THE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES

INTRODUCTION

Some documents recalled by Vatican II include Ad Gentes divinitus. This document talks about the significance of the missionary mandate. It placed emphasis on Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS). Ecclesiae Sanctae III of Paul VI spells out that the PMS are to be promoted in all dioceses. However, John Paul II never failed to stress out the importance of PMS till he died. For him, they are the church’s instrument of universal missionary awareness and cooperation for evangelizing the world. Promoting mission is the role of the PMS.

THE PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES

·                     The Pontifical Mission Society of the Propagation of the Faith.

·                     The Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood.

·                     The Pontification Mission Society of St. Peter Apostle.

·                     The Pontifical Missionary Union.

These societies make clear the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church through their stories of charismatic origin. However there missionary mandate is: “Some give to the mission by going, others go to the mission by giving. Without both there is no Mission”.

PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETY OF THE PROPAGATION OF FAITH: founded Marie Pauline Jaricot, this society is pontifical and episcopal. It urges the faithful to give prominence to prayer and a spirit of sacrifice for the mission. It aims at maintaining the Pentecost spirit and using human potentialities in the proclamation of the Gospel. Their spirituality include recognizing and promoting God’s plan of salvation by reading of the word of God, re-living the apostolic anxiety of Christ, his mission and passion by a frequent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and devotion to Mary through the Missionary Rosary. They contribute materially to the Fund of Universal Solidarity for evangelization, and spreading the church by financing religious, social and educational works of the church in mission lands, and formation of Catechists and lay leaders of new mission communities, and solidarity with the poor and abandoned of every race, and supporting them in their situations.

THE PONTIFICAL SOCIETY OF MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD (Holy Childhood Association): started by Bishop Charles de Forbin Janson in 1843, this society aims at awakening the missionary awareness in children, helping and praying for children to know and love Jesus, and forming children to develop love and offer help to fellow children. Their spirituality encompasses a special devotion to Child Jesus, reception of the Blessed Sacrament, daily ‘Hail Mary’ for the suffering children, and announcing the birth of Jesus with songs and prayers. They help materially by preparing leaders and animators of the PHSC, they offer penny weekly for poor children, collecting and allocating funds for the expenses and education of poor children.

PONTIFICAL SOCIETY OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE: started in France by Jeanne and Stephanie Bigard in 1889. They fund seminaries, and is placed under papal patronage since 3^rd of May, 1922. This society gets people to help spiritually and materially for the formation of priests. Their spirituality includes: praying unceasingly for missionary priests, establishing a spiritual chain of friendship in apostolic life, and welcoming members of other dioceses and congregation with Christian fellowship and joy. They help materially by contributing finances for expansion of seminaries and formation houses, making a special offering for seminaries, and providing scholarship for individual seminarians in mission seminaries.

PONTIFICAL MISSIONARY UNION OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS: Founded out of Fr. Paolo Manna’s love for the mission. This society got papal approval from Pope Benedict XV on 31^st of October 1916 and in 1956 it is made Pontifical by Pope Pius XI. It aims at promoting missionary consciousness in priests, seminarians and religious, and putting the church in a state of mission. They study Vatican II council and missionary encyclicals, view the church in a worldwide view and celebrate missionary feast with prayers for Christian unity. They subscribe to missionary publications and obtain books of missiology for a profound knowledge of the world’s problem and mission, collaborating with national directors of PMS in the organization of missionary animation, and publicize the official publication of the PMU.

STRUCTURES AND ORGANIZATIONS OF PMS

At the international level, all the PMS societies have Pontifical status, and are entrusted to the Congregation of the Evangelization of People which is headed by Fernando Cardinal Filloni, with a president and four Secretaries Generals. They have their rights and autonomy. At the national level, the PMS has a National Director. He works with and for the Bishops and with PMS council. The PMS in Nigeria works with the National Missionary Council of Nigeria which is owned by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigerian. At the provincial level, PMS council is made up of diocesan directors and few others. They plan and execute PMS programs on provincial level, and monitor PMS subsidized project. At the diocesan level, the PMS is headed by a diocesan director. He works with a council of coordinators and secretaries of the PMS societies. At the parish level, the PMS activities are under the supervision of the parish priest.

CONCLUSION

The PMS plays a continuous role in awakening the missionary passion and intensifying prayer for vocations and a generous support of mission. Missiologists however, have special roles to play as resource persons and agents of missionary animation.