|
What
happens to donations made to the
missions?
|
Each year monies are collected
from individual donations people
make; and through the efforts of
children and young people in grade
and high schools. This money is
kept here in the United States.
Each year requests for funds are
sent to Rome, from the Bishops
around the world, for the needs of
their particular areas. These
requests are directed to the
Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples, whose
function it is to oversee the
mission areas of the world and
their needs. |
 |
 |
The requests are then
compiled and copies are sent to
the National Directors of the
Pontifical Mission Societies all
around the world, who are asked to
study them. In May of each year
about 90 of these directors meet
in Rome and after careful
discussion, decide which requests
can be fulfilled. The decisions
depend on the monies available and
the relative necessities in each
area of the world. The national
directors from the different
countries, proportion the funds
from their respective countries.
|
|
All
monies available are distributed.
There is no big amount left in the
banks for a rainy day! The
national directors meet again in
November to disburse any funds
that may have accumulated since
May, honoring some of the requests
that could not be fulfilled at
that time.
As
you can see this is a very
equitable manner of distributing
what is known as the General Fund.
|
 |
|
Having representatives from the
different countries present at
this meeting allows these representatives to speak about
their needs right there, and come
to decisions in a way that a
select group without knowledge of
the particular situations could
never otherwise do.
The
Catholics of our country
contributed over substantially to
the General Fund of the
Propagation of the Faith and to
the Society for St. Peter the
Apostle.
|
|
Monies are used:
For basic bread and shelter and support of those who carry on the work of the Church in the mission areas of the world, usually a grant of $30,000 - $50,000 per local Church
For daily pastoral care of Catholics and for outreach programs to others
For chapels, churches and parish centers
For local communities of Sisters and Brothers who serve as teachers, nurses, social workers, leaders of faith communities
For the social and lay apostolate: for the spiritual development of lay leaders and support of self-help projects |
 |
For the communications
apostolate through which people
hear the Gospel message by
radio, television, print and
film
For schools
For transportation and relief
For the work of Bishops’
Conferences
For the education of mission
seminarians
For the missionary activity
of the Eastern Rite churches
For pastoral work of the
Church in Latin America
|
There are only two
collections taken up in
a parish for the
Pontifical Mission
Office:
1. World Mission
Sunday (always the next
to the last Sunday in
October)
2. Missionary
Cooperation Speaker or
visit by the Diocesan
Director or
representative of the
Pontifical Mission
Office to speak about
membership in the
Society of the
Propagation of the Faith
|
|
|
|
