We’ve been delighted to get out and about in the dioceses lately, celebrating with and thanking our wonderful supporters and volunteers. Last weekend we held a special Mission Mass in Portsmouth diocese. There, we got to meet Terry, a Local Secretary who embodies the ‘think global, act local’ ethos of mission.

A lovely day

We gathered on Saturday at St Colman’s Catholic Church in Cosham for this special Mass. Diocesan Director, Fr Innaiah Maddineni, celebrated Mass for all the volunteers and supporters of Missio in the Diocese of Portsmouth.

In his homily he talked about how the humble service of the Saints is constantly emulated by Missio Local Secretaries, Promoters and Red Box holders in the parishes. Their quiet service to others is truly living as Jesus wanted us to.

After Mass we gathered together to speak about the joys and challenges of sharing the Red Box and encouraging others to support the Church around the world. Everyone enjoyed a slice of special Red Box cake!

A huge thank you to all who helped to organise this special and inspiring day.

Terry: sharing Mission at home

Among other fantastic supporters and volunteers, we were so happy to meet Terry, Local Secretary for Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Northend.

Terry has just returned to being a Local Secretary at the parish. She first took on the role between 1987 and 1992, and her two daughters used to accompany her when she collected Red Boxes from people’s homes. She also used to organise a Minibus for Missio supporters to meet the Mill Hill Missionaries for Mass.

When she heard that the previous Local Secretary was planning to step down, Terry was eager to take on the role. ‘I thought – I’d love to do that again’, she told us.

Getting creative

Terry has created a Mission Map, showing where different parishioners are from in her parish and how it links us all together as one global Catholic family.

While she was telling us about her map, Freda and her daughter Courtney, who are from Malawi, asked her what it was for. When Terry explained they asked if they could go on the map as new parishioners. What a fantastic visual representation of our vibrant Church family!

Terry writes in the parish newsletter and uses quotes from Mission Today to highlight the work of Missio. She shared that the Diocesan Mass ‘gave her a big boost’ and after watching some videos on our YouTube channel, she is going to encourage her parish to do the same.

All together in mission

Sometimes, our sisters and brothers overseas can seem very far off. But our Mission Masses are a chance to connect, with each other and with our global family, through prayer, hearing the testimony of missionaries, and through the Eucharist.

We are so grateful to all our Red Box volunteers and supporters. You are missionary disciples, and together we are igniting God’s love throughout the world.

• Our diocesan Mission Masses are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate mission, share our experiences and say a huge thank you to everyone who helps us. Find your diocesan Mass here>>
• Please pray for Missio and the missionaries we support around the world. Find special Missio prayers here>>
• If you’d like to give your time to Missio, we’d love to hear from you! Whether you have a few minutes, a few hours, or plenty of time, find out how you can get involved here.
• Missio is committed to providing missionaries with the support they need to ignite God’s love around the world. We want to share the Good News with all people – everyone deserves to hear the Good News that God loves them.  Donate today here>>