Catholics and Mission

The Catholic Church believes that, following the command of Jesus, all Christians are called to mission in their own lives. Some people choose to make a special commitment to mission by becoming ‘missionaries’. A missionary is a person who is chosen and sent to participate in the mission of the Church by serving peoples of other languages and cultures, often overseas.

The Church regards a country as ‘mission territory’ if:

• Its church communities require spiritual and physical support from the universal Church for their growth and development
• It is under the care of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples

What does mission do?

• Helps form Christian communities in which people can live out their faith in peace and justice
• Encourages and supports the many vocations in these communities
• Plays a crucial role in combating poverty, illiteracy, disease, injustice and exploitation
• Respects each community’s identity and autonomy, enabling their traditions and customs to be gifts to the universal Church

Such missionary endeavour requires patience as it begins with the proclamation of the Gospel to peoples and groups who do not yet believe in Christ. It must involve a process of inculturation if the Gospel is to take flesh in each people's culture; learning the local language is vital. There are also times of struggle because working for justice is an essential part of preaching the Gospel.

Insertion into ‘mission’ means recognising where God is already working. It demands openness to enrichment through living among a people of a different language, culture and tradition. The Spirit of God was present in the midst of all peoples before ever missionaries arrived on the scene: the role of the missionary is to help them to see Jesus in their midst.