Filipino Mission Sunday

The Filipino Mission Sunday is an annual celebration of our local Church every last Sunday of July with a theme “Gifted to Give” in line with the commemoration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. It is a special day of prayer and thanksgiving to God for the gift of faith that we received.

This is particularly dedicated to the members of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP). A purely Filipino congregation of missionaries commissioned and established by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in the year 1965 on the occasion of the 400 years of the formal Christianization of our country.

The Philippine Bishops established the MSP as a sign of thanksgiving and a living memorial of gratitude to God for the gift of faith that was passed on to us by the early foreign missionaries who came to our shores.

And so, today, it is the Philippines that sends missionaries through the MSP and are committed to fourteen countries with the following goals: 1. To evangelize those who have not yet heard the Gospel and those developing Churches abroad and to share the gift of faith to different parts of the world especially in Asia; 2. Re-evangelization and helping dioceses abroad who are in need of priests; and 3. to look after the Filipino Migrants and OFWs to provide their spiritual needs.

Remembering the dedication and selfless effort of our missionaries, all the faithful are encouraged to participate in this especial celebration on behalf of the Catholic Church in the Philippines in three ways: First is to PRAY FOR OUR VERY OWN FILIPINO MISSIONARIES, THE MSP: Through your prayers, the MSP would be aided to remain faithful and persevere amidst the difficult situation they are facing in the mission; Second is to PROMOTE MISSIONARY VOCATION by inviting young men to heed God’s call to become an MSP missionary. The faithful are called to support these men who receive God’s invitation to allow and encourage them to take the step in following the Lord. And third is to HELP THE MSP THROUGH MATERIAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. The financial help will be used for the continuous formation and studies of the MSP seminarians; for the healthcare needs of sickly MSP retired priests; and, lastly, for the missionaries to continue the works of evangelization. (Frt. Rodel D. Navarez, MSP)