October 2012 – Rome is set to welcome all bishops worldwide for a Synod on ‘New Evangelisation’. The writing is on the wall. In a time and age where individualism, pluralism and secularism – some of the-isms of our present world – dominate and push God and faith into a bystander role, re-orientation is needed. The aim of the synod is to find new forms and ways of proclaiming the ‘Good News’, thus utilising our unique means to be missionaries in this world.
June/July 2012 – our recent CPS General Chapter in Kenya invited us to take stock and examine how we as Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood live the mandate of Abbot Francis, our founder, “You are meant for the missions.” This short directive is a clear invitation to place ourselves right into those realities of our world where God is not known or no longer known… It demands courage for Missio ad gentes, and a willingness to go wherever needed, with an inherent openness to go beyond any boundaries, since our founder said,
Our mission territory is the Kingdom of God,
and that has no boundaries.
There is no masterplan that fits the situations and demands of all the areas where we work worldwide. How best describe our mission? Maybe words from our Constitutions can help:
- to bring the good news
- to be a prophetic sign against the false values of society
- to offer pastoral and social services to all, irrespective of religion, race, nation or social standing
- to engage in interreligious dialogue
- to focus on family apostolate and holistic education of children and youth
- to stand by women and all who are oppressed to promote their dignity
- to cultivate a culture that respects life
- to become instruments of reconciliation, justice and peace
- to preserve the integrity of creation
- to contribute to the building of a self-reliant local Church
- to foster mission awareness and responsibility for the universal Church
What missionary programme! It reminds us that we are missionaries everywhere, forever trying to be faithful to our spirit that says, “As Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, the Paschal Mystery is the wellspring of our missionary mandate. The cry of the crucified Jesus, ‘I thirst’, urges us to hand on the great gift of our redemption to our wounded world.” (Const 501).
And thus we try to emulate our founder, Abbot Francis Pfanner. If nobody goes, we will go! – wherever, whenever, for whatever. Always ready to be sent.