How you have made a difference
In 2009, the Catholics of England and Wales gave £2,450,184 to 41 dioceses across Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan through the APF. This sum includes the money from both the Red Box collections and World Mission Sunday.

Also in 2009, they gave £382,576 to the Society of St Peter the Apostle, supporting seminaries, seminarians and novitiates in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, India and Cambodia.

The Catholic Primary Schoolchildren, in the same period, contributed £56,947 to children’s projects in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Indonesia, through Mission Together.

Christmas greetings from the APF Secretary General
My dear missionary friends,
It is with so much joy that I write this news letter to you for Christmas. It gives me the wonderful opportunity to say a million thanks to all of you for your kindness and wonderful help and prayers throughout the year. On behalf of the poorer churches, and missionaries throughout the world who attend to the lonely and those in need of love, I thank you for your help and blessings. I wish you an abundance of the spirit of love this Christmas. How wonderful it is to become aware that the love of God was brought to us in a child born at Bethlehem all those years ago. Such a simple and yet profound message of love! It is through your kindness, that this love is witnessed in our world today. How simple the good Lord made it for us, that through the love we show to our fellow man, He becomes present. Let us continue to pray that the spirit of our generous lives, continue to manifest the presence of God to all men. And may we all be part of His Christmas blessing to our families and friends this year.
Fr Timothy Lehane SVD
Secretary General of APF, Rome

From Across the World...

From Fr Mario Rodrigues, National Director for Pakistan
Dear Supporters of MISSIO,
Greetings and prayers from Pakistan! I wish to take this opportunity of wishing you all a Merry Christmas and all the very best for a Holy and prosperous 2010.
I would also like to take this opportunity of thanking you for all your contribution and donations, which you have so generously offered to MISSIO and because of which, they in turn were able to help many countries of the world including Pakistan. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we are going through a very difficult time in our History.
God Bless you all

From Fr Celestino Bundi, National Director for Kenya
Dear People of England and Wales,
Receive warm greetings from the PMS National office Kenya.
May the birth of Jesus Christ, King of peace bring you joy and peace of heart. May the becoming man of the Son of God for the salvation of humanity open our hearts to grow in humility, generosity and Faith. Let us join hands to celebrate the gift of life with the Holy family of Nazareth.
Have a blessed Christmas season and a happy new year 2010.
Thank you.

From Fr Ed Grimes CCSp, National Director for Ireland
Christmas Greetings from the World Missions, Ireland office. Just as yourselves with Missio, the valuable work of the Pontifical Mission Societies continue to support the missions by the three pillars of Pauline Marie Jaricot – prayer, offering of suffering and financial aid.

From Fr Pat McGuire SMA, National Director for Scotland
From a cold and wintry Scotland we send the warmest of Christmas cheer to all our friends in Missio, England and Wales. Be blessed this Christmas and always.

From Mgr Hypolite Adigwe, Sr Lucella and the staff of PMS Nigeria
By your labour and by the sweat of your brow, you have put smiles on the faces of many who want to announce the Good News to others, that the Saviour has been born.
May the New born Child of Bethlehem put smile on your faces, and on the faces of all the generous donors of your country.