Sunday 20 October was World Mission Sunday – the one day in the year when the entire global Church comes together in support of mission. And all the money raised on this special day goes directly to those places where it’s most needed: where the Church is new, young or poor.

Places like Flor de Punga, a small Amazonian village in north-eastern Peru, where Sr Aidee and two of her fellow Sisters provide education and faith formation to over one thousand children. Their work is a beautiful example of the fourth theme of the Extraordinary Month of Mission: Biblical, catechetical, spiritual and theological formation for mission.

Thank you!

Missio supports the Sisters in teaching in the local school and offering catechesis and help with homework. But without your help, prayers and donations, this vital work wouldn’t be possible. Sr Aidee would like to thank you for your support and share these thoughts with you.

What can you tell us about your work?

‘There are no activities for the children, so we invite them to come and play games, sing and dance. Their parents are happy for us to tell them stories about Jesus and the Gospel. The children are so curious and ask lots of questions and they are so enthusiastic that they turn up at 3pm for a meeting at 4!’

Can you describe some of your challenges?

‘The children often don’t know their father at all because he has left the village to find work or just won’t take responsibility for his children. So, speaking to the children of God the Father who loves them is difficult because many don’t know or live with their fathers.

‘Not all the children are Catholic; some belong to other Churches, or not at all. We do our utmost to show the children a welcoming Church and for them to experience a God who loves them through the love that we have for them and the care that we show them.’

What would you like to tell supporters of Missio?

‘Thanks to the support from Missio, we’re able to provide books and a healthy snack most days. We explain to the children that there are people and children in other parts of the world who care about them and who pray for them and their future.

‘We explain that because God is the father of all, we are all part of one family, that we are all connected and that it is good to share what we have. When we pray together, we also pray for you. The children know that when they grow up it will be their turn to share what they have with others.’

Thank you for supporting World Mission Sunday.

Your donations on World Mission Sunday go directly to dioceses overseas where the need is greatest – local Church helping local Church. Thank you so much for joining us for this special time in the Church calendar for mission and missionaries.

It’s not too late to donate! If you’d like to make a donation to World Mission Sunday, you can do so here – simply choose ‘World Mission Sunday’ from the drop-down options.

This story appeared in the special extended edition of Mission Today, which you can download here.