What do Mission and Ministry Mean?

Dear Immaculata Community,

“Pope Francis, in the “Joy of the Gospel,” has described the church as ‘a community of missionary disciples” as women and men who have personally experienced God’s love, salvation, and justice and who then want and need to share that with others.’ (24) The Church recognizes that God was and somehow always is stirring in other religions, non-Western cultures, and in the world and society in general.

Within this context, we must shift from the old heroic paternalistic model of mission – reaching out to save and help another person – to a model of humility and mutuality – developing a reciprocal relationship out of respect for God’s presence in the other. We are not bringing God in a backpack to those who have no experience of God’s grace, but rather God was already there before us.”

    What is the Mission of the Church? Roger Schroeder, SVD. Orbis Books, 2018.

Peace to you!

Sister Antoine