As World Mission Sunday approaches, we hold in prayer all missionaries around the world who are dedicating their lives to bringing God’s light and love to all our sisters and brothers.

In addressing Missio supporters yesterday evening, the Papal Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, spoke of the difference the work of the Church continues to make in so many parts of our world, highlighting his own experience of mission overseas.

His Excellency encouraged everyone to take part in World Mission Sunday through prayer and giving, emphasising the importance of both faith and good works. He added that, through Missio, faith is alive and is a faith that transforms and heals our world.

At this time, we ask for your prayers particularly for our missionary partners in areas of bitter conflict who continue to stand with and serve their communities.

Conflict in Lebanon: hope in the midst of darkness

‘Unfortunately, the news from Lebanon continues to worsen, and there seems to be no end in sight to the current crisis,’ says Fr Rouphael, the Missio National Director in Lebanon. In a recent message, he shared:

‘It has been three weeks since the war was declared over Lebanon. As a result, approximately one million people have been displaced from the southern region of the country. In our area alone, we have around 250,000 internally displaced people from the south.’

In this time of great fear and danger, the true spirit of Christ’s missionaries shines as a beacon of hope. As is so often the case, the missionaries who live alongside and serve the affected communities are staying with them:

‘The Christian villages in the southern part of Lebanon have made the difficult decision to remain in their homes, despite the risk of destruction. We are doing our best to support their resilience in the face of such adversity.

‘For us, the psychological toll of the situation is immense. Living in constant fear of the unknown is incredibly challenging. Moreover, the ongoing economic crisis continues to burden the Lebanese people.’

But, Fr Rouphael tells us:

‘While this is a heavy load to bear, the solidarity shown towards the displaced has been remarkable. The Christians of Lebanon have truly exemplified the spirit of love and compassion for their fellow citizens. An Imam recently expressed that without the support of the Christians, the situation would have been far worse.

‘This is a testament to the power of unity and hope in the midst of such darkness.’

How you can help

Fr Rouphael asks for our prayers this World Mission Sunday, and for support for the communities he and his fellow missionaries serve.

Our partners in Lebanon have been living alongside and serving communities for many years, and with faith in God and support from us, their international family, they continue to do so through thick and thin.

Holy Land: ‘we keep morale high’

‘As you can hear from the news, we are attacked every day and our situation is uncertain for the moment,’ Fr Abdo, former Missio National Director of the Holy Land tells us.

‘More than a million people have been displaced in addition to the refugees and there is much need to help them.’

In June of this year, an estimated 90,000 Israelis and 1.9 million Palestinians were displaced because of the conflict in the area. In addition, there are a further 1.4 million refugees in refugee camps across the region.

As the war rages on, Fr Abdo shares, our missionary partners are doing all they can to keep morale and hope in their communities high and in particular to keep children learning when schools are closed. He shares:

‘Our school year began wonderfully and a few days later everything stopped. We are teaching online in many places.

‘Parents have difficulty paying the fees, and consequently the schools have difficulty to pay the teachers, and we have to pay for the teachers because they are working, though we don’t know where to get the money from.

‘We were already in difficulty before the bombardments, so you can imagine how it is now. Many people cannot go to work, you can’t sleep at night, so by day they have to find some rest. 

‘But we keep the morale high, and we try to help the people find hope and peace that the world leaders will act and stop this stupid war. Pray for us and pass my greetings to all our friends.’ 

Support World Mission Sunday

World Mission Sunday is a moment of grace, where the entire global Catholic family can reach out and ensure that everyone deserves to know the love of Christ, no matter where they are or what their circumstances.

Without you, so many people would never have the chance to know God’s love. But together we can ensure missionaries can continue to invite all our sisters and brothers to the banquet.