This October, the Church celebrates World Mission Month, a month dedicated to the life-giving work of missionaries around the world.
This year, Catholic Mission is walking hand-in-hand with the Church of Ethiopia and the local communities towards providing life-changing opportunities to those most in need.
Catholic Mission is supporting communities in Ethiopia this World Mission Month. PHOTO: Catholic Mission.
Pope Francis, in his 2022 World Mission Sunday message, invites everyone to answer the call to be missionary, sharing that "Mission is carried out together, not individually...".
“Through the Pontifical Mission Societies’ international network, with our supporters, we are answering the call to help build brighter futures. Working at a grass-roots level and closely collaborating with the local communities, we aim to find sustainable solutions which will bring hope to those in most need,” Catholic Mission says.
Catholic Mission is currently supporting a range of mission development programs in Ethiopia addressing malnutrition, the lack of access to education for young children, and the vulnerable position of women in society.
In the rural region of Emdibir, where 70 per cent of families struggle to put food on their tables, Catholic Mission is working towards providing them with a sustainable source of nutrition by building a goat rearing centre. The resources produced through the Centre will help fight malnutrition, a phenomenon that contributes to 50 percent of child deaths. This project is led by Fr Habte, a local priest who is dedicated to raising the local community out of poverty by creating employment, providing sustainable food resources, and bringing hope.
In the capital, Addis Ababa, the life-giving work carried out by Catholic Mission’s local partners is helping children access education. Sister Carmen Sammut SJA created a scholarship program to offer children from families facing financial hardship a placement at school, so that they can continue their education and create brighter futures for themselves and their families.
Catholic Mission is also supporting women in the town of Meki to learn skills and gain financial independence by providing access to vocational training, which can help them secure employment or start their own businesses. This critical mission work is carried out by Maria, a lay missionary who dedicates her life to creating hope for the futures of women in vulnerable situations.
To encourage missionary action among youth and schools in Australia, Catholic Mission continues this year with its flagship program, Socktober. The program cultivates a passion for students to rise up, engage their local community and take action against poverty through the world game of soccer. It provides young people in Australia with the opportunity to lead in Mission, encouraging them to think not only of what they will do to help, but why they will do it.
"Each year, the second last Sunday of October is dedicated to World Mission Sunday. Happening on the 23rd of October, it also offers us the opportunity to commemorate 200 years of Mission," says Fr Brian Lucas, Catholic Mission National Director.
This article is published on the Catholic Mission website.