MISSION Magazine Spring 2025

A MAGAZINE OF THE PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
SPRING 2025
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Letter from the National Director
Becoming Missionary Disciples
and Pordioseros
Society for the Propagation of the Faith:
God’s Human Trafficker
Missionary Union:
A Joyful Witness
Missionary Union:
How Failing for Jesus Led Breanne DiMarco
to an Unexpected Call to Missionary Life
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04
08
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Give now
The Pontifical
Mission Societies
USA
PUBLISHER: MONSIGNOR ROGER
J. LANDRY, NATIONAL DIRECTOR
EDITOR/WRITER: INÉS SAN MARTÍN
Missionary Childhood Association:
Sister Loretto Emenogu, God’s
Troublemaker, is a Missionary of Hope
Missionary Childhood Association:
Sister Ines, A Missionary at Heart
The Fulton Sheen Legacy
Society Part 5: Mission
Editor’s Note:
A Call to Love Without Limits
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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
We welcome your ongoing
feedback and your “letters to
the editor,” ever grateful for your
prayers and help. If you prefer
to send an “email to the editor,”
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A Letter from our
National Director
Monsignor Roger J. Landry
Dear Fellow Missionaries,
This April, we will be entering into the most
dramatic moments in the history of the world,
Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, which
we will mark during Holy Week and the Easter
Season.
We’ve all been made “witnesses of these
things,” as Jesus himself told us after the
Resurrection (Lk 24:48).
This month, therefore, is a time for us not just to
unite ourselves intensely with Jesus as we enter
liturgically into his new and eternal Passover,
but to invite others to enter these sacred
mysteries with us.
It’s also a time for us to unite ourselves with
our brothers and sisters across the globe, in a
particular way to those in missionary territories
where they may be celebrating Holy Thursday,
Good Friday, and Easter for the first time, or in
the midst of persecution, or situations of war,
great poverty, natural disaster.
The moving words the Church sings at the
beginning of the Easter Vigil will resonate no
matter where we celebrate: “This is the night
that even now, throughout the world, sets
Christian believers apart from worldly vices and
from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace
and joining them to his holy ones.”
As we think about “joining the holy ones,” we
will have a new saint this month who is an
inspiration to anyone involved in the Church’s
missionary work.
Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonized on April
27 in St. Peter’s Square. Carlo died of leukemia
in 2006 at the young age of 15, but already by
then, he had manifested an incredible love for
God and Christ and a desire for everyone else,
particularly his peers, to share that love.
Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan,
Carlo, as a young boy, became fascinated
by the reality of Jesus’ true presence in the
Holy Eucharist. His loving parents were not
practicing the faith at the time, but thanks to
the influence of a grandmother, a Polish nanny,
and a priest at his Catholic school, he became,
in his few years on earth, one of the greatest
apostles of the Eucharist in the history of the
Church.
He made his first Holy Communion at the
age of 7 and thereafter sought to receive the
Risen Lord Jesus every day in the Eucharist. He
regularly visited the Blessed Sacrament and
sought to live a truly Eucharistic life, which he
called his “highway to heaven.”
It wasn’t enough for him, however, to have an
intense personal relationship with Jesus. He
also wanted everyone he knew to share that
gift.
His contagious love for the Lord soon “infected”
his parents.
He tried, at first unsuccessfully, to invite his
friends and classmates to come to Church
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a Magazine of The Pontifical Mission Societies
with him. Eventually, through talking to them
about various Eucharistic miracles that have
taken place in history, he was able to draw them
to the even greater miracle that takes place
each day on the altar: when not only the bread
and wine change into Jesus’ body, blood, soul,
and divinity but — unlike in what happened
in Lanciano or Orvieto or other Eucharistic
miracles — the Eucharistic Jesus hides himself
in the appearances of simple bread and wine.
At a young age, he began to teach the
Catechism to help those preparing for first
Communion develop a great hunger for Jesus,
the Bread of Life.
But not even that was enough. He thought
about the multitudes across the world who
were living on some other path than the
“highway to heaven.” So, at 11, he taught himself
computer programming and graphic design to
build a website listing the “Eucharistic Miracles
of the World” so that his peers everywhere — his
age, younger, or older — would be able to make
the journey from the Eucharistic miracles to the
daily Eucharistic Miracle.
The Vatican was so impressed by his work that
in 2004-05, during the Year of the Eucharist, it
hosted an exhibition featuring his work right off
St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
That exhibit now travels the world to inspire
Catholic people on every continent to deeper
Eucharistic knowledge, faith, gratitude,
amazement, love, and life. His website remains
active so that Catholic priests, teachers, and
faithful anywhere can study or download the
exhibition and hopefully come to join him on
the road that leads to eternal life.
Soon-to-be Saint Carlo teaches us various
lessons relevant to the Church’s missionary
work.
First, young people can be great apostles
of their peers and even adults. That’s what
we emphasize in the Missionary Childhood
Association, in which “children help children” to
receive the Kingdom of God with faith, like the
childlike Carlo.
Second, the digital continent is a powerful tool
for sharing the faith. Just like St. Paul crisscrossed
the ancient world, so Carlo made the world his
own digital Areopagus. Modern apostles need
both in-person and cyberspatial zeal!
Third, the goal of the Church’s missionary work
is more than teaching all nations the words
of the Gospel: it’s sharing the person of Jesus
Christ, God-with-us, who remains with us in the
Sacraments but especially in the Holy Eucharist.
Missionary work, moreover, is not just about
“making converts” but, as St. Paul shows
us, about building Churches, understood
as communities of faith. That’s what the
Eucharistic Jesus strives to do, making us “one
body, one spirit in Christ,” as we pray in the
Eucharistic prayer.
Finally, missionary work is about salvation, about
sharing Jesus’ risen life in this world and forever,
and about getting on the “highway to heaven”
with the other members of the pilgrim Church
on earth as we head toward that place that
Jesus, through the holy days we celebrate this
month, won for us.
100 years ago, on May 17, 1925, Pope Pius XI
declared St. Therese of Lisieux a saint. She was
already popular, but few could have guessed
that this 24-year-old Carmelite would become
one of the most beloved saints of the 20th
century and, alongside St. Francis Xavier, be
named co-patron of the Missions.
This month, the Church will canonize a person
even younger, who already has become one
of the most beloved saints of the 21st century.
Because of his apostolic zeal in evangelizing
through the digital continent, could he become
the third co-patron of the Church’s missionary
work?
EWTN has asked me to help with their
television coverage from the Vatican of Carlo’s
canonization on April 27. So, I hope to be able to
share in the joy of that celebration with you via
your television or livestream!
United in Christ’s Mission,
Monsignor Roger J. Landry
National Director
3

Becoming
Missionary Disciples
and Pordioseros
Seán Patrick O’Malley OFM Cap *
Pope Francis talks with Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley
OFM Cap of Boston, president of the Pontifical
Commission for the Protection of Minors, as they arrive
for a meeting in the synod hall at the Vatican in this
Feb. 13, 2015, file photo. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
In 1986, a film came out that was very
popular and received many awards, called
The Mission. It was the story about the
Jesuit missions in Paraguay, which, like
the Franciscan mission in California, were
extraordinary.
I remember the date it came out very
well because it was at that time I was
Bishop in the Virgin Islands. Someone
came to me bringing a copy of America
Magazine. On the back of it was a vocation
ad. It showed a young, nice looking, Jesuit
scholastic in a suit and tie teaching in a
classroom with all the best accoutrements.
Many of the students were well-dressed
and giving him great attention. There was
a big sign underneath the photograph
that said, “Do you want to be a Jesuit? Call
this number.”
Well, by happenstance, the next day in
the Virgin Islands, I was reading El Nuevo
Dia, the newspaper from San Juan, Puerto
Rico. There was a full page ad, featuring a
picture at the top of the page of a shirtless
Jesuit, tied to a cross upside down being
thrown over Iguazu Falls, the biggest
waterfall in the world. Underneath it said
in Spanish, “Do you want to be a Jesuit?
Call this number.”
I thought to myself, “I wonder which
number got the most calls?”
I think the young Jorge Bergoglio
would have been more impressed with
the shirtless Jesuit upside down on the
cross, because that’s the vocation he
embraced when our Holy Father went to
the Jesuits. It was his desire to become a
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Becoming Missionary Disciples and Pordioseros
missionary in Japan like St. Francis Xavier
and future Jesuit General, Father Arrupe.
I think that’s the kind of ad that would
have gotten my attention when I was
a young man. My dad wanted me to
be a Jesuit, but I went to the Capuchins
precisely because I wanted to go to the
missions.
When I was in the seminary, the
provincial, Fr. Victor, wrote to Rome and
said,
“We’ve been blessed with
many vocations. We want another
mission. Please make it the most
difficult mission in the world.”
A week later, we got an answer from
Rome. It said, “Send the friars to Mendy
in Papua New Guinea.” The superior of
Capuchin College was named the bishop
and a group of young friars went with him
to this land where five hundred different
languages were still being spoken
and where people were still practicing
cannibalism and living in the Stone Age.
When our friars arrived in Mendy in the
southern highlands, they were the first
Europeans to ever go there. The natives
came out of the bush and through
interpreters, they pointed to the plane by
which they arrived and asked, “Is it a male
or a female?” They said, “If it’s a female we
want an egg!”
A couple of years ago, we celebrated
the 50th anniversary of the mission and
there are now 150,000 Catholics, fifty friars
and a community of native sisters. At the
celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of
the arrival of the Gospel, there was such
enthusiasm. The people talked about
the change that the light of Christ has
brought into their lives, that they once
lived in fear, violence and darkness. Then
the Gospel came, and it was a liberation.
I had the privilege of being able to
ordain the most recent bishop there, and
so I had to learn some Pidgin. I hope the
ordination was valid! I was so impressed.
The ordination was outside. There were
about 5,000 people there, all painted, with
feathers on their heads. At the gospel,
they had this long procession. The Book of
the Gospels was wrapped in yards of cloth.
It was a sign of the respect for the Word
of God. It took them about 15 minutes to
unwrap the Gospel. It was done with such
joy. It was a witness to us to see how the
faith has transformed these people and
their lives.
I was raised in a family and in a parish
with a school where the church’s missions
were always on our mind. At St. Luke’s
School, all of us children felt as though we
were involved in the life and the mission
of the Church. My family had two relatives
in the missions. One cousin was a priestdoctor
who worked for 25 years in El
Salvador. My mother had a cousin who
was in the Maryknoll Missionaries in Chile,
Father Jerry Brennan.
When I was a child, the Diocese of
Cleveland, where our parish St. Luke’s
was, opened a mission in El Salvador. And
they sent down teams of priests, sisters
and laypeople. There would always be
10 to 15 people from the parish working
in El Salvador. From our own parish, the
parochial vicar, Father Dennis, himself
went and spent 25 years in El Salvador.
One of the missionaries with them was
a young laywoman named Jean Marie
Donovan. She went to El Salvador where,
with three sisters, she was martyred about
eight months after Saint Oscar Romero
was killed. When I went back to our parish
for the 100th anniversary of the parish, I
was so gratified to see that in the church
they now had a shrine to Saint Oscar
Romero and commemorated the death
of Jean Donovan, our fellow parishioner,
and the three religious sisters.
The pastor of the parish was Monsignor
Charlie McBride, and he had served as
the Assistant National Director of the
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MISSION Magazine
A magazine of The Pontifical Mission Societies
Society of the Propagation of the Faith in
the United States. Once a year we would
have a very special visit from Bishop
Fulton Sheen, the National Director. He
would come for about a week and would
completely revolutionize the parish.
Immediately people would find out
what Mass he was going to say. St. Luke’s
was a big Irish parish with three or four
high Masses, usually Requiem Masses,
every day. In those days everything was
in Latin and there was never preaching
during the week. But when Bishop Sheen
came, he read the Gospel in English and
preached every day. And the church was
standing room only for it.
As a young boy I had the privilege to
serve his Masses. It was such a thrill. As you
know, his television program, Life is Worth
Living, made thousands of people come
to appreciate our Faith and many to want
to become Catholic. He did the program
at the same time that he was raising
millions of dollars for the missions.
No one in the history of the United
States has done as much as Fulton Sheen
to overcome the anti-Catholic prejudice. I
was raised in a world where we were told,
“There will never be a Catholic president.”
If there hadn’t been a Bishop Sheen,
there probably never would have been a
Catholic president, because he really did
so much to change the image of what a
Catholic is and what the Catholic Church
is about.
The work of the Society of the
Propagation of the Faith is a direct
response in my way of thinking to Jesus’
last two commands in the Gospel. I like
to call them Jesus’ marching orders to
us. Those two commands are part of his
farewell address on two Thursdays, Holy
Thursday and Ascension Thursday.
Cardinal O’Malley receives the Blessed Pauline Jaricot
Distinguished Catholic Philanthropy Medal from Cardinal
Christophe Pierre, Papal nuncio to the United States.
6

Becoming Missionary Disciples and Pordioseros
On Holy Thursday, the marching order
is, “Love one another the way that I love
you.” This is the “new” commandment.
The “great” commandment is loving God
above all else and loving our neighbors as
ourselves. But the “new” commandment
is that we who are disciples, who are
members of the household of the faith,
have to love each other the way Jesus
loves us. His love is the measuring stick.
How does Jesus love us? The Gospel says
he loves us while we were still in sin (Rom
5:8). He loves us first. He loves us to the
point of laying down his life for us. And
that’s the kind of love that we’re supposed
to have. That’s the love that will define us
as disciples. “By this will all people know
that you are my disciples,” Jesus said, “If
you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35) So
that’s our marching orders on Thursday of
Holy Week.
On Ascension Thursday, Jesus gives us
the Great Commission: “Go make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:18). We’re here today,
2,000 years later, because that group of
fishermen, farmers and tax collectors
took that command seriously and they
went out to make disciples. Most of them
died as martyrs. But now it’s our turn, to
show how to love first and how to make
disciples of all nations.
In Spanish, the word for beggar is
pordiosero. That means someone who’s
asking in God’s name (Dios). That is
what the task of the Pontifical Mission
Societies is, to beg in God’s name. Asking
for money is never easy. I know, having
been a missionary bishop in my first
diocese, which was very beautiful, but also
very poor. The total diocesan budget was
$30,000 a year. There were no salaries,
no insurance. With that money, I had to
support myself, the retired bishop, the
nun who was the chancellor and two
seminarians. It makes you very aware of
how much in the church we need each
other. And we need the help from other
churches that can support us.
To be a Christian, as Pope Francis has
always said, is to be a missionary disciple.
The Pontifical Mission Societies
continue the great work of Blessed
Pauline Marie Jaricot, Sister Mary Rogers,
Bishop James Walsh, Archbishop Fulton
Sheen, thousands upon thousands of
American missionaries who’ve served all
over the world, Cardinal Richard Cushing
from Boston, who started the St. James
Society and sent with 300 priests from
Boston to serve in Peru, Ecuador, and
Bolivia, and so many others.
The Pontifical Mission Societies helps
those who are missionary disciples across
the globe, as well as spurs each of us here
to be a missionary disciple through our
prayers, sacrifices and financial support of
the missions.
Each of us must strive each day to be
missionary disciples. I thank all of you
for helping the church to carry Christ’s
message and to fulfill his last command.
Go make disciples of all nations. It’s our
turn.
*Seán Patrick O’Malley OFM Cap, is the
emeritus Archbishop of Boston. This article is
adapted from remarks he gave on January
22, 2025, in New York City at the Heart of the
Missions Gala, where he was presented with
the inaugural Blessed Pauline Jaricot Award.
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MISSION Magazine
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
God’s Human
Trafficker
By Inés San Martín

Society for the Propagation of the Faith
God’s Human Trafficker
How much would you pay for a 14-yearold
boy?
This was a question Father Ignacio
María Doñoro, a Spanish missionary
priest and military chaplain, had to
answer in 2011. He was in El Salvador on
a humanitarian mission with the Spanish
army when he heard the story of Manuel,
a young boy with partial paralysis whose
parents planned to sell him to organ
traffickers to feed their other four children.
The price tag? $21.
Father Ignacio tracked down the family
and offered to pay more for the boy. They
settled for $25. It was the first time he
had “bought” a person. Though he had
saved countless babies from abortion by
providing their mothers with spiritual and
material support, this was the first time
he saw the face of a child he was rescuing
from certain death.
“When I saw what was happening, I
thought, ‘I can do one decent thing in
my life—perhaps shorten my time in
purgatory—by rescuing this child,’” the
missionary said in an interview with the
Spanish office of The Pontifical Mission
Societies. “So, I became a human trafficker
and saved him.”
With medication and extensive
physical therapy, Manuel recovered from
his paralysis. Years later, Father Ignacio
received a letter from the boy, now grown,
thanking him for saving his life.
That moment led him to a deeper
realization: there is a reality beyond
what most people know. The trafficking
of human beings—organ harvesting,
forced prostitution, or slave labor—is one
of the most heinous crimes in existence.
It is currently the third most profitable
illegal industry, following arms and drug
trafficking.
Though only 0.2 percent of organ
trafficking crimes are detected, the
United Nations estimates that the
industry generates between $840 million
and $1.7 billion annually. About 10% of all
organ transplants— approximately 12,000
per year—are believed to be illegal.
A Call Beyond Comfort
“From there, I went on humanitarian
missions with the army to Colombia,
Tangier, and Mozambique,” Father
Ignacio recalls. “Until one day, 14
years ago, after having built platforms
and fundraisers, I realized that giving
money and organizing things wasn’t
enough.”
What truly matters, he concluded, is
giving oneself.
“Life is too short to waste time,” he says.
“My advice is always to live life intensely,
giving yourself to others, as Jesus did.
‘There is no greater love than this—that
a man should lay down his life for his
friends’” (John 15:13).
That conviction led him to a radical
decision: against reason, against logic,
against the advice of his family and even
his fellow priests, he moved to the world’s
most forgotten corner.
That forgotten corner is Madre de Dios
(Mother of God), located in the apostolic
vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, and known
as the door to Peru’s Amazon rainforest.
“It is a place where the human
person is worth nothing, where people
are trafficked, where terrible material
poverty creates terrible moral poverty,”
he explains. “There are many places
here where, surprisingly, a priest has
never set foot.”
He is not exaggerating. In vast regions
of the Amazon, no priest, religious sister, or
missionary has ever been. Of the world’s
4.5 billion non-Christians, an estimated 80
percent have never even met a Christian.
It was in Madre de Dios that Father
Ignacio built Hogar de Nazaret, a refuge for
children rescued from human trafficking.
And, like many missionaries who confront
organized crime—in his case, the illegal
mining industry—he became a threat to
9

MISSION Magazine
A magazine of The Pontifical Mission Societies
business.
A Brush with Death
“In March 2015, I woke up to three
guns pointed at my face,” he recalls. “The
criminals had realized that I was the one
moving the strings to save these children.”
After tying his hands and feet, the men
beat him mercilessly.
“They shouted at me,
‘You are going to die priest!’”
When he first arrived in Madre de Dios,
he had been advised to carry a gun for
protection. He rejected the idea, believing
a priest shouldn’t carry a weapon. But
as he lay on the ground, bleeding and
broken, he briefly regretted that choice.
“I was in so much pain that I
passed out,” he says. “When I regained
consciousness, they were still there. And
when it became clear they would uphold
their promise to kill me, I knew my last
thoughts couldn’t be about the weapon I
didn’t carry.”
Instead, he resolved to die forgiving.
“The most positive thing I could think
of was the conversations I’d had with
mothers considering abortion—mothers
who instead had chosen life. Hundreds
and hundreds of babies saved,” he says.
“That psychological joy allowed me to
overcome the physical pain.”
Pretending to be dead saved his life.
After the attack, he returned to Spain
for medical treatment. But as soon as
he was cleared, he went back to Peru,
relocating Hogar de Nazaret to Bellavista
and Carhuapoma, still within the Amazon.
“I don’t believe I decided anything,”
he reflects. “I have the feeling that I was
sent. One of the most ‘dangerous’ things
a Christian can say is, ‘Lord, do with me
what You will. I am in Your hands.’”
A Home for the Broken
At Hogar de Nazaret, Christ, the
Eucharist, and the Virgin Mary are the
foundations. Here, some 300 children are
not only cared for, fed, and educated, but
above all, they are shown the love that God
has for them. Heaven is the place to which
they are called and to which they should
aspire as the main objective in their lives.
“There are 40 priests serving about
100 communities in the prelature of
Moyobamba, where our home is located,”
he says. “The children arrive completely
broken—physically and emotionally. They
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Society for the Propagation of the Faith
God’s Human Trafficker
have infections and rotting limbs. Their
stories are harrowing: they have been
exploited, abused, prostituted. They have
a resilience that I know I wouldn’t have.
Honestly, if I had been through what they
have suffered, I would have taken my own
life.”
The words of Christ guide everything
the Hogar does: “Let the children come
to me.”
“In both homes, the Eucharist is at the
center, the beating heart of this place,”
he explains. “We are convinced that
Jesus will heal them. These children have
never received proper medical care, so
they respond to it quickly. But beyond
that, when a person feels loved, needed,
irreplaceable, unique, special—the healing
is not just emotional, it is also physical.”
For Father Ignacio, the most significant
problem in the Church is our failure to
believe Jesus when He says:
“Come, you who are blessed by my
Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world. For
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger
and you welcomed me, naked and you
clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in
prison and you visited me” (Matthew
25:34-36).
“It is Jesus who is naked,” he says. “It is
Jesus who is hungry. It is Jesus who has
been beaten. It is Jesus who has been
trafficked. It is Jesus who has been raped.
It is Jesus who arrives broken. But it is also
Jesus who laughs when a rescued child
plays soccer. It is Jesus who smiles when
a child whose life you saved smiles at you.”
When asked about the ultimate goal
of Hogar de Nazaret, Father Ignacio’s
response is unwavering:
“To console the heart of Jesus. Because
the passion of these children—crucified
by organized crime—is a continuation of
the Passion of Christ.”
11

Missionary Union
A Joyful Witness
By Coryn Glafcke*
My name is Coryn Glafcke, and I have
served as a lay Catholic missionary
with my family since 2018. I was born in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and lived there
until 2018. Since then, I have visited, lived,
and served as witness to Christ’s power in
my life throughout the world. I have lived
and left my heart in many different places,
including the United States, Mexico, Haiti,
Asia, and Italy.
During the Fall of 2018, my family went
through Intake training with the Family
Missions Company. This is a lay Catholic
apostolate founded by the Summers
Family (Mr. Frank and Mrs. Genie) in
1997. FMC is dedicated to preaching the
Gospel, serving the poor, and making
disciples of all nations to answer the Great
Commission of Jesus Christ. Everywhere
FMC missionaries serve, they serve at the

Missionary Union
A Joyful Witness
courtesy of the bishop of the Catholic
diocese in the area. Missions, in both
foreign and domestic fields, have changed
my outward and inward disposition. I am
proud to say that a personal relationship
with Jesus has changed my life, and I am
a missionary kid.
In the Spring of 2018, my
family visited Big Woods, the home base
of Family Missions Company, in rural
south Louisiana. My mother had been
yearning for our family to serve as foreign
missionaries for a few years. She was
inspired by an article in the local Catholic
newspaper of our diocese. This article
featured another family from Wisconsin
that had joined FMC. My parents were
fairly active in our Catholic parish, and even
more so after formation in intentional
discipleship. However, my father had
some understandable reservations
concerning our family selling everything,
living a life of radical Gospel poverty, and
abandoning the typical American dream.
My mother was persistent in her desire,
and she prayed for a change of heart.
Eventually, my dad’s heart was moved by
the Holy Spirit to be open to the mission
field. Our visit to Big Woods was filled
with incredible encounters and truly
Divine appointments. My own personal
conviction for mission was sparked on a
home visit. It is hard to be comfortable
visiting the less fortunate, yet there is an
undeniable joy in coming to find that
those who received us so well in their
home were truly more fortunate than we.
I walked in with the desire to serve and left
feeling more fulfilled and satisfied than I
ever had in my entire life. I was ten years
old. By the end of our visit to Abbeville,
almost every member of my family was
excited about the adventure of traveling
the world as missionaries. Although my
older sister had some reservations about
leaving friends and family behind, she also
came to share in the joy of proclaiming
the Good News.
One of my most treasured
mission experiences was in Haiti. We
encountered so many generous souls
who shared with us the little that they
had. My main and personal ministry
there was making friends. As simple as
that may seem, I was impacted deeply
by my Haitian friends. From exchanging
language tips to picking mangoes to
visiting newborn babies, my only hope
was that those I encountered received as
much joy as I did in serving them.
The time I spent serving in Asia was
blessed and anointed. In the summer
of 2022, I traveled with my family to Asia
to help with a mission trip. We served
alongside another FMC missionary family,
with whom we became close friends.
In our nearly three months there, we
learned much about the native culture
and beautiful people. We had many
unexpected and wonderful adventures,
especially when we followed the Holy
Spirit and embraced the unknown.
The beauty of the culture can be
13

MISSION Magazine
A magazine of The Pontifical Mission Societies
described by one simple word: namaste.
Although it was first introduced to us as
a common greeting, our family learned
how much more it meant. In Asia, we
encountered people who had never
even heard the Name of Jesus. However,
even those who did not understand our
livelihood treated us with genuine and
selfless respect. Again, simple friendship
was groundwork for discipleship. My
family visited a remote mountain village,
steeped in Hindu culture and tradition.
My father and I spent time talking
with a young man about soccer, then
English, and eventually the sacraments.
He expressed the desire to be the first
in his entire village to be baptized. We
exchanged contact information with
him, and he now attends a Don Bosco
college of engineering in the capital city.
I hope each of us learned a fraction of
the namaste way: reverencing the Divine
in everyone we meet, even as we simply
greet them. For it is in this that we can
truly serve and seek the Divine together.
Abbeville, Louisiana is currently my
family’s mission field. Although it is not
a foreign country, it is certainly a place of
rich and unique culture. The deep-rooted
faith community that surrounds us is
truly inspiring. We live close to a beautiful
Catholic church, with sacramental graces
readily available and regular vibrant
community events. Each day, I continue
to learn more about what it means to
be a missionary. I start every day with
personal prayer, asking the Lord to guide
me to those He wants me to encounter.
I have learned perseverance through
running cross country, and experienced
joy through encouraging my teammates.
I serve those around me with a smile,
offering homework help, asking questions,
and listening well. Through developing
friendships and being a witness of joy,
I hope to journey with many more souls
toward Christ.
In each place I have lived, I have met
beautiful children of God who truly
changed my life by expanding my heart.
I have united my dreams of being an
author with serving others in whatever
way God calls me. I hope that as long
as I continue a life of prayer and service,
God will sustain me in His mission and
vision of my ultimate goal: our Heavenly
homeland.
My paternal grandfather’s motto for
life is: “laughter is the key to happiness.”
My family has carried this saying with
us through the routines and transitions
Coryn!
14

Missionary Union
of life. I have traversed many places,
met many people, and learned much
about the world. In all my experiences, I
continue to understand the truth of this
saying. Whenever I find joy in situations,
laugh, and brighten up my day, I can enter
into life with more grace and presence.
Laughter invites happiness and joy into
one’s life, and joy does not waver in distress.
Laughter has carried me through leaving
my home state, transitioning through
several schools, and moving fifteen
times. This motto of laughter unlocking
happiness has shaped my worldview and
benefitted me as I embrace the joy of the
Gospel in all areas of my life.
My life since joining Family Missions
Company has been filled with a multitude
of joys as well as trials. Traveling around the
world and leaving your home behind again
and again can be rather complicated and
disheartening, but the Lord has filled our
family with the immense joy that cannot
come from any transient thing. We have
experienced Heaven touching earth in so
many places, and we have dedicated our
lives to helping others find this joy in the
hope of the call to discipleship in Jesus
Christ.
Listen now!
15

Missionary Union
How Failing for Jesus
Led Breanne DiMarco
to an Unexpected Call
to Missionary Life
By Inés San Martín
Breanne DiMarco never imagined that
she would one day be a missionary, much
less one traveling the world spreading the
Gospel. In 2008, at 18, fresh out of rehab
and trying to rebuild her life, she had
only one goal: stay clean. What she found
instead was a call to mission that she first
resisted—until God made it impossible to
ignore.

MISSION Magazine
A magazine of The Pontifical Mission Societies
Running from the Call
Breanne’s story isn’t the typical
missionary journey. A cradle Catholic, she
never took her faith seriously growing
up. After struggling with addiction as
a teenager, she entered rehab, hoping
to put her life back together. As she
searched for purpose, she toyed with
the idea of joining the Peace Corps.
Her mother, a devout Catholic, had a
different suggestion: “If you’re going to do
something like that, you’re going to do it
with a Catholic organization.”
That’s how Breanne first encountered
Family Missions Company (FMC), a lay
Catholic missionary organization. She
visited their community in Louisiana,
where she quickly decided, “This is not for
me.” The missionaries were, in her words,
too happy, too joyful, too in love with
Jesus. They were constantly singing praise
songs and radiating a sense of peace she
didn’t recognize. Feeling out of place, she
returned home convinced she’d never go
back.
But God had other plans.
“God, Seriously?!”
For the next several months, Breanne
found herself unable to shake the idea of
mission work. Scripture passages about
selling everything and serving the poor
seemed to follow her everywhere. The
more she tried to ignore it, the more
persistent the message became. One day,
frustrated and desperate, she issued an
ultimatum:
God, if you really want me to be a
missionary, I need a sign. Right now.
As Mass began, the visiting priest
stepped up to the altar and announced
the intention for that day’s Mass: for those
discerning mission work. Breanne was
stunned. Looking around, she thought,
Did anyone else hear that? It was as if God
was speaking directly to her.
Her heart sank. She had plans, dreams,
ambitions—none of which included being
a missionary. But even as she resisted, a
deep peace settled in. She knew she had
to surrender. A year after vowing never
to return to FMC, she walked through
their doors again, this time for missionary
training.
From the Amazon to the Convent
Breanne’s first mission assignment
took her to Ecuador, where she quickly
faced a new set of challenges. Surrounded
by a party culture, with alcohol and
drugs readily available, she battled the
old lies that she was unworthy to share
the Gospel. “The devil kept whispering,
‘You’re not qualified. Look at your past.’”
But she realized that her history uniquely
equipped her to reach those struggling
with addiction and sin.
Over the years, she has served in
Mexico, Ecuador, the Caribbean, Italy,
England, Spain, and the Philippines,
bringing the Gospel to those on the
margins. After several years in mission
18

Missionary Union
How Failing for Jesus Led Breanne DiMarco to an Unexpected Call to Missionary Life
work, she discerned another surprising
call—to religious life. She entered a
convent, where she learned a different
kind of sacrifice: hiddenness, silence, and
prayer. It was here that God prepared her
for what would come next: family life.
Mission in the Mundane
Breanne married her husband in 2020,
and today she is a wife and mother of
three, living in Houston, Texas. While her
missionary days may seem far behind her,
she insists that being a mother is just as
much a mission as evangelizing in foreign
lands. “Motherhood is a silent martyrdom,”
she says. “It’s waking up at 3 AM to soothe
a crying baby. It’s changing diapers that
no one thanks you for. It’s offering up the
daily grind for the salvation of souls.”
At times, she admits, it feels less
glamorous than trekking through
the Amazon to bring communion to
indigenous tribes. But she finds comfort
in the example of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the
patron saint of the missions, who never
left her convent yet became one of the
Church’s greatest missionaries through
her prayers and sacrifices.
Breanne and her husband are now
focused on cultivating a missionary spirit
within their family. Though she’s no
longer traveling the world, she teaches
her children to serve the poor in small but
meaningful ways—making care packages
for the homeless, donating toys, and
offering prayers for those in need.
A Call for the Jubilee Year of Hope
As the Church celebrates the Jubilee
Year of Hope in 2025, Breanne sees it as an
opportunity for all Catholics to embrace
their missionary call, whether overseas or
in their own neighborhoods. “Jesus didn’t
say, ‘Some of you go make diciples of all
nations,’” she reminds us. “He told all of us
to do it.”
Too often, she says, people hesitate
to act because they don’t have a clear
roadmap. “We get caught up thinking we
need to have all the answers before we
say yes to God. But that’s not how mission
works. It’s about taking the first step and
trusting Him with the rest.”
Her great hope for the Church? That
more people realize mission isn’t about
geography—it’s about surrender. “You
don’t have to go to the ends of the earth
to be a missionary. Your mission field is
your home, your office, your parish. The
only question is:
“Will you answer the call?”
This Lent, during a year that calls all
Catholics to renewed hope, Breanne’s
story reminds us that God uses the least
likely people to bring His love to the
world—even—especially—when they’re
running from Him.
And if you ever find yourself asking for a
sign, be careful. You just might get one. In
fact, Breeanne’s story might be that sign.
19

Missionary Childhood Association
In this 2022 photo, Sister
Loretto Emenogu, Indianapolis’
archdiocesan mission educator
for the Missionary Childhood
Association (MCA), shows her
astonishment as Tracy Jansen,
principal of St. Mary of the Knobs
School, presents her with a
check for more than $16,000 the
students raised to help children
in need around the world. (Photo
by Natalie Hoefer/Courtesy
Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
Sister Loretto
Emenogu, God’s
Troublemaker, is a
Missionary of Hope
By Inés San Martín
Hope is a gift, a light that shines even
in the darkest places. For Sister Loretto
Emenogu, a Nigerian nun serving in
Indianapolis, that hope is most alive in
children’s hearts. As the coordinator for
the Missionary Childhood Association
(MCA) in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis,
she dedicates her life to nurturing young
hearts in the faith and inspiring them to
be missionaries in their way.
20

Missionary Childhood Association
Sister Loretto Emenogu, God’s Troublemaker, is a Missionary of Hope
“If you want to take away my life,
take the children away,” Sister Loretto
says with conviction. “But if you want to
keep heaven going, bring the children
to Christ.”
A Mission Rooted in Family and Faith
Born and raised in Nigeria, Sister Loretto
comes from a profoundly Catholic family.
“My parents were role models of what
the Catholic Church calls for in parents,”
she recalls. “They taught me that mission
starts in the home. If we have strong
Christian families, we will have strong
missionaries.”
As the eldest of six children, she grew
up in a household where faith was a daily
reality. Her mother read Bible passages
each night, teaching her and her siblings
about Jesus, heaven, and what it means to
live a life of love. It was in that setting that
her vocation took root.
“My mother read the Passion of Christ
to us, and I remember crying,” she shares.
“One day, I told her, ‘I think I have to give
back my life to that Jesus.’ She corrected
me, saying, ‘Don’t say it’s that Jesus, say
you give it back to Jesus.’”
Not long after, she dreamt of a beautiful
young girl inviting her to church. The
girl introduced herself as Saint Agnes
and told her that God was calling her to
religious life. That experience, along with
her mother’s faith, sealed her vocation.
A Journey to America
Sister Loretto was sent to the United
States for studies and missionary work.
She attended Barry University in Florida
and later worked with Food for the Poor.
Eventually, she was invited to Indianapolis,
where she began working with Catholic
Charities and later transitioned into the
mission office.
“I was asked to do cultural orientation
for refugees and migrants,” she explains.
“Then, after a few years, I was invited to lead
the Missionary Childhood Association.”
For Sister Loretto, working with the
MCA was a dream come true. “When I
came into this role, I felt like I had finally
found my true mission,” she says. “The
children are my heart.”
The Missionary Childhood
Association: Forming Young
Missionaries
The Missionary Childhood Association,
one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies,
seeks to instill in children a missionary
spirit by teaching them about the needs
of their peers in mission territories
and inviting them to offer prayers and
material support. Sister Loretto has taken
this mission to heart, visiting schools,
faith formation classes, and parish
communities to spread the message.
“I tell children, ‘You are missionaries.
Once you are baptized, you are called to
be a missionary.’”
Children have raised thousands of
dollars for mission projects worldwide
through her work. Inspired by her visits, St.
Mary of the Knobs School raised $16,000
in 2022—well beyond their initial goal. “It
brought tears to my eyes,” she says. “The
children told me, ‘Sister Loretto, you love
us, and we love you. You love every child
in the world.’”
She emphasizes to children that their
donations can change lives, no matter
how small. “Even a dime can feed a child.
When you give, you are giving to Jesus,
who asked you to help.”
A Life Marked by Sacrifice and
Perseverance
Sister Loretto’s missionary journey has
not been without hardship. A car accident
left her with permanent spinal damage,
yet she remains undeterred. “No matter
what, I must take a giant step for my God,”
she says. “There is nothing that sweetens
my heart more than loving people.”
She is also profoundly aware of the
suffering of the Church in Nigeria, where
violence and persecution continue to
21

Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Sister Loretto Emenogu
receives a hug from Christ the King School fifth-grader Madelyn
Reinhardt on March 20. Madelyn and the students of the
Indianapolis school helped raise $13,000 for the Missionary
Childhood Association, which Sister Loretto promotes. (Photo by
Natalie Hoefe/Courtesy Archdiocese of Indianapolis)

Missionary Childhood Association
threaten the faithful. Yet, she remains
hopeful. “The people in Nigeria suffer so
much, but their faith keeps them going,”
she explains. “Even in poverty, they go
to Mass, sing with joy, and give like the
widow’s mite. It is not about wealth—it is
about love for God.”
Despite the dangers, she plans to return
home for a visit. “People ask me, ‘Aren’t
you afraid?’” she says. “But I trust in God.
And when I go back, I don’t just rest—I
cook for older people, I bring rosaries and
gifts for the children. I want to bring joy
wherever I go.”
A Missionary of Hope
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Sister
Loretto embodies what it means to be a
missionary of hope. She sees the face of
Christ in every child she encounters, and
she helps them know that they, too, are
called to be lights in the world.
“To keep the mission going, we have
to start with the little ones,” she says.
“They are precious saints in the making.”
Through her work, her faith, and her
love, Sister Loretto is shaping the future of
the Church, not only young missionaries.
And as she continues her mission, her
words ring true:
“I must take a giant step for
my God. I must take a giant
step for my fellow human
beings. Because that is what
love demands.”
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Missionary Childhood Association
Sister Ines, A
Missionary at Heart
By Inés San Martín
Sister Ines Paulo Albino was born on
April 25, 1969, in Bula, Guinea-Bissau. A
member of the Adorers of the Blood
of Christ, she professed her perpetual
vows on September 14, 1997. With a
Licentiate in Biblical Theology from
the Pontifical Gregorian University in
Rome, she has dedicated her life to
evangelization, catechesis, and youth
ministry. Her missionary journey has
taken her from leading the National
Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies
(TPMS) in Guinea-Bissau to serving as the
Treasurer and a Counselor of her religious
community’s Italian Region. Despite
her administrative responsibilities, her
missionary spirit remains at the heart of
everything she does.
“I was born into a missionary Church,”
Sister Ines explains. “Missionaries
brought the faith in Guinea-Bissau,
and their passion for Christ-shaped
me. Even though my congregation is
not specifically missionary by charism,
our sisters have carried the Gospel to
the ends of the earth.” This experience
profoundly influenced her calling to
missionary service in her home country
and internationally.
The Importance of Missionary
Childhood
While Sister Ines has worked in many
aspects of mission life, the Pontifical
Missionary Childhood Association
(MCA) holds a special place in her heart.
“The Church is always young,” she says.
“Through MCA, we witness the joy and
newness of life. Teaching a child from the
very beginning to be altruistic and to live
for others is an incredible gift.”
She emphasizes that forming children
24

Missionary Childhood Association
Sister Ines, A Missionary at Heart
in missionary discipleship has long-term
effects. “It is a joy to see a child grow into
someone who becomes a gift to others.
That is why MCA is so important. It is about
planting seeds of generosity and faith that
will bear fruit in the future.”
Sister Ines is also passionate about
fostering a deeper connection between
children in mission territories and those
in donor countries. “I want children in
places like the United States to know
that they are not just donors; they are
missionaries. It is not only about giving
money—it is about giving oneself.
True mission is about relationships.”
She believes that strengthening the link
between children who give and those
who receive will create a more profound
sense of solidarity and understanding.
The Challenge of Evangelization
Today
Having spent years in mission fields,
Sister Ines has witnessed firsthand both
the challenges and opportunities facing
the Church. “The faith in Guinea-Bissau is
vibrant, but we still have much work to do,”
she explains. “There are many conversions,
but when difficulties arise—sickness,
struggles—some return to ancestral
beliefs. This is why catechesis and pastoral
accompaniment are so crucial.”
She also recognizes the changing
landscape of faith in Europe, where
vocations are declining. “It is striking to
see that while vocations are flourishing
in Africa, they are dwindling in the very
countries that once sent missionaries to
us. The foundation of my congregation
is in Italy, yet vocations here are rare.”
For Sister Ines, the solution lies in radical
witness: “Young people today need to see
coherence. They need to see that what
we preach is what we live. If they witness
authenticity in our lives, they will be drawn
to Christ.”
A Missionary in Rome
Today, Sister Ines finds herself back in
Italy, though her heart remains deeply
connected to mission territories. “I never
wanted to leave my mission work, but I
felt called to serve in a different way,” she
reflects. “Working at the Pontifical Mission
Societies is not about sitting in an office—
it is about ensuring that resources reach
those who need them most.”
Soon, she will embark on a mission trip
to Romania, where she will lead missionary
animation activities. Her passion for
evangelization remains as strong as ever.
“Being a missionary requires a special
vocation,” she says. “Anyone can do
mission work, but true missionaries have
a fire in their hearts. They are willing to
become bread broken for others.”
Despite her administrative role, Sister
Ines continues to embody the spirit of a
missionary. Whether in Guinea-Bissau,
Italy, or Romania, she remains a witness
to the Gospel, tirelessly working to ensure
that the Church’s mission continues to
thrive. She says, “The missionary passion
that built the Church must continue to
fuel its future. The work is not yet done.”
25

The Fulton Sheen
Legacy Society
Part 5: Mission
By Fr. Anthony Andreassi, CO
In the last issue of Mission Magazine
in this series on the life, ministry, and
legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, we
looked at Sheen’s time teaching at the
Catholic University of America, his rise to
national prominence as a popular speaker
and retreat master, and the beginning
of his ministry utilizing both the then
newly emerging mediums of radio and
television to preach the Gospel. In this next
installment, we turn our attention to his
nomination in 1950 as National Director
of the “Pontifical Mission Aid Societies” (as
the Pontifical Mission Societies was then
called) and the incredible energy and
creativity he brought to his new position
in fostering a missionary spirit among
his fellow American Catholics while also
raising huge sums of money in support
of missionary activity in emerging local
churches around the globe.
In September 1950, Pietro Cardinal
Fumasoni-Biondi, Prefect of the Sacred
Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith, announced that he had accepted
the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop
Thomas J. McDonnell as National Director
of the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies,
after fourteen years of service as well as
the nomination of Msgr. Sheen to this role.
Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop
of New York, played a significant role in
securing Sheen’s nomination, thanks to
his long friendship with Pope Pius XII and
26

Fulton Sheen Legacy Society
Part 5: Mission
his position as chairman of the Societies’
Board of Directors. Upon taking up these
new responsibilities on November 1 of that
year, Sheen said that he would dedicate
himself entirely to his new duties. As a
result, he gave up teaching and all outside
speaking engagements not directly
related to his role in promoting the
missions. However, he would continue his
radio broadcast on the “Catholic Hour.”
In his formal statement to the press
at the time of his appointment, Sheen
said that while he might be leaving the
classroom, in truth, he would still be
engaged in teaching, for the foreign
missions are founded on the Great
Command “to go forth and teach
all nations.” Sheen also reflected that
his appointment came at a perilous
moment in history when Communism,
a missionary movement in its own right,
was advancing against Christ’s forces. At
the same time, the Church struggled to
preach the Gospel in places where she
was increasingly unwelcome or actively
persecuted.
Upon taking up his new role, Sheen
moved to New York City, where the
National Office had been located
since the early twentieth century, after
having first been in Baltimore. (At this
time, most American Catholics knew
the organization as the “Society for the
Propagation of the Faith.”) When Sheen
arrived, the National Office was in an old
brownstone at 109 East 38th Street. The
building included offices, a chapel, and
an apartment on the fourth floor where
Sheen lived. In these relatively cramped
quarters, thirty employees came to work
each day. Eventually, Sheen secured a
larger and more modern space for the
offices at 366 Fifth Avenue, where they
remained until the turn of this century.
Despite the extensive travel demands
of his new role, Sheen worked hard to
form and support his staff. Whenever he
was not on the road, he would lead them
in daily prayer and the Rosary while also
giving personal time and attention to
each of them. In addition, he typically had
two priest assistants who helped manage
these and other responsibilities in his
absence.
Since fundraising was and is a central
responsibility of the National Director,
Sheen expended immense time and
energy toward this effort, using almost
every speaking opportunity--in person, on
the radio, or on television--to advocate for
the missions and make direct appeals for
financial support. Before long, donations
to the Society soared and soon the Church
in the United States was contributing
almost two-thirds of all funds raised
worldwide for missionary activity. At the
height of his fundraising efforts, more
than 10,000 letters (many containing
donations of various amounts, even a coin
or two from children) would arrive at the
National Office daily, including, at times,
from a large number of non-Catholics.
In a 1952 conversation with a
reporter, Sheen waxed, “Last year our
missionaries cared for over fifty-four
million young, aged, sick, orphans,
and victims of leprosy—and only ten
percent of these people were Christian.
We tended more souls than the Red
27

MISSION Magazine
A magazine of The Pontifical Mission Societies
Cross, and worked without what might
be called overhead.” In his own writing,
Sheen often stressed the practical good
missionaries did around the world as a
way to thank all for their generous support
of the Propagation of the Faith.
As part of his
overall renewal of
the National Office
and its outreach to
Catholics around
the nation, Sheen
redesigned the
Society’s magazine
renaming it
“Mission” while
also adding
photographs and
making the articles
more engaging and visually appealing.
When Sheen arrived, the magazine was
actually losing money, but thanks to
these changes, it soon generated a profit
of over $200,000 in donations from its
readers. As part of the innovations Sheen
brought to the National Office, he also
initiated the World Mission Rosary (with
different-colored beads for each of the
five continents), and by 1953, more than
250,000 had been mailed to friends and
supporters of the Society. Finally, he also
started a new journal, Worldmission.
Different in focus from Mission Magazine,
the new journal published longer articles
and book reviews often by American
missionaries as well as editorials written
by Sheen.
In recognition of his important role in
supporting the missions on a national
level, on May 22, 1951, it was announced
that Msgr. Sheen would be appointed
an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese
of New York with the titular see of
Caesariana. His consecration took place
shortly after on June 11 at the Basilica of
Sts. John and Paul in Rome, which was
Cardinal Spellman’s titular church. He
was consecrated by Adeodato Giovanni
Cardinal Piazza in front of a congregation
of close to 400 people including the U.S.
ambassador to Italy, James G. Dunn. (At
this time the United States did not have
formal diplomatic relations with the Holy
See.) The only family member present
was his nephew, Fulton Sheen II, who
was a seminarian studying at Louvain in
Belgium.
Immediately after the Mass of
consecration, Pope Pius XII received the
now-Bishop Sheen, his nephew, and a
few close friends in a private audience.
In addition to giving Sheen a pectoral
cross, the pope invited him to stay in
Rome for a few weeks for some rest.
While first thanking the Holy Father
for his thoughtfulness and generosity,
Sheen said that he would rather return
to the United States and get back to
work. However, first he made a visit to
Lourdes (his twenty-third) to give thanks
to the Blessed Mother and to ask, again,
for her guidance and protection. After
that, he flew back to New York and was
back at his desk exactly one week after
his consecration to take up again his
nineteen-hour day in service of the Lord in
support of the missions.
28

Fulton Sheen Legacy Society
Part 5: Mission
29

Editor’s Note
A Call to Love
Without Limits
Ines San
Martin
As this issue of Mission Magazine
reaches you, we are still walking through
Lent, a season that reminds us of the
most profound love the world has ever
known: Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.
It is a time of reflection, of prayer, of
sacrifice—and ultimately, of hope.
This Jubilee Year of Hope, as well as
year three of the Eucharistic Revival, the
Year of Mission, which will conclude on
Pentecost, invites us to trust in God’s
promises and to embrace the missionary
call that belongs to all of us, wherever we
are.
In this issue, we brought to you the
powerful stories of missionaries who have
said yes to this call in radical ways. From
the Peruvian Amazon to the streets of
Indianapolis, from a convent in Italy to
mission fields around the world, their
witness echoes Christ’s command to
“Go and make disciples of all nations”
(Matthew 28:19). And in every instance,
it is your prayers and generosity that
sustain their mission, allowing them to
share Christ’s love where it is needed
most.
Father Ignacio María Doñoro, a Spanish
priest, has given his life to rescuing
children from human trafficking in Peru.
Risking his own safety, he has created
a refuge for the most vulnerable—
children once treated as commodities,
now embraced as sons and daughters
of God. His account is both harrowing
and deeply hopeful: proof that even in
the darkest places, love can triumph. His
story is a testament to the radical power
of love—and a reminder that a $25 gift
can change a life forever.
Breanne DiMarco never imagined
she would be a missionary. Fresh out of
rehab at 18, she was just trying to stay
clean when God’s persistent call led her
to serve in mission fields across the world.
Today, as a wife and mother, she reminds
us that the mission doesn’t end when the
travels do—nor does it begin with a ticket
abroad. Her story reminds us that mission
is not reserved for a few—it is lived in the
ordinary, in daily sacrifices, in small acts of
love that build the Kingdom of God.
Hope also moves through the story
of Coryn Glafcke, a 16-year-old who has
spent most of her life as a missionary
kid. Her journey reminds us that true
freedom is found in surrendering to
God’s will. Whether in Haiti, Mexico, or any
of the places her family has served, she
has learned that home is not a place but
the presence of Christ. May her witness
remind us that “talking about Jesus and
traveling the world both sound like good
things”—and that we can do the first
without needing to do the second.
And then there is Sister Loretto
Emenogu, a “troublemaker” for the
Gospel. She has dedicated her life to
forming young missionaries through
the Missionary Childhood Association,
teaching children that they, too, are called
to share Christ’s love. Her passion for the
faith is contagious, reminding us that
mission is not about geography—it is
about answering God’s call wherever we
are. Let the children she brings to Christ
30

be the evidence we need to remember
that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
such as these.
Last but not least, Father Anthony
Andreassi, C.O, brought back to life
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s time
as National Director of The Pontifical
Mission Societies, and his link to this
historic magazine. I will confess that too
many laughs were heard coming from
the vicinity of my desk as we produced
this issue and looked for some cartoons
from old issues that we could share with
you. We chose one, but we have many:
Would you like for us to bring them back
and reprint one per issue? Feel free to
drop me a note saying so at isanmartin@
pontificalmissions.org.
This Lent, as we prepare to celebrate
the greatest act of love in history, let us
not forget the missionaries who carry that
love to the ends of the earth. The prayers
and generosity of our supporters—of
you—make their work possible.
At a time when 80 percent of the world’s
4.5 billion non-Christians have never
even met a Christian, our call to mission
is urgent. This Easter Sunday, millions
will not hear the Good News—unless we
bring it to them. As we walk toward Easter,
may we not only receive the Good News
but become bearers of it—through our
prayers, our sacrifices, and our willingness
to be missionaries wherever we are.
In Christ,
PS: Would you give your ice cream money
to the missions?
Scan it and
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32
Four societies
Four societies
one mission

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 Monsignor Roger J. Landry
Send your gift in this
MISSION envelope to:
Monsignor Roger J. Landry
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 $_____
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I would like information on a Gift Annuity.
Give online Here!
Please contact me about remembering The Society for the Propagation of the
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