To understand better the need and the spirit of being a Missionary, we need to go back to the document of the Council Vatican II “Ministry and Life of the priests” (Presbyterorum Ordinis) no 10. The Fathers of the Council said: the spiritual gift given to (the priests) the day of their priesthood ordination, makes them not only available for a limited ministry, but for a mission which has a universal dimension. Our priesthood ministry is participation to the universal mission entrusted by Christ to the Church, (universal) mission shared by each diocesan priest. It is not only the duty of the bishops to care about the Churches in need, but also the duty of the priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis 10). “Go out to the whole world” (Mk 16:15). This order given by Jesus to his disciples before he left to go back to his Father is addressed to all priests and all Christians as well as to the apostles and missionaries.
In his apostolic exhortation, the encyclical letter Redemptoris Missio (the Mission of Christ the Redeemer). Pope John Paul II spoke in the same sense: “All the priests must have a missionary heart and a missionary mentality, opened to the needs of the Church and opened to the needs of the world . . . They have to be available to be sent by the Holy Spirit and their bishop to preach the Good News outside the borders of their country”. (Redemptoris Missio S67)
As it is mentioned in the documents, it is the ‘Universal Church’ that needs attention along with the local church and communities. There are many congregations who adopt missionary work in the lands were Jesus is not yet known. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit in which I am for the past 23 years could be stated as an example here.
Being missionary, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit sends its members to all over the world, especially where the Good News is not yet preached.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit dedicated itself to Africa, the continent where the slaves are taken to be brought to America or to Arabic countries. At that time, African peoples have not yet heard of Good News of the Gospel. They were also the poorest among the poor. Unfortunately, nowadays, most of the countries of Africa remained developing countries, the poorest countries in the world (cf. The Hindu, August 30, 2010 p.11).
Today, we continue to preach the Good News of Jesus in many places all around the world, for instance; in the suburb of big town, or in remote places. We extended our ministry to the refugees, to the migrants, to the youth in need (street children), to the uneducated poor people, to the people in situation of war or post war, especially in developing countries as well as in Europe.
We believe that our Congregation and her ministry will be highly enriched by more contact with Asia. We, the foreign missionaries, need to receive from your Church the Spirit sent upon you by God our heavenly Father1. We need also your help to be more faithful to our missionary charism and more efficient in our ministry. We need your help to show that “the responsibility of evangelization is now shared with the “young” Churches, born of yesterdays, mission. Mission is no longer only the prerogative of Europe or North America to nations in the southern hemisphere; but it originates in all parts of the world, while the traditional Christian’ sending countries are themselves now in need of evangelization” (2000 years of evangelization and 300 years of spiritual mission p.53).
As international Congregation, we need to open this internationality to Asia “to give witness to the universality of the faith, to the inter communion of the local Churches, to our mutual inter action and to our complementarities through the diversity of cultures and the responsibility for evangelization”. (Id p.55).
Even if it is not able to become a full missionary, it is recommended to be an associate to the Congregation. Because,
- It is the duty of my Congregation to offer to diocesan priests as well as to lay people the joy of missionary life, and the joy to share our missionary ministry, our spirituality and our community life for some years.
- Together, all of us as missionaries, we have to create local churches in the places where we will be sent, to spread the universal message of Christ and of the universal Church, sharing together and with those Christian communities, our own charism, our spirituality and our sensibility.
Along with the evangelization ministry, the Missionaries should also focus on the humanitarian works like
- Taking care of refugees
- Working for migrants
- Educating formal and informal (teaching and training, street children, orphans . . .)2.
- Bringing peace among different religious context.
- Conducting Formal and informal education.
To conclude, let me quote John Paul II saying in his Encyclical letter Redemptoris Mission No 91 : “Today, you, members of the Young Churches, you are the hope of the Church. You are young in Faith. You must be radiant of enthusiasm and courage, dedicating yourself generously to God and to others.”
Fr. Gabriel Myotte Duquet, the author of this article, belongs to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, a Congregation founded in the beginning of the 18th century (1703) in Paris by a seminarian. He founded a seminary for poor students who asked him to live in community, a community led by the Holy Spirit and supported by the Providence.
The first condition to join this Seminary and this Community was to be poor, unable to pay the fee in another seminary or in the University, or in the College run by the Jesuits in Paris. The second condition was to agree, at the end of the formation, to be available for ministry among the poor in remote places or abroad, in the new world, hardly known by European Countries (Canada, United States, Haiti and Africa).
In the 19th century, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit became clearly a missionary Congregation. At that time, most of its members were sent to Mauritius (1841), West Africa (1843) and East Africa (1862), in Central Africa (Gabon 1843), Madagascar . . . Some of them were sent to India: in Pondicherry, Our Lady of Angels’ parish was run by them for 10 years (1878-1889), and a parish and a school in Chandernagor for 25 years. Unfortunately, after this short time of Mission in India, they left to go back to Africa.
Now in this Congregation, there are about 3000 members coming not only from Europe or North America, but also from Africa, South America, and two new members from Philippines.
Coming from different parts of the world, they continue the ministry of first evangelization especially in Africa, also in South America, in Caribbean Ocean, in Asia (Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam).
1. Cf.1 Cor 12:4-7: There are many different gifts, many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord, many different forms of activites, but it is the same Lord who is at work in them all.
Cf.1 P 4. 10: “Each one of you received a special grace of God so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others” (1 P 4. 10).
2. SRL 18.1 we consider the following to be especially important tasks for our time.
- Youth apostolate, because the present situation of the young people is crying out more than ever for social and educational works.
- Work with refugees, with immigrants and with these who are on the margins of the society.
Fr. Gabriel Myotte DUQUET
In his apostolic exhortation, the encyclical letter Redemptoris Missio (the Mission of Christ the Redeemer). Pope John Paul II spoke in the same sense: “All the priests must have a missionary heart and a missionary mentality, opened to the needs of the Church and opened to the needs of the world . . . They have to be available to be sent by the Holy Spirit and their bishop to preach the Good News outside the borders of their country”. (Redemptoris Missio S67)
As it is mentioned in the documents, it is the ‘Universal Church’ that needs attention along with the local church and communities. There are many congregations who adopt missionary work in the lands were Jesus is not yet known. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit in which I am for the past 23 years could be stated as an example here.
Being missionary, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit sends its members to all over the world, especially where the Good News is not yet preached.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit dedicated itself to Africa, the continent where the slaves are taken to be brought to America or to Arabic countries. At that time, African peoples have not yet heard of Good News of the Gospel. They were also the poorest among the poor. Unfortunately, nowadays, most of the countries of Africa remained developing countries, the poorest countries in the world (cf. The Hindu, August 30, 2010 p.11).
Today, we continue to preach the Good News of Jesus in many places all around the world, for instance; in the suburb of big town, or in remote places. We extended our ministry to the refugees, to the migrants, to the youth in need (street children), to the uneducated poor people, to the people in situation of war or post war, especially in developing countries as well as in Europe.
We believe that our Congregation and her ministry will be highly enriched by more contact with Asia. We, the foreign missionaries, need to receive from your Church the Spirit sent upon you by God our heavenly Father1. We need also your help to be more faithful to our missionary charism and more efficient in our ministry. We need your help to show that “the responsibility of evangelization is now shared with the “young” Churches, born of yesterdays, mission. Mission is no longer only the prerogative of Europe or North America to nations in the southern hemisphere; but it originates in all parts of the world, while the traditional Christian’ sending countries are themselves now in need of evangelization” (2000 years of evangelization and 300 years of spiritual mission p.53).
As international Congregation, we need to open this internationality to Asia “to give witness to the universality of the faith, to the inter communion of the local Churches, to our mutual inter action and to our complementarities through the diversity of cultures and the responsibility for evangelization”. (Id p.55).
Even if it is not able to become a full missionary, it is recommended to be an associate to the Congregation. Because,
- It is the duty of my Congregation to offer to diocesan priests as well as to lay people the joy of missionary life, and the joy to share our missionary ministry, our spirituality and our community life for some years.
- Together, all of us as missionaries, we have to create local churches in the places where we will be sent, to spread the universal message of Christ and of the universal Church, sharing together and with those Christian communities, our own charism, our spirituality and our sensibility.
Along with the evangelization ministry, the Missionaries should also focus on the humanitarian works like
- Taking care of refugees
- Working for migrants
- Educating formal and informal (teaching and training, street children, orphans . . .)2.
- Bringing peace among different religious context.
- Conducting Formal and informal education.
To conclude, let me quote John Paul II saying in his Encyclical letter Redemptoris Mission No 91 : “Today, you, members of the Young Churches, you are the hope of the Church. You are young in Faith. You must be radiant of enthusiasm and courage, dedicating yourself generously to God and to others.”
Fr. Gabriel Myotte Duquet, the author of this article, belongs to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, a Congregation founded in the beginning of the 18th century (1703) in Paris by a seminarian. He founded a seminary for poor students who asked him to live in community, a community led by the Holy Spirit and supported by the Providence.
The first condition to join this Seminary and this Community was to be poor, unable to pay the fee in another seminary or in the University, or in the College run by the Jesuits in Paris. The second condition was to agree, at the end of the formation, to be available for ministry among the poor in remote places or abroad, in the new world, hardly known by European Countries (Canada, United States, Haiti and Africa).
In the 19th century, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit became clearly a missionary Congregation. At that time, most of its members were sent to Mauritius (1841), West Africa (1843) and East Africa (1862), in Central Africa (Gabon 1843), Madagascar . . . Some of them were sent to India: in Pondicherry, Our Lady of Angels’ parish was run by them for 10 years (1878-1889), and a parish and a school in Chandernagor for 25 years. Unfortunately, after this short time of Mission in India, they left to go back to Africa.
Now in this Congregation, there are about 3000 members coming not only from Europe or North America, but also from Africa, South America, and two new members from Philippines.
Coming from different parts of the world, they continue the ministry of first evangelization especially in Africa, also in South America, in Caribbean Ocean, in Asia (Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam).
1. Cf.1 Cor 12:4-7: There are many different gifts, many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord, many different forms of activites, but it is the same Lord who is at work in them all.
Cf.1 P 4. 10: “Each one of you received a special grace of God so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others” (1 P 4. 10).
2. SRL 18.1 we consider the following to be especially important tasks for our time.
- Youth apostolate, because the present situation of the young people is crying out more than ever for social and educational works.
- Work with refugees, with immigrants and with these who are on the margins of the society.
Fr. Gabriel Myotte DUQUET
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