in Tanzania
1. Mission Seminar for Youth
In Tanzania in East Africa we have the tradition of celebrating and emphasizing mission through the month of October. The highpoint is World Mission Sunday (this year being celebrated on 24 October, 1999), but various other events, seminars and liturgies also take place.One concrete example was Saturday, 16 October, 1999 in Iringa, Tanzania. Over 400 Catholic secondary school students belonging to the Tanzanian Young Christian Students (TYCS) participated in an annual "Mission Seminar for Youth" coordinated by a team of mission-minded priests and Sisters in Iringa. The theme of the day was "The Youth of Tanzania Are Missionaries." The main talk focused on the "Our Father" as a missionary prayer based on Pope John Paul II's "Message for 1999 World Mission Sunday." (NOTE: 10,000 copies of a one-page missionary handout on the "Our Father" with focus questions for youth continue to be distributed to all the secondary schools in the Iringa area). Then representatives of different male and female religious congregations and societies described their missionary charisms. Speakers also presented the vocation of the diocesan priest and the work of the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC). This was followed by a lively question and answer period.
The Eucharistic Liturgy focused on how Tanzanian youth are missionaries based on the Gospel reading of Luke 10: 1-12 ("Jesus sends out 72 disciples"). The homily included a tribute to the missionary spirit of the recently deceased Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the first President of Tanzania, and concrete examples of the missionary outreach of youth in Tanzania. The youth themselves participated through lively missionary songs and many spontaneous prayers of the faithful.
Our missionary activities continue in Tanzania as we now emphasize that the last celebration of World Mission Sunday in this millennium (24 October, 1999) is both a special blessing and a special opportunity.
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Chairperson -- Mission Awareness Committee (MAC)
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Email: JGHealey@aol.com
2. Planning for World Mission Sunday
You might think that it is a bit strange during a very hot week at the end of July to be planning the liturgy for the end of October (football season!), but as part of global solidarity I share with you what we have been doing in Tanzania in East Africa. Over the years we have tried to emphasize "October as Missionary Month," not just to focus on one day -- World Mission Sunday itself. While some parishes (for the music, homily, etc.) may adapt the regular Sunday readings of 24 October, 1999 -- the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) -- we prefer to use special readings on specific missionary themes. This year the theme is "Mission and the Year of God the Father" in connection with the preparations for the Millennium. Our recommended missionary readings for this Year A are:
The NOTE in the 1998-1999 Roman Ordo or Order for the Celebration of Mass for Sunday, 24 October, 1999 states: "On the occasion of the celebration today of Mission Sunday, Mass may be said 'For the Evangelization of Peoples,' as indicted in the Roman Missal."
The pope's message emphasizes the missionary dimension of the words of the prayer "Our Father." Section No. 5 states: "The Church's mission consists essentially in offering people an opportunity not to 'have more' but to 'be more' by awakening their consciences through the Gospel." This text has special relevancy for the affluent Western countries. Section No. 9 states: "Mission is a task which involves the entire People of God, all the faithful. Mission must therefore be the passion of every Christian."
As the last celebration of World Mission Sunday in this millennium, this 24 October, 1999 is both a special blessing and a special opportunity.
Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Email: JGHealey@aol.com
3. Celebration of World Mission Sunday
at St. Peter's Parish, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
on 24 October, 1999
During the Eucharistic liturgies in both Swahili and English at St. Peter's Parish, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 24 October, 1999 we used: special missionary readings for this Year A (Jonah 3:10 and 4:11, 1 Timothy 2:1-8 and Matthew 28:16-20); lively missionary songs; and the Mass for the Spread of the Gospel (also called the Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples). Highlights included:
1. At two of the Swahili liturgies during the homily the children of the Pontifical Mission Society of Holy Childhood acted out the Gospel reading from Matthew especially the words "Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations:" First "Jesus" sent the (children) apostles two by two to the five continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America to preach the Good News of Salvation. Then in five short scenes the two apostles each said "Peace be with the people of the _________ continent" and then quoted from the teachings of Jesus and the apostles while holding a Bible over their heads. In the final scene all the (children) apostles gathered together in front of a lighted candle symbolizing "Christ the Light of the World" and sang a missionary song with clapping and dancing.
2. The theme of homily of the English liturgy was "Each person can be the match that lights the missionary fire." It emphasized two special features: First, the missionary spirit of the recently deceased Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the Father of the Nation of Tanzania, who was truly a citizen of the world as he proclaimed justice, peace, equality and reconciliation everywhere. Second, celebrating World Mission Sunday for the last time before the next millennium is both a special blessing and a special opportunity. Pope John Paul II's "Message for 1999 World Mission Sunday" focuses on the "Our Father" as a missionary prayer. The pope also states:
"Mission Sunday offers each of us an opportunity to put more emphasis on our common missionary vocation which leads Christ's disciples to become apostles of his Gospel of reconciliation and peace. The mission of salvation is universal -- for every person and for the whole person. It is a task which involves the entire People of God, all the faithful. Mission must therefore be the passion of every Christian; a passion for the salvation of the world and ardent commitment to work for the coming of the Father's kingdom."
In 1999 we celebrate the 200-year anniversary of the birth of Venerable Pauline-Marie Jaricot who helped to found the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. In emphasizing that everyone is called to be a missionary in his or her local situation, she said: "Each person can be the match that lights the missionary fire."
3. The English Liturgy included various missionary features: the special "Prayers of the Faithful" were prepared and read by people from different countries around the world including Tanzania, India, Philippines, Ireland and the United States. Each person in the congregation was invited to say the "Our Father" in his or her home (or heart) language to signify the new Pentecost in the next millennium and to show that we are called to proclaim the Gospel to all people in all languages. The Exchange of Peace was a reminder that we are called to be peacemakers in our local situations and to pray for peace in the many war-torn countries of Africa and throughout the world.
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Chairperson -- Mission Awareness Committee (MAC)
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Email: JGHealey@aol.com
Pope John Paul's MessageS for
World Mission SundayS
October 24, 1999
CLICK HERE
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