One Family in Mission

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1 The Missionary Childhood Association One Family in Mission Diocese of San Diego Children helping Children IN THIS ISSUE: Welcome to a Year of Faith From the Desk of the Director Pg.1 MCA News! Pg.2 A Mission Story from Bangladesh St. Ezequiel Moreno Pg.3 Why the Year of Faith MCA Song Writing Contest Pg. 4 Donations to the Philippines Petitions for Mission Pg. 5 Quarterly Newsletter Welcome to a Year of Faith! It is a joy to welcome all principals, DCMs, teachers, parents and students to a wonderful school year with a new name. It is official! National Director for the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, announced in June that The Holy Childhood Association had changed its name to The Missionary Childhood Association. The new name emphasizes its missionary nature to pray and support our brothers and sisters who are in need in the world. Just when our Pope Benedict XVI calls for a New Evangelization and announces a Year of Faith, the new change could not be more appropriate. Now, there is more! This year, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) has a new touch, but with the Same Great Works. In this issue you will find every thing about the Missionary Childhood News. The ordering of MCA materials has been made easy with a new online ordering system. The It s Our World Newsletter will now be published free of charge as Advent and Lent editions for grades Pre-K all the way to 8th grade. Our National Prayer Week will be centered on the World Mission Rosary and it will be renamed Prayer and Penny Week. During this school year, our mission presentations will feature the way of life of the Mangyans, an indigenous group living in the Philippines. Also, the work been done by different missionary groups and their efforts to spread the Gospel and bring justice into their lives. We look forward to a new school year strengthening our commitment to our younger missionaries. You and I know that they represent the future generations that will keep alive the missionary work of our Catholic Church. Blessings, Sr. Eva Rodriguez, SJS From the desk of the Director Oh, the Joy of a new academic year! My heart twinges as I recall my own teaching days! Of course, the vacation time always goes too fast. What a marvelous gift to be involved in education of our children. Missionaries of Faith describes well our identity as our church commemorates a Year of Faith. A year to celebrate what I believe! ; to shout Amen! ; to feel secure ; and to grow in confidence and to yearn to share our personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. Indeed a Year of Faith! The door of faith is always open for us, offering us the life of communion with God Pope Benedict XVI Sr. Eva eagerly anticipates sharing her mission stories of the children she met this summer with you and your children. She invites your school community to draw these mission children into your heart and make them part of your Year of Faith. We do so through our Prayer, Sacrifice and Support. Interesting to think all three of those can be shared in one Act of Faith at the celebration of the Eucharist. Ever think about a monthly Mass for the Missions? The children & staff could make a small offering at that time. What better form of Prayer and Sacrifice at the same time! (If it is not possible to do so monthly, maybe on one special occasion during the year?) If you are in need of a priest to celebrate on a particular occasion I d love to come or arrange for another Missionary priest to come and celebrate with you! The main thing is that we Pray and Sacrifice for children in our mission world to become aware that they possess the fullness of God s love within themselves. I encourage you to pick meaningful projects that awaken our children to these and other needs of our mission children. Greetings from our Missions Office Staff & wishing you blessings in the coming school year! Fr. Joseph Miller, SVD

2 Page 2 The Missionary Childhood Association News! You should have received already a postcard announcing the new name for the Holy Childhood Association. Now it is changing to The Missionary Childhood Association. With the announcement of a new name, there are other changes that for sure you will be happy to hear. ORDERING MADE EASY: The primary mode for ordering materials will be ONLINE. There is no need to mail or fax order forms any more! You can place your order at A copy of our Resource Guide can be downloaded at the same website. IT S OUR WORLD newsletter will now be published free of charge. However, a flat rate shipping fee of $10.00 will be applied to each order to be paid at the ordering stage by credit card. The newsletter will cover Advent and Lent editions for grades Pre-K-K, 1-2, 3-5, and 6-8. A Leader s Guide will also be available. There will be two time shipments of these materials. All materials will focus on the Year of Faith and the prayer of the World Mission Rosary. These mission animation materials will be a great help to make missions a part of every moment. SACRIFICIAL GIVING: Advent/ Lent boxes, folders, and envelopes will be rebranded and available for shipment as soon as orders are entered into our new online system. Note: If the payment represents a problem to your school/ parish, let us know and our office will help you to cover with the expense. PRAYER WEEK: This year our National Prayer Week will be centered on the World Mission Rosary. It will be renamed Prayer and Penny Week in honor of the legacy of Pauline Jericot. CONGRATULATIONS! to Jordan Linden from Good Shepherd Catholic School. He is one of the winners from the Christmas Artwork Contest. Jordan s art work c a n b e v ie w e d at ou r na t i on al w ebs i t e This school year our national office will select two winners for the grand-prize and will be included in a special international collection of children s work to be presented to the Holy Father at the conclusion of the Year of Faith. Motivate your students to participate and share their Christmas spirit. To download participation form and learn more about it visit The Holy father has asked us to promote the recitation of Archbishop Fulton Sheen s World Mission Rosary during the Year of Faith. Prayer and Penny Week will contain daily suggestions and reflections for the prayerful celebration of our missionary vocation and our mission family.

3 Quarterly Newsletter Page 3 A Mission Story from Bangladesh In Bangladesh, there are children with no home, no families seemingly, no option. They sleep on the floor in extreme cold or extreme heat. Not long ago that had been the reality at St. Anthony Mission Center in Shimulai, some 45 miles north from the capital city of Dhaka. Like about half of the country s population, the people in the area just two years ago had no electricity. Village roads would be muddy and slippery with even a little rain; flooded when rains turned torrential. The main road is now cement, although still poorly constructed, and some electricity is in place. Founded by a local priest, Father Dominic Rozario, back in 2005, the center is home to 45 children, mostly non-christians, there they also receive an education, as well as food, clothing and shelter. The village has only seven Catholic families; all who embrace the faith through Father Rozario s own work and witness. Over several decades, his outreach to migrant workers and the most vulnerable peoples in these remote areas led to his opening at least five mission centers within the Dhaka Archdiocese. His own vocation and his work with the most poor and in need was inspired by a now deceased Italian missionary priest. Three local religious sisters, all sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Queen of Angels, care for the children at the mission center. Up until this year, there has been no electricity, and the sisters and children had to sleep on the floor; they endured sweltering heat in the summer and harsh cold winters. But sacrifices of U.S. children through the Holy Childhood Association purchased beds for the center. Children Helping Children the motto for the Holy Childhood association, and a model for our missionary life of prayer and sacrifice, no matter our age. To learn more about missionaries in action visit St. Ezequiel Moreno A Missionary to the Philippines Ezekiel ( ) was an Augustinian Recollect known for his simple and open spirit. He was deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He ministered for many years in foreign lands. He strongly defended the rights of the Church. He was born in Alfaro, Logrono, Spain, April 9, His family was poor in material goods but committed in faith. Ezekiel professed his vows as an Augustinian Recollect in He was ordained a priest in Manila, Philippines in During the next 15 years; he worked at bringing the Gospel of Jesus to the people of the Philippines. His first mission assignment was in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. There, he became proficient in Tagalog that made the Filipinos rejoice in his canonization, saying that Tagalog is now a language of the saints. During his time, he served as Military Chaplain of a penal colony in Puerto Princesa and was instrumental In the foundation of the towns of Arbolan and Inagawan. In 1876, he was transferred to Las Piñas and worked zealously for the development of the lives of the people in the area. The city suffered many major calamities during his pastorship, yet the people did not lose hope because of his exam- ple. It was because of this saintly way of life that he exemplified that the people of Las Piñas opposed his transfer to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. In 1885 his superiors recalled him to Spain to become rector of the college and novitiate of Monteagudo, where he remained for three years. In 1888 he volunteered once again for the missions, this time in Columbia, and was placed in charge of a new effort there to restore the ancient province of Candelaria with an appointment as prior provincial. Under his leadership the friars began mission work in the difficult Plains of Casanare, reaping much fruit in a brief period of time. On May 1, 1894 Ezekiel was ordained Bishop, becoming the first Vicar Apostolic of Casanare. During his pastorate there, Columbia was plagued with war from 1899 until 1902, In this difficult situation Bishop Moreno proved himself to be a great defender of the Church and a voice of strength and clarity for his people. In 1906 a diagnosis of cancer caused him to reluctantly return to Spain for treatment. There he died August 19, Bishop Moreno was beatified by Pope Paul VI on 1 November 1975 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, on 11 October 1992, on the occasion of the Fifth Centenary of the Evangelization of the Americas. His memory is celebrated by the Augustinian Family on the anniversary of his death, 19 August. To learn more visit

4 Page 4 Why the Year of Faith Prayer Intentions of Pope Benedict XVI August That the risen Christ may be a sign of certain hope for the men and women of the African continent. September That Mary, Queen of the World and Star of Evangelization, may accompany all missionaries in proclaiming her Son Jesus. A special Year of the Faith will be held from October 11, 2012, the anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, until 24 November 2013, Solemnity of Christ the King. That was the announcement made by Pope Benedict during his homily at a Mass concluding a conference on the New Evangelization. Speaking about his decision to invoke this "Year of Faith" Pope Benedict said it was "to give new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ". The Pope explained that the year will be a moment of grace and commitment to a more complete conversion to God to strengthen our faith in Him and to proclaim Him with joy to the people of our time. This year therefore is aimed primarily at the whole Church so that in the face of the dramatic crisis of faith which touches many Christians, she will be able to show once again and with renewed enthusiasms the true face of Christ. It is a year for all of us because through the perpetual journey of faith we feel the need to reinvigorate our steps, which become at times tired and slow, and to give the most assertive witness. The Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization created a website that show the count down of until the beginning of the Year of Faith. Here you can find the main messages by the Pope including his letter Porta Fidei which was used to call the Year of Faith. To learn more visit The three finalists: Rachel Truttmann, Alexis Hernandez, and Erika Curiel (left to right), recorded their songs for the first HCASD CD at Capricorn studios in downtown San Diego. MCA Song Writing Contest Our fist Song Writing Contest from last year was such a hit that we have decided to do it again! The songs and lyrics written by our young participants expressed the way they see the mission world and the needs of their brothers and sisters living in missions lands. It is evident that your students understand what it means to be a missionary today! They are concerned for those who suffer as they respond to their baptismal call with their prayers, sacrifices, and donations. We know this is possible because of your belief in mission education and because of you continuous support. Your students are invited to participate and express their thoughts and feelings about the missions Children Helping Children. This Year of Faith offers us the opportunity to be witnesses of the gift of faith that we all have received. The contest is open to all Catholic School students, CCD/ Faith formation programs, and home school students currently enrolled in grades K- 8. Students may participate individually or as a group. Guidelines for the contest will be sent out soon! As we promised, our top three winners from last year have already recorded their songs. You can obtain a copy of their CD from our Missions Office for a small donation.

5 Page 5 Your Support Reached out to the Philippines! Our Missions office was happy to receive donations of school supplies, backpacks, tooth paste, tooth brushes, freesbees, t-shirts, and caps for the children in the Philippines. THANK YOU We filled-up eight boxes and got ready for our missions trip. Once we arrived in Manila, we loaded a truck and traveled to the Port of Batangans. St. Charles School, IB Good Shepherd Catholic School Our Lady of Sacred Heart, SD St. James Academy St. Columba School St. Rita School St. Therese Academy St. Patrick s School, SD St. Vincent De Paul School In Batangas we took the ferry boat and traveled to the island of Mindoro. As we traveled in Mindoro, we visited many villages. The children were happy to receive your donations especially when they found out that children like them had sent them. School supplies were given to the teachers at every village. Office for the Missions Sr. Eva Rodriguez, SJS P.O. Box Phone: Fax: erodriguez@diocese-sdiego.org Websites to Remember Petitions for Mission Let us pray for the people of Africa who are seeking forgiveness after years of war and conflict. Let us pray for a change of heart and policies that cause injustice and harm to individuals and communities. Let us pray for the strength to seek forgiveness from those we have harmed by our words and deeds at home, at school and around my community. Let us pray for an end to bullying in our schools. May we find peaceful ways to resolve conflict. Dear Jesus, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me bring your love. Where there is injury, let me bring your healing. Where there is darkness let me bring your light. Where there is despair let me bring your hope. And where there is doubt, let me bring true faith in You. Amen.