October 19, 2025 - "World Mission Sunday"

Reflecting on the significance of this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis urged us to keep our gaze fixed on Christ, the center of history, emphasizing that His mission continues today through the Church: “Through his disciples, sent to all peoples and mystically accompanied by him, the Lord Jesus continues his ministry of hope for humanity. He still bends over all those who are poor, afflicted, despairing and oppressed, and pours ‘upon their wounds the balm of consolation and the wine of hope.’”

 

Each October, the Church invites us to rediscover our missionary vocation. This year, Pope Leo XIV, following the inspiration of Pope Francis, calls us to become “Missionaries of Hope Among the Peoples,” inspired by St. Paul’s words: “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5).

In the 50th anniversary year of Evangelii Nuntiandi, we are reminded that “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers” (41). Through prayer, sacrifice, and giving, we too become witnesses—bringing the hope of Christ to those who long for love, justice, and peace…. Together, may we be bearers of hope where it is needed most

 

On this World Mission Day, I think of Fr. Bill Ryan, a true hope-bearer who visited our parish during the first weekend in August as his first stop in raising money for the Togo Mission.  He recently wrote to thank us for contributing over $11,000.  We are publishing his note thanking the parishioners of St. Francis in today’s bulletin. 

 

Finally, during the Mass today marking World Mission Day, Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven individuals who have been previously beatified:  Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan, Peter To Rot, Vincenza Maria Poloni, Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, Maria Troncatti, José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, and Bartolo Longo.  Over the next several weeks I plan to write a column about each of these newly canonized saints.

 

Until next week,

Fr. John