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NEWSLETTER
August, 2005
WHAT IS THE TEXAS MISSION
COUNCIL (TMC)?
The Texas Mission Council
of the Texas Catholic Conference is an organization that is dedicated
to support and promote the mission activities
of the Church both at home and abroad. Membership is open, not
only to Church officials, but to all who support the missionary
work of the Church. |
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The much-traveled Pope,
John Paul II, who visited almost all the Catholic Mission Lands
in the world, left us these words in the introduction to his
famous Encyclical Letter, Redemtoris Missio
(The Mission of the Redeemer):
“Jesus prayed: “That they all may
be one,” that they realize that they all form the family
of God. Announcing this “good news” of forming the
one family of God is the church’s mission. Jesus lived
this Kin[g]dom of God among us, and equipped with his spirit
we share his mission of “gathering together the scattered
children of God.” It is a mission that we have hardly
begun in our urbanized, networking and pluralistic world, where
proclamation by deeds, count more than words. It asks for a
renewed effort as regards Christian unity and continuous interreligious
dialogue. Everyone in this church should be engaged in this
work as individuals and as members of their Christian community.”
(JP II, 12-07-90)
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Each
year, the Texas Mission Council celebrates its annual conference
to promote the mission of the Church. This celebration is open
to all the dioceses, religious congregations, parishes, and persons
of good will who promote and/or support the mission of the Church.
In our conference for the year 2005, we held our meeting in Laredo,
Texas, including a visit to the Casa de Migrante in Nuevo Laredo.
This visit to the Casa de Migrante was hosted by the Bishop of
Nuevo Laredo who explained why he and his monetarily poor diocese
had opened this house for immigrants who had left their
own homes to seek a better life for themselves and their families.
He repeated the words of Jesus, “I was a stranger
and you took me in” as justification
for the expense that his relatively poor diocese underwent to
support those who were even less fortunate then the Bishop’s
people.
For the members of the mission council
and our guests, this was a rare moment in which the Gospel of
Jesus actually came to life.
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This year, the
annual meeting will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, and we invite
all who support the mission of the Church (Missio Dei) to join us
at the Fort Worth Diocesan Retreat House, 27-29 of January of 2006.
The missionary efforts of the diocese of Fort Worth, Texas will
be a highlight of this year’s conference. And Fr. Roger P.
Schroeder, SVD, a theologian and expert on the Theology of Mission
will speak and lead a series of discussions on the Mission of the
Church. Fr. Roger is an author, theology professor, and noted speaker
on this theme and promises to make the 2006 mission Conference a
worthwhile experience for all who are or have been, or wish to be
engaged actively or passively in the missionary work of the Church.
This conference is for all Catholics
because by our Baptism, we were all incorporated into the missionary
work of the Church to bring the Good News (Gospel) to the entire
world. Consult the Texas Mission Council web for more details.
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Mission
Sketches
After we had received
a big donation of foodstuffs to distribute to the needy here in
Yucatan, Mexico, the ubiquitous ants began helping themselves to
the sugar. So Don Emilio, our venerable sacristan of 80 plus years,
devised a water trap around the legs of the table to protect the
food. Afterwards, he took a slurpy wrapper from a broken food package
and set it out on the floor. When I questioned him, Don Emilio replied:
“The ants have to struggle to live just as we do”. John
P. Martin, MM
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