A Woman of Faith

     FEAST DAY:  MISSION SUNDAY

Pauline-Marie Jaricot is the foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the main work of Catholic Mission. Pauline was born in 1799 to a wealthy French family in Lyon.

You could say that Pauline had it made. In the early 1800?s she was young, rich, worldly, and beautiful. It is said she had a hasty temper, a quick tongue, a lot of vanity and a great deal of love in her heart. Around her, in France and the whole world, were many people with troubles and deprivations and in her early teenage years until her death in 1862 she tried to care for them. She died a pauper still trying to repay debts she incurred whilst trying to help those suffering.

At eighteen, she began one of her most amazing works ? to raise funds for the work of mission in far off lands. Every Friday she begged for money from factory workers and servants with whom she was already associated in other works of charity. Soon small groups would collect funds and pray together for the ?missions?. By 1822 a well organised mission aid work to be known as the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was established. In 1881, Pope Leo XIII named her as the foundress of this principal work of the Church's mission aid.

Pauline-Marie Jaricot did something great for God. Her helping hands have been felt across the whole world for 175 years. Today, as 175 years ago, Catholic Mission goes out to the whole world, proclaiming the Good News to all people so that they may have life.

A Woman of Vision

      FEAST DAY: VOCATION SUNDAY (Good Shepherd Sunday)

Jeanne Biggard felt a deep calling to help spread the Gospel - not through the traditional means of European missionaries ? but by encouraging native priests and members of local religious orders to minister to their own people

It first began when she was moved by the Bishop of Nagasaki?s plea for assistance to help train local Japanese men for priesthood as there were no funds.

In the 1880?s Jeanne, with her mother Stephanie, inspired the people of her hometown in Caen, France to raise the necessary funds for the training of priests in Nagasaki and the ?mission world?. Within a deep spirituality she devoted her life work to the spreading of the Gospel in this way. It became known as the Society of St Peter Apostle and is one of the works of Catholic Mission.

The strength of Christianity in Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific is living testimony to the life and struggle of this extraordinary woman of vision.

  A Man with a Dream

        FEAST DAY:
EPIPHANY SUNDAY
(Three Kings Feast)

Charles de Forbin-Jansen, in the 1840?s dared to dream that abandoned babies in China and other suffering children around the world could be loved and saved from poverty, malnutrition, slavery and death. His dream became a reality. He was inspired and took counsel and advice from none other than Pauline Jaricot. The idea was to encourage and empower children to assist other children, both physically and spiritually through prayer and small donations in a similar way as the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Many adults remember this work today from their Catholic school days when they raised mission money to save "Black Babies".

Today, Children's Mission supports millions of children in orphanages, kindergartens, refuges, hospitals, schools, nutritional and health programs. It is a living witness making Jesus known to children. Charles's dream really did come true.

  A Missionary Of God

Feast Day: PENTECOST SUNDAY

The Pontifical Missionary Union; (PMU) of Priests, Religious and Others engaged in the pastoral ministry of the Church was founded by Fr.Paolo Manna, in 1916, Parma, Italy.

PMU was raised to Pontifical status in 1956, by Pope Pius XII,  to foster missionary consciousness and formation of priests, seminarians, members of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life and their candidates, as well as lay missionaries (e.g. catechists) directly involved in universal missionary activity.

It is like the soul of SPF, SHC and SPA since PMU?s members are geared to fostering a missionary spirit and greater cooperation.