Children Helping Children
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“Children Helping Children”
“Age is not an obstacle to the achievement of sanctity and children can
2019- 2020
SCHOOL YEAR
highlight it with their testimony of piety, fidelity and love for God.”
-Sister Roberta Tremarelli, AMSS, Secretary General
Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood
Missionary
Prayer Sacrifice
Discipleship
Through our Baptism, each The children of the Through sacrifices, the
of us shares in the missionary Missionary Childhood children help meet the
nature of the Church. We Association pray every day spiritual and material needs
are all called to use the gifts for other children in mission of their peers so that they can
we have received through the territories and for the spread live as children of God. This
Holy Spirit for the building of the Gospel. Through is the fruit of the missionary
of the Kingdom of God on prayer, children develop a children’s sacrifices and all
earth. missionary spirit that will those who want to give the
accompany them throughout world’s children a better
As our children pray and their lives. future.
give for those in other parts
of the world, those children
do the same for them; in this,
a relationship of giving and
receiving is created.
Where & How
These “gifts” are collected by the National Directors present in their respective coun-
tries and sent to the Missionary Childhood Universal Solidarity Fund in Rome to be
redistributed to millions of children in every corner of the world. MCA is in more than
150 countries, helping about 20 million children in the world.
www.archstl.org/mission
Dear Religious Educator,
While we prepare for this upcoming academic year, I invite your school
or parish school of religion to participate in the Missionary Childhood
Association (MCA), one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies.
Since its beginning over 175 years ago, the MCA has encouraged children
to live their baptismal identity through prayer and sacrifice for other children around the
world, especially those in mission territories. Through this, children learn to develop a
missionary spirit, recognizing the unity of the Body of Christ in the Church throughout the
world.
In October 2019, Pope Francis has convened an Extraordinary Missionary Month with the
theme, “Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World.” This month will
serve as an opportunity for all the faithful to “rediscover the missionary dimension of our
faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in baptism” (Pope Francis, Message
for World Mission Day 2019). I pray that each of us may draw upon this particularly graced
time in the Church to reflect on the gift of our baptism, grow in our relationship to Christ
and share His good news to the ends of the earth.
Finally, I extend my thanks to those Principals, DREs, CREs, and Catholic elementary
schools and parish schools of religion that already actively participate in the MCA.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson
Archbishop of St. Louis
“It is not right to give an incomplete picture of missionary activity,
as if it consisted principally in helping the poor, contributing to the
liberation of the oppressed, promoting development or defending
human rights. The missionary Church is certainly involved on these
fronts but her primary task lies elsewhere: the poor are hungry for
God, not just for bread and freedom. Missionary activity must first
of all bear witness to and proclaim salvation in Christ, and establish
local churches which then become means of liberation in every sense.”
Pope St. John Paul II
Redemptoris Missio, 83
Extraordinary Missionary Month
THE FOUR DIMENSIONS OF THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
There are four dimensions, specified by the Pope, to live more intensely the jour-
ney of preparation for and implementation of the Extraordinatory Missionary
Month-October 2019:
1. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ living in his Church: in the Eucharist, in
the Word of God, and in personal and communal prayer.
2. Testimony: missionary saints, martyrs, and confessors of the faith as an expres-
sion of the Church scattered throughout the world.
3. Missionary Formation: biblical, catechetical, spiritual, and theological.
4. Missionary charity.
*Mission Moderators will receive resources to incorporate these four dimensions in the classroom
2018-2019
National Christmas Artwork Contest Winners
Winners at the national level will have their artwork displayed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception in Washington, D.C. during the Advent and Christmas Season. Mass is celebrated on December 6th for the
winners and their families. Additionally, all winning artwork will be available as a shareable digital greeting beginning the first
week of Advent 2019.
Reagan, St. Joseph Catholic School (Cottleville) Camille, St. Joseph Catholic School (Cottleville)
Congratulations! Winners will be recognized during the World Mission Sunday
Mass on October 20th at Holy Infant in Ballwin.
www.archstl.org/mission
Mission Office
Archdiocese of St. Louis
20 Archbishop May Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119
Click here for 2019 - 2020 Update
and Order Form
There are no fees or requirements to participate
in the Missionary Childhood Association. Each
school, parish school of religion, or homeschool assigns
a Mission Moderator to represent their school. This
can be the principal, DRE/CRE, or a teacher.
School presentations are also available by request.
Please call our office at (314)792-7655 to schedule.
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