Committee on Mission of the Polish Bishops’ Conference has summarized the past year of missionary formation in Poland
“The missionaries whom I had the opportunity to visit in Congo Brazzaville and Angola expressed great gratitude to the Church in Poland, which supports their missionary ministry with prayer and material and financial support”, said Bishop Jan Piotrowski, opening the meeting of the Episcopal Committee for the Missions. The meeting, which took place on 13 March at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, summarized a year of formation and missionary animation in Poland.
On the 10th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, 13 March 2023, prior to the start of the 394th Plenary Meeting of the Polish Bishops' Conference, the members of the Episcopal Committee for the Missions and its consultants gathered in the auditorium of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw to summarize the past year of formation and missionary animation in Poland.
The Committee adopted a report on the activities of the Agencies of the Missionary Committee: the Centre for Missionary Formation, MIVA Poland and the “Ad Gentes” Aid Work. It was noted that despite the difficult economic situation caused by the coronavirus and inflation, the generosity of lay faithful and clergy to the missions has not diminished. People increasingly understand the need to help missionaries in their ministry. Information from the missions showing works of charity, education, medicine and evangelization, reaches a wide range of the faithful, thanks also to the public and Catholic media. This results in prayer and generosity of heart.
Bishop Jan Piotrowski thanked everyone for joining in the missionary animation on January 6th and on the Second Sunday of Lent, the “Ad Gentes” Sunday. Analyzing the costs of missionary agencies, the Committee pointed out that administrative costs are low and do not exceed 10% of the funds raised. “This means that we do not waste the offerings, but give as much money as possible to the missionaries for their activities,” said Father Zbigniew Sobolewski, director of the “Ad Gentes” Aid Work.
The Episcopal Committee for the Missions also adopted an important document, created on the initiative of lay missionaries and prepared by the Committee's consultant, Barbara Uszko-Dudzińska, regulating the missionary service of lay missionaries. “Recommendations of the Episcopal Committee for the Missions concerning the preparation, missionary service and return of lay missionaries “ad gentes” precisely define the rights and duties of lay missionaries and those who send and receive them. This is another important document that will help us to prepare lay missionaries for missionary service”, says Fr. Kazimierz Szymczycha SVD.
The members and consultants of the Committee agreed that the seventh “Benemerenti” Medal Gala will be held this year in Tarnów, on 26 October. Current affairs concerning the functioning of the Committee were also discussed.
At the end of the meeting, the bishops present gave their blessing to all those gathered.
Fr. Kazimierz Szymczycha SVD/ BP KEP
Translation: Sr. Ewa Dobrzelecka / Office for Foreign Communication of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
