 

Who will go for us?’ ‘Here I am,’ I 

said; ‘send me!’” 

Because I saw many bicycles 

parked at the church, I knew these 

catechists were the lucky owners 

of some of them. I could picture 

them traveling to their outstations, 

with their wives riding sidesaddle 

on the back, holding whatever new 

faith formation materials they had 

managed to gather. With each push of 

the pedal, they would thank God for 

The Pontifical Mission Societies for 

their transportation, education, and 

most importantly, the opportunity to 

say “Yes!” to their calling to bring the 

faith to people in some of the most 

remote areas of our world. 

Whenever I am tired or 

discouraged in my work, I pray for 

the catechists whom I have met. They 

persevere through some of life’s most 

unthinkable hardships. The three I 

met in Chitula live in an economy that 

the World Bank ranks as one of the 

poorest in the world. Life expectancy 

at birth is sixty-three years. Over 70% 

of the population lives on just $2.15 a 

day. Yet, their love of God and their 

willingness to overcome whatever 


life throws at them to share our 

Catholic faith is immeasurable. 

Their steadfast, tenacious fidelity 

to their vocation inspires me, after 

twenty-five years, to continue to raise 

my hand every day and say, “Here I 

am. Send me!” 

*The author is the Director of Programs and 

Development of Pontifical Mission Societies in the 

Archdiocese of Boston. 


20 21 

Society for the Propagation of The Faith: 

For Cardinal Tobin, his missionary 

vocation began as an altar boy 

By Ines San Martin 

The missionary vocation of 

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., 

archbishop of Newark, began in the 

heart of southwest Detroit, where the 

spirit of mission permeated the air in 

the Holy Redeemer Parish back in the 

1950s. 

“I admired the priests. It was a 

very active parish, and many left 

for missions,” he recalled, reflecting 

on the Redemptorist community 

that shaped his early life. “The first 

American Redemptorist to work 

in Brazil’s Amazon region came 

from my neighborhood. Even more 

exotic were the fellows who went to 

Thailand.” 

His parish was big on mission 

animation, his neighborhood was a 

cradle for missionaries, with clubs 

in the parish supporting missions in 

Brazil and Thailand, and the young 

cardinal-to-be served as an altar 

boy when these priests returned to 

celebrate Mass and share their tales 

from the missions. 

Cardinal Joseph’s journey to 

priesthood was influenced by his 

admiration for the Redemptorist 

order and the support of his father, 

who advised him to follow God’s 

will. Despite not having envisioned 

a specific mission territory when 

he began exploring his vocation, 

Cardinal Joseph was prepared for 

a wide horizon of possibilities. 

“Towards the end of theology, it 

narrowed,” he shared. His provincial 

first brought up the possibility of an 

academic career, pursuing a doctorate 

in Rome, but without challenging his 

vow of obedience, he said he would 

prefer to “die in the frontlines.” 

Unexpectedly, his first assignment 

was not Brazil, as he had been 

prepared for, but back to his home 

parish in Detroit. “I had to become 

a missionary,” he states, recognizing 

that the city had changed and 

presented new cultural challenges. 

“I finally got to a foreign country 

other than Canada when I got elected 

to the General Council and went to 

Mexico. I remember being in front of

22 23 

the Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

and began crying, thinking of all the 

abuelitas who had taught me to love 

the Morenita.” 

Cardinal Joseph was in the general 

government of the Redemptorist 

for 18 years, including as Superior 

General between 1997 and 2009: 

“For the 18 years I was in the general 

government, I spent about half of 

them in Rome, the other half in the 

countries where we work. We are in 

78 countries, and I believe I’ve been 

to 71 of them. I still wake up with 

three questions haunting me: where I 

am, what language do we speak, and 

where is the john.” 

Haiti stands out for him. “The 

poorest country in the hemisphere, 

one of the five poorest countries in the 

world,” he noted, “suffering terribly, 

they still have a joy that is inspiring.” 

This contrasts with his experiences in 

the former Soviet Union, where the 

joy was so less apparent, that teachers 

in Belarus would walk their students 

to the garden of a Redemptorist 

parish where a priest had planted 

flowers. 

To those considering a missionary 

vocation, lay or otherwise, the prelate 

offers encouragement, citing the 

transformative experiences of those 

who have served overseas missions. 

“It confirmed them as adults in the 

faith of their childhood, broadening 

their horizons,” he says. The cardinal 

echoes Pope Francis’s sentiment 

that young people should be given 

something to do, not just talked at. 

“I think living outside of one’s 

country helps you understand your 

own,” he said. “I remember reading a 

XIX century American author named 

Ambrose Bierce, who was a bit of a 

cynic. And he said, ‘War is God’s way 

of teaching Americans geography.’ 

And I think even today, there is a 

tendency to think that everything 

ends at our borders. And there is a 

whole world out there.” 

Being a foreign missionary today, 

he argued, “is an exchange of gifts. It 

is not ‘I have something to bring,’ no, 

Christ has been there before us. What 

we are trying to do is help the local 

Church and announce with joy the 

universal sisterhood and brotherhood 

that we share as Catholics.” 

After 45 years as a priest, Cardinal 

Joseph has spent much of his life 

in cultural realities different from 

the one he was raised in, finding 

it exhilarating. His advice to those 

considering the missionary path 

is heartfelt: “Especially if you can 

bear with yourself for massacring 

languages!” 

Missionary Childhood Association: 

“What’s your favorite subject?” 

By Margaret Murray 


24 25 

Driving down the dusty red dirt 

roads of Malawi’s capital city of 

Lilongwe, our truck flew past groups 

of children in bright blue dresses and 

grey uniforms, some as young as five 

years old. Some wore shoes or socks 

on their feet, a handful had small 

backpacks slung over their shoulders, 

and others without uniforms walked 

alongside. 

Passing by small brick homes and 

dry farmlands, over 5,000 of these 

children walk the roads of Lilongwe 

each morning from over 13 villages 

as far as 5 miles away - laughing 

and skipping along as any child 

would when socializing with friends. 

Their destination: St. John’s Catholic 

Primary School. 

Founded in 1963, St. John’s 

Primary School and its staff of 69 

teachers provide the invaluable gift 

of education to the children of these 

villages near Lilongwe. Funded 

by the efforts of the Missionary 

Childhood Association, St. John’s 

sits on a large plot of land with ten 

to twelve brick classroom buildings 

surrounding swaths of open space for 

playing and trees for studying under. 

To accommodate the considerable 

number of ‘learners,’ the school holds 

classes in morning and afternoon 

sessions. At all hours of the day, 

children are seen and heard playing, 

studying in groups, and reciting 

lessons with their teachers from inside 

the simple classroom buildings. With 


eyes closed, St. John’s would sound 

like any other Catholic school in the 

world. 

But our eyes were opened to 

the astonishing feat St. John’s 

faculty pulls off in educating so 

many students with so little space 

and resources. Walking amongst 

hundreds of children and speaking 

with Mary, the headmistress, the lack 

of simple necessities such as shoes, 

books, writing materials, and desks 

was deeply apparent. Yet despite this 

harsh reality, each learner approached 

me eager to share a smile, a high-five, 

a hug, or an answer about which 

subject was their favorite in school. 

The joy of learning was infectious – 

as an elementary-school girl I never 

would have said English was my 

favorite subject as enthusiastically 

as a little boy did when he giggled at 

me! 


A hot wind blows through the brick 

open-air awnings attached to the 

outsides of classroom buildings. Up 

to 50 students sit in these makeshift 

classrooms, watching and reciting 

vocabulary as their teacher writes 

on a chalkboard on the exterior brick 

wall of the building with only one or 

two notebooks and pencils visible 

among the learners. These spaces 

are reserved for the children in third 

through sixth grade. 

For the youngest students at St. 

John’s, as many as 60 students sit 

in groups on the floors of covered 

classroom buildings – walls littered 

with colorful crayon diagrams of 

animals, colors, vocabulary terms, 

class schedules, and rules of etiquette. 

One large sheet outlines the rules of 

the classroom, the words “We must 

be punctual,” “We must respect 

each other,” and “Boys must tuck

Photo credit: Nancy Wiechec/CNS 

26 27 

in uniform” written in the easily 

identified manuscript of a young 

student. 

Desks, a precious commodity, are 

reserved for the indoor classrooms 

of the seventh and eighth grades 

as boys and girls prepare to take 

their secondary school entrance 

exams. While 2,000 students from 

the surrounding area may apply to 

attend secondary school each year, 

only 200 are welcomed at the nearby 

institution. With the odds stacked 

against them, St. John’s prides itself 

on having a high acceptance rate 

from their 8th grade class. What little 

resources are available at the school 

are saved for higher grades, so they 

are adequately prepared for their 

future education or careers. 

One among the fourteen-year-old 

learners is Lawrence, the school’s 

Head Boy. In a clean-pressed dark 

gray uniform, Lawrence exuded 

gratitude and sincerity when he 

addressed our delegation from 

TPMS-USA. As Lawrence expressed 

his thanks for the cooperation of 

TPMS and the Malawi Government 

to fund St. John’s School, he voiced 

the concerns of the students where 

further support could be given. “The 

most crucial thing is the maintenance 

of the classrooms,” he said, “during 

the rainy season they leak and have 

some cracks. We are always scared of 

these during our classroom sessions.” 

It was easy to find large cracks that 

ran from foundation to roof in the 

simple brick structures that housed 

the learning sessions. 

While talking with Lawrence and 

the Head Girl, Florence, we learned 

that the students at St. John’s are 

introduced to MCA at a very young 

age, stressing the importance of their 

missionary call through their baptism 

and the necessity for prayer and 

sacrifice as a means of helping other 

schools around the world the same 

way their school was supported by the 

Missionary Childhood Association 60 

years ago. Even though less than 20% 

of the students are Catholic, even the 

smallest children recognize the work 

of TPMS in their school and their 

duty to pay it forward. 

The juxtaposition of incredible 

need and a sense of obligation to help 

less fortunate students around the 

world was startling – and it made me 

wonder if middle-school students in 

American Catholic Schools ever stop 

to consider the same duty Lawrence 

expressed to us. The profound joy 

and hope permeating the campus 

of St. John’s was contrasted by the 

stories of the students, teachers, and 

administrators making do with the 

little resources and cramped office 

space they had. While the American 

Church is forced to close Catholic 

Schools due to low enrollment, the 

Church in Malawi can hardly open 

schools fast enough to accommodate 

the students in search of a brighter 

future. 

Walking through the classroom 

buildings and out onto the dusty red 

field, I was reminded of Aristotle’s 

words: 

“Educating the mind 

without educating the heart 

is no education at all.” 


The mission of the teachers at 

St. John’s is not only to give their 

students an opportunity to flourish 

and excel in their future careers but to 

instill a deep sense of gratitude and 

care for the common good in their 

hearts. Where hope and joy abound 

in the classrooms of St. John’s Primary 

School, respect and generosity grow 

within the next generation of the 

Church in Malawi.

28 29 

A MAGAZINE OF THE PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES 


30 31 

The Missionary Union: 

The Real-Life Miracle Workers 

of Chisombezi 


In the serene Shire Highlands of 

southern Malawi, a region known 

both for its lush tea estates and its 

stark poverty contrasts, stands a 

beacon of hope - the Chisombezi 

School for the Deafblind. Just outside 

the bustling city of Blantyre, this 

school, managed by the Sisters of the 

Blessed Virgin Mary, is more than an 

educational institution. 

It is a sanctuary of love and hope, 

a place where the most vulnerable 

children are given a voice and a 

family. 

At the heart of this institution is 

Sister Prisca, a young, dynamic nun 

in her third year as the supervisor. 

Her approach, firm yet filled with 

compassion, is reminiscent of Anne 

Sullivan’s dedication to Helen Keller 

in “The Miracle Worker.” Despite 

the overwhelming challenges, 

including the lack of basic amenities 

like electricity and running water, 

Sister Prisca’s resolve to educate and 

empower these children is steadfast. 

“Our journey is tough, and the 

resources scarce,” Sister Prisca says, 

“but in each child’s smile, we find 

the strength to continue. Here, we 

fight not just for education, but for 

transformation.” 

Chisombezi School educates 

around 12 students, each facing 

unique challenges due to their deaf 

blindness. The school’s rudimentary 

structure and constant struggle 

for basic necessities like food and 

learning materials depict a stark 

reality. Yet, within these walls, the 

school is much more than a center of 

learning; it’s a home where children 

find a sense of belonging and love, 

often missing in their lives. 

Many deafblind children in 

Malawi lack adequate support at 

home. At Chisombezi, they are part 

of a community that understands 

and nurtures them. The teachers, 

trained in various methods of hand 

sign language, open a world of 

communication for them, allowing 

them to express needs, wants, and 

feelings for the first time. “We do 

more than teach,” Sister Prisca 

explains. “We give our children 

the gift of communication, the joy 

of expressing themselves, and the 

comfort of being understood.” 

However, the school faces heartwrenching 

challenges. Some 

students, living at home, disappear 

for months, losing much of their 

educational progress. This reflects 

the broader struggles of growing 

up in impoverished communities 

in Malawi, where isolation and 

desperation are common experiences. 

Yet, hope shines through in the 

school’s ethos, focusing on equality, 


32 33 

dignity, and a preferential option 

for the poor. Sister Prisca, with her 

background in special education 

for the deafblind, sees each child’s 

potential. The school’s sign, “Hope 

for the Future,” embodies their core 

values and vision of creating a selfreliant 

person with deafblindness in 

society. 

The school’s impact is most evident 

in the joy and laughter of the children 

during performances and activities. 

These moments of happiness 

underscore the transformative effect 

of the school, where the children are 

cherished as individual sons and 

daughters of God, each loved and 

celebrated for their individuality. 

Adorning the school’s walls are 

posters detailing what each one of 

them likes, dislikes, and what their 

particular abilities are. 

Sister Prisca and the Chisombezi 

School for the Deafblind are modernday 

miracle workers in a setting 

that echoes the challenges and 

determination of Helen Keller and 

Anne Sullivan. They provide not only 

education and communication skills 

to these children but also a sense of 

dignity and belonging in a world that 

often overlooks them. “Our goal,” 

Sister Prisca concludes, “is to nurture 

these children into individuals who 

can confidently stand in society, not 

just as equals, but as symbols of 

hope and perseverance.” 



34 35 

From Missio: 

Amidst War and Earthquake, 

Syria’s Struggle, and the Church’s 

Beacon of Hope 


As Syria solemnly marks its 

fourteenth year of relentless conflict 

and the first anniversary of the 

devastating 2023 earthquake that 

killed more than 50,000 people in 

this country and neighboring Turkey, 

Deacon Engineer Saad Mounir 

Antti offers a poignant insight into 

the struggles and resilience of his 

homeland. 

“Syria was once one of the most 

beautiful and sophisticated countries 

in the Middle East,” Deacon Saad 

reminisces, providing a stark contrast 

to the harrowing reality now faced by 

its people. 

The United Nations’ statistics 

portray a dire situation, but it is 

Deacon Saad’s personal narrative 

that truly brings the plight of Syria’s

36 37 

people to the forefront. “On February 

11, 2013, my family and I left our 

home and work with only the clothes 

on our backs, seeking refuge in the 

city of Al-Hasakah in northeastern 

Syria to start our lives anew. Later, 

ISIS entered our new city in 2015, 

causing us to flee towards northern 

Syria for several months. We returned 

and settled in Al-Hasakah after the 

situation stabilized.” 

Then, in 2016, they were displaced 

again, this time towards western 

Syria, “as the war continued to take 

its toll on us.” 

Like many Christian families, 

Deacon Saad and his family 

contemplated finding a way to 

migrate, but all their attempts were 

unsuccessful. Due to the stress of 

the harrowing situation, his father 

suffered a stroke, and is now 

paralyzed on one side. 

“I live in a house with my father 

Mounir (an architect), my mother 

Hayat (a school teacher), my older 

brother Firas (a former UN employee 

and graduate of the Faculty of 

Economics), my wife Sonia (a 

lawyer), and my two children, Sarah 

(5 years old) and Charbel (2 years 

old),” Deacon Saad shared. 

The Christian community, an 

integral part of Syria’s diverse 

tapestry, has endured immeasurable 

hardship. Deacon Saad details this 

struggle: “Since the beginning of 

the war until now, more than 55% 

of Christians have fled the region.” 

Their plight is a microcosm of the 

broader Syrian crisis, where basic 

needs are increasingly unattainable, 

and survival is a daily challenge. 

The 2023 earthquake, despite its 

tragic and almost unprecedented 

magnitude, was another drop of 

water in a glass already overflown. 

Deacon Saad describes the 

immediate and long-term effects: 

“The earthquake had compounded 

effects after 12 years of war, famine, 

and poverty in Syria.” He speaks of 

displacement, psychological trauma, 

and a shaken community struggling 

to find stability amidst continuous 

turmoil. 

“The earthquake that struck 

northern Syria last February added 

to the burdens of Syrians. Its impact 

was more concentrated in the city of 

Aleppo, and it had a lesser impact 

in Al-Hasakah,” Deacon Saad said. 

“However, it caused a lot of fear 

and psychological distress among 

children, especially when aftershocks 

occurred the next day. My five-yearold 

daughter is still afraid to sleep 

alone.” 

As for the long-term effects of the 

earthquake, he said, hundreds, if 

not thousands, of Christians were 

displaced to other cities in the Syrian 

coast, southern Syria, and some 

to Europe and Canada: “This has 

resulted in a decrease in the number 

of Christians in the region.” 

It has also led to significant economic 

repercussions due to the destruction 

and damage to infrastructure, 

hindering the country’s progress by 

delaying internationally agreed-upon 

reconstruction efforts. Moreover, there 

has been an increase in psychological 

effects and social disturbances. “We 

have witnessed numerous cases of 

Christian university students who 

left their universities and have been 

unable to return due to the fear of 

what they witnessed during the 

earthquake last year,” he said.

38 39 

Despite these adversities, the 

Christian community remains 

steadfast, supported by the Church’s 

unwavering efforts. “Churches 

have intervened in various sectors, 

opening their doors to accommodate 

those whose homes were destroyed,” 

Deacon Saad explains. Yet, he is 

candid about the limitations faced 

due to economic sanctions and the 

dire need for international support. 

Deacon Saad’s call to action is 

heartfelt and urgent. “I raise my 

voice to continue providing support 

to Christians in northern and 

eastern Syria and to increase this 

support to preserve the Christian 

presence in the East,” he implores. 

He outlines critical needs: healthcare 

support, educational scholarships, 

vocational training for women, and 

infrastructure development. 

Concluding his message, 

Deacon Saad reflects on the global 

community’s role: “The Christians 

in northeastern Syria have been left 

by the world to slowly perish in 

this region without anyone caring 

for them.” His plea is a powerful 

reminder of our shared responsibility 

to support those in need, to be a 

beacon of hope in their darkest hours. 

“From this platform, as a deacon 

in the Hassakeh diocese and a 

representative of the Syriac Catholic 

community, as well as the executive 

director of Mar Assia Relief Center 

for more than ten years, I raise my 

voice to continue providing support 

to Christians in northern and eastern 

Syria and to increase this support to 

preserve the Christian presence in the 

East,” Deacon Saad said. 

As the world observes Easter, the 

story of Syria – a land of ancient 

faiths, now torn by war and natural 

disaster – is a poignant reminder of 

the need for compassion, solidarity, 

and action. It is a call to each of us to 

contribute, to support, and to bear 

witness to the enduring power of the 

human spirit, uplifted by faith and 

communal support. 

Making a Personal Connection 

with the Global Church 

By Clara Schous 

**The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, through 

its crowdfunding platform Missio, has raised over 

$900,000 of relief funds for Syria and Turkey 

following the earthquake. You can find this project, 

and many others, at www.missio.org.

40 41 

Paraphrasing Jane Austen, it is a 

truth universally acknowledged that 

a Catholic mother of five children 

must want them to have a good job. 

However, by good, she does not just 

mean one that pays the bills. 

I was raised in a Catholic home 

and met my husband, Aaron, in 

graduate school at the University of 

Notre Dame. Maggie, the eldest of 

our children, is one of the Fighting 

Irish herself. The ink hadn’t dried 

on her diploma last spring when she 

received a job offer to work for The 

Pontifical Mission Societies USA 

(TPMS). 

I knew it meant a “Church 

job,” that it clearly had to do with 

“missionaries” and that she would 

be joining the communications team. 

But I was ignorant of the rich history 

of TPMS, and exactly what working 

for the missions in the year 2023 looks 

like. 

Five months into the job, and shortly 

before coming home for Christmas, 

Maggie traveled to Malawi, one of the 

world’s poorest countries, with some 

of her colleagues. She took thousands 

of pictures and gathered the materials 

to write some of the stories featured 

in this magazine you now hold. Our 

natural eagerness to see her for the 

holidays intensified as we anticipated 

all she would share with us about her 

trip to the African continent. 

As Maggie had studied history and 

documentary filmmaking at ND, it 

was not an unfamiliar scene for the 

family to grab Saturday morning 

coffee and gather around for a new 

video and story upon her return 

home. (Once again,) she did not 

disappoint us. 

She showed us pictures of St. 

John’s School, and as a middle school 

science teacher myself, I was acutely 

observant of the classroom conditions 

- deeply cracked walls, barred 

“windows”, and a dirt floor - no desks 

or tables for most. These would have 

been my students had I been born on 

the other side of the world. It stirred 

my heart and touched me deeply. 

How can children learn under these 

conditions? 

And yet, once the initial shock of 

the physical environment passes, you 

see the smiles - the joy - the hope in 

the eyes of these beautiful children, 

brimming with gratitude. Through 

her stories, pictures, and videos of the 

welcome they received in each place 

they visited, we were drawn into the 

narrative of these lives. 

From the excited school children 

to the song and dance of the Catholic 

women’s groups, to the struggles 

and hopes of the seminarians, I 

felt a connection to them as God’s 

people. The poverty she encountered, 

Maggie told us, is forever ingrained 

in her mind, but much more so is the 

dignity of the people she met. From 

the small – yet far from insignificantdetails 

of the women having their 

hands manicured and the children 

dressed to the nines in hand-medown 

clothes that seemed out of place 

in the humble churches where they 

heard Mass, she said, it was evident 

that these are people conscious of 

their God-given dignity. 

The more we heard, the more we 

wanted to know, as a family, about 

what Maggie is doing, and about 

the impact of The Pontifical Mission 

Societies around the world. 

We learned how they support over 

800,000 catechists teaching the faith 

in 1,150 mission territories. 

We were amazed to hear that 

there are currently some 38,000 men 

preparing for the priesthood who 

would not be able to stay in seminary 

were it not for the yearly scholarships 

they receive from TPMS. These 

young men are our daughter’s peers, 

eager to build and serve the Church 

in Malawi. Can you imagine the 

good these seminarians will do? 

We were surprised to find out that 

there are over 26 million girls and 

boys who, were it not for the support 

the local church receives from 

TPMS, would not have access to an 

education. 

Despite growing up in a Catholic 

home and attending Catholic school 

my entire life, I didn’t know much 

about the Catholic missions aside 

from seeing the occasional poster of 

a church in Asia or Africa or hearing 

of a fundraiser from time to time 

supporting a mission diocese in Latin 

America. But I hoped to change that 

pattern for my students and was 

happily moved into action when I 

heard from Maggie that one common 

request in Malawi was for rosaries. 

During Catholic Schools Week, we 

gathered our K-8 students together on 

vocation’s day for a short presentation 

from TPMS on the missions and 

then prayed a Mission Rosary while 

making one. We produced 150 

mission rosaries and raised $200 

through a dress-down fundraiser that 

we will send to the St. John School. 

We pray that our simple rosaries will 

be a reminder to the people of Malawi 

that God remembers them, and so do 

we, Catholics in America, who are 

grateful and proud to be members of 

the Universal Church.

©2023 TPMS-US National Office - Photo from the TPMS Archives of Fulton J. Sheen 

42 43 

The Fulton Sheen Society Part 2: 

By Fr. Anthony Andreassi 

In our ongoing series on Archbishop 

Fulton J. Sheen, we continue exploring 

his formative years, focusing on his 

advanced education, ordination, and 

early ministry. These experiences laid 

the groundwork for his influential 

roles in the Propagation of the Faith 

and evangelization through various 

media. 

After he graduated from St. Viator’s 

College in Bourbonnais, Illinois in 

the spring of 1917, the twenty-twoyear-old 

Fulton moved on to St. Paul 

Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota 

to study for the priesthood for the 

Diocese of Peoria. In doing this, he 

was joined by eight other young men 

from his diocese who also would 

be preparing for the priesthood 

there. Established in 1894, St. Paul’s 

Seminary was opened by John 

Ireland, the first archbishop of Ireland 

and one of the most significant 

American churchmen of his time. 

While in seminary, Sheen continued 

to distinguish himself academically 

and was thus permitted to enroll in 

advanced seminars. The one area in 

which he did not excel was in Church 

music due to his struggle to carry a 

tune. However, later in life he found 

his voice (as it were) and could sing 

as a respectable baritone. 

Unfortunately, during his time in 

St. Paul, Sheen developed stomach 

problems which resulted in the 

removal of a portion of his intestine. 

Because of this, throughout the rest 

of his life, Sheen’s diet was spared, 

though much of what he did eat 

tended to be sweets such as ice cream 

and cookies. While at the seminary, 

Sheen began the daily practice of 

spending a Holy Hour in front of the 

Blessed Sacrament, and for the rest of 

his life, he strove mightily to remain 

faithful to this discipline. 

After completing two years of 

study at St. Paul, in the fall of 1919 

Sheen transferred to the Catholic 

University of America (CUA) in 

Washington, D.C. to pursue a

44 45 

doctorate in philosophy. However, 

before settling into his studies, on 

September 20 of this same year, he 

was ordained a priest by his bishop, 

Edmund M. Dunne, in St. Mary’s 

Cathedral in Peoria. 

As he began his studies in 

Washington, Sheen also served as 

a chaplain for a local orphanage 

celebrating Mass each day for the nuns 

and the girls in residence. For Sunday 

Mass, he served as a supply priest 

helping in parishes as needed. After 

only one year of study at CUA, Sheen 

was awarded a bachelor’s degrees 

in both canon law and theology. He 

already had earned both a B.A. and 

M.A. from St. Viator’s College. It was 

also during his time in Washington 

that Sheen made his first conversion 

which helped to initiate a ministry 

that would continue for the rest of 

his life and result in him personally 

receiving hundreds into the Church 

and encouraging an unknown 

multitude to seek conversion under 

the care and direction of other priests. 

Seeking deeper philosophical 

studies, Sheen transferred to the 

Catholic University of Louvain, 



Belgium. Despite financial challenges, 

he received support from his family, 

enabling this move. At Louvain, 

Sheen delved into Neo-Thomism and 

earned his doctorate in 1923, followed 

by the prestigious Cardinal Mercier 

Prize for International Philosophy. 

He also pursued the agrégé, a postdoctoral 

degree, and achieved it with 

“very highest distinction.” 

In addition to throwing himself 

fully into his studies, during 

university breaks Sheen took these 

opportunities to travel, often with 

his brother, widely including trips to 

France, Germany, England, Greece, 

and Italy. While in Rome in February 

of 1922, Sheen was able to use his 

connections to secure a private 

audience with Pope Benedict XV.

46 47 

This would prove to be the first of 

many meetings and interactions with 

popes throughout Sheen’s life and 

career. 

Returning to the U.S., Sheen’s 

initial assignment was at St. Patrick’s 

Church in Peoria, a parish close to 

his heart. As he had done with all 

things in life thus far, Sheen threw 

himself fully into his pastoral duties, 

and before long had made a home 

visitation to every family in the parish. 

Sheen also continued his special 

ministry to those without faith and 

Catholics who had fallen away from 

the Church, again leading several 

men and women through sincere and 

life-changing conversions. Although 

Sheen would only spend eight 

months at St. Patrick’s, this parish 

and its people would claim his heart 

for many years to come. In fact, when 

he was named a bishop in 1951 and 

came home for the first time, it was 

at St. Patrick’s and not at St. Mary’s 

Cathedral that he celebrated his first 

Pontifical Mass. 

With Bishop Dunne’s permission 

and enthusiastic encouragement, 

in the fall of 1926 Sheen moved to 

Washington, D.C. for the second time 

but now not as a student but rather 

as a professor of both philosophy and 

theology. Sheen would ultimately 

spend twenty-three years teaching at 

CUA. 

In the next installment of the life 

and ministry of Archbishop Fulton 

Sheen, we will take a close look at his 

years in Washington and how, thanks 

to his writing, the many people he 

came to know, and his use of the new 

medium of radio for evangelization, 

he soon began to garner a national 

audience and reputation. 

Editor’s Note 

Dear Friends of the Missions, 

In the light of Christ’s resurrection, 

we are reminded of the transformative 

power of faith, hope, and love. 

This Easter, we at Mission 

Magazine are profoundly grateful 

for each of you - our dedicated 

donors and friends of The Pontifical 

Mission Society. Your generosity and 

unwavering support have been a 

beacon of hope, shining a light that 

transforms the lives of millions across 

1,150 mission territories. Together, 

this past year, we have enabled 

over 26 million children (about the 

population of Texas) to receive an 

education, supported 38,000 young 

men in their seminary journey, 

aided 250,000 Religious Sisters in 

sustaining health care centers, homes 

for the elderly, and orphanages, and 

empowered over 850,000 catechists to 

spread the Gospel.

In a world where many face 

challenges that seem insurmountable, 

your contributions in support of 

missionary men and women have 

been a testament to the power of 

collective goodwill. For countless 

individuals, Lent is not just 40 days 

but a perpetual state. In their daily 

lives, they do not have the luxury of 

giving up chocolates, carbs, or alcohol 

for Lent, as these are beyond their 

reach in the first place. Your support 

helps lift them from these hardships, 

offering not just material assistance 

but also spiritual nourishment and 

hope. 

As we celebrate the resurrection 

of Christ, let us also celebrate the 

resurrection of spirit and opportunity 

that your kindness has facilitated. 

Each school built, each seminary 

student supported, each health center 

sustained, and each Gospel lesson 

taught is a step toward a brighter, 

more hopeful world. 

In this issue, you have found 

stories of resilience, faith, and 

transformation. These narratives 

are not just accounts of aid and 

development; they are testaments to 

the human spirit’s capacity to rise, 

inspired and supported by your 

generosity. 

As we continue our mission, let us 

carry the message of Easter in our 

hearts - a message of renewal, hope, 

and the enduring power of love. 

Together, we are not just changing 

lives; we are nurturing a future where 

the light of Christ’s love reaches every 

corner of the earth. 

Thank you for being part of this 

extraordinary journey. May the joy 

of the Easter season fill your hearts 

and homes, and may we continue to 

work together in shining the light of 

hope to the world. 

With deepest gratitude, 

PS: If you would like to subscribe your parish 

to MISSION Magazine, we ask for a small 

contribution of $2 per copy per issue. This means 

that, for 50 copies of the four yearly issues, the 

suggested contribution from your parish would 

be $400. For more information or to subscribe, 

please reach out to contact@missio.org. 

Subscribe! 

Parishes, schools or individuals interested in subscribing to 

the MISSION Magazine can fill out the form at the QR code. 

Scan it and subscribe! 

If you have any questions, please direct to 

contact@missio.org

In support of 

those spreading 

the Gospel… 

The money needed to support those 

serving in the Pope’s missions comes 

from loving Catholics like you. 

Won’t you send whatever contribution you 

can in the enclosed envelope 

today so that the priests, religious and lay 

pastoral leaders in the 

missions may not only survive, but thrive, 

in their ministry? 

Thank you for supporting our missionaries. 

Please be assured of my prayers for you 

and your family. 

Dear Rev. Anthony D. Andreassi 

Send your gift, in your 

MISSION envelope, to: 

Rev. Anthony D. Andreassi 

Society for the Propagation 

of the Faith 

70 West 36th Street, 8th Floor, 

New York, NY 10018 

Your diocese will be credited 

with your gift; 

your gift is tax deductible. 

Enclosed is my gift of: 

$250 $100 $75 $50 $25 Other $_____ 

$700 (one year’s help, mission seminarian) 

$300 (one year’s help, Religious novice) 

$5,000 $2,500 $1,000 $500 Other $____ 

I want to be a monthly donor to the Missions! 

I would like information on a Gift Annuity. 

Please contact me about remembering The Society for the Propagation of the 

Faith in my Will. 

Name 

email 

Address 

City State Zip 

A MAGAZINE OF THE PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES

MISSION Magazine Spring 2024

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