UGANDA: St. Mbaaga’s Major Seminary Celebrates the Extraordinary Missionary Month

The National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies Fr. Kaweesa Pontian has encouraged seminarians of St. Mbaaga’s Major Seminary, Ggaba, to cultivate a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ so as to be effective witnesses of the gospel. He said this during the reflection on the Missionary Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud of Pope Benedict XV and the celebration of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 in the Seminary Main Hall on Friday, 18th October 2019.

As Mission Sunday which was celebrated on the 20th October 2019 drew near, Fr. Kaweesa recounted the dimensions specified by Pope Francis as to live more intensely the journey of preparation for the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019; a personal encounter with Jesus Christ alive in His Church through the Eucharist, the Word of God, personal and communal prayer; as testimony which is Christian witness to life of holiness; as ongoing formation which is the deepening of faith through Biblical, catechetical, spiritual and theological reading and reflection; and missionary charity.

On the fifth dimension, Father KAWEESA specified the four types of missionary charity: as the Love of God; as love of neighbour; as commitment to a cause of helping the poor and deprived; and as support of the missions with the material necessities.

Fr. Pontian reiterated the social-religious context in which the Church operates which also calls for regular evaluation of the mission initiatives considering a number of factors which include the fact that mission is no longer an exclusive possession of the Catholic Church; that many people read the Bible and interpret it in their own way and at the same time perpetuating individual interpretations; that there is a collision between culture and politics with religion, albeit faith; that there is a proliferation of mass media which is powerfully influencing; and syncretism which is combining the practice of Christian with other pagan and religion practices including witchcraft.

He too has emphasized that the commemoration of the centenary of Pope Benedict XV’s Maximum Illud, has been a momentous holy charge on Jesus’mandate on Mark 16:15, Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to all creation.

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Fr. Ambrose J. Bwangatto