Preparations for the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 in Poland

The National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Poland has prepared a rich calendar of initiatives to prepare for the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 and live its message. In January, the focus is on reflecting on the message of the Holy Father. In February, the Day for Consecrated Life and Sunday "Ad Gentes" will be the initiatives that promote the Extraordinary Missionary Month. In March, the National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Poland proposes a spiritual adoption, "Missionary for Lent" where the faithful will pray and offer their intentions and sufferings for the missionaries who will be entrusted, online, to those who participate in this prayer. In April, the preparation will continue with the celebration of Good Shepherd Sunday (POSPA), Mercy Sunday, and the final of the Olympics of African Knowledge at the Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw. In May, the key moments of this preparation will be Mission Day for the children after receiving their First Communion and the final of the competition "My colleague of the mission", the aim of which is to awaken an interest in primary and secondary students for Polish missionaries across all continents. More activities will be planned in June, with a pilgrimage of those participating in the living rosary in the year of Paulina Jaricot, a long-distance missionary adoption, the welcoming of Polish missionaries returning to their country of origin for holidays and the recording of videos that encourage the celebration of the Extraordinary Missionary Month, wherein missionaries will present themselves holding a sign declaring #MiesiącMisyjny (#MissionaryMonth). In July and August, the preparation will continue with Holidays with God, Missionary Summer Camp and videos from the missions #MiesiącMisyjny (#MissionaryMonth). In September, meetings will be held with catechists before the beginning of the school year to provide Missionary Studies for children with missionary training materials throughout the year. In October, the Extraordinary Missionary Month, a video-testimony of a missionary will be broadcast every day. During this month there will be the following initiatives: Ado-Mis (7th edition) – Adopt a Missionary Seminarian, Holy Mass at the Shrine of Mercy in Łagiewniki (Krakow) on the 20th and 27th of the month, and Holy Mass broadcast by national radio from the Holy Cross parish in Warsaw on the 20th of the month, missionary speeches to inaugurate the new academic year at every university in Poland, the National Union of Superiors General, and the International Symposium on the 50th anniversary of the Missiology Faculty at the Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw. November will be a time of thanksgiving for the Extraordinary Missionary Month and in December, the Prayer Box which will contain Christmas greetings for all missionaries, such as "Best wishes and Merry Christmas for all missionaries" in the form of a video with #MiesiącMisyjny (#MissionaryMonth). 

Team of National Office PMS in Poland

Team of National Office PMS in Poland Team of National Office PMS in Poland

Support for the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019

The National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Poland has prepared publications and promotional material for the preparation and actualization of this event which include: Prayer for the missionaries: Msgr. Tomasz Atłas, National Director of the PMS in Poland, urged the contemplative and cloistered female congregations to engage in a novena to the Holy Spirit from January to September for the Extraordinary Missionary Month. The 2019 calendar with the patrons of the Extraordinary Missionary Month: this is a missionary calendar with Pope Francis' prayer intentions in which the pages of the calendar are filled with the faces of people from all over the world in order to help people understand how vast and diverse missions are. Missionary reflections for the mysteries of the Rosary and spiritual readings for every day of October 2019 are published in the book, "Embark on the mission today," which includes meditations on the mysteries of the Rosary, an excerpt of a letter from a missionary, and a brief pastoral commentary based on the teaching of Pope Francis. Missionary prayers for each month of 2019: the prayers are based on the prayer intentions of Pope Francis and the Extraordinary Missionary Month theme, and the first nine prayers are a type of novena to prepare for the Extraordinary Missionary Month. Tithing helps us to live out and experience this event as fully as possible, therefore, the last two months of November and December will be a time of thanksgiving and reflection. Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for 2019: a practical booklet of Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions for 2019 encourages you to pray every month for the intentions that are particularly dear to the Holy Father with indications on how to prepare for the Extraordinary Missionary Month and a small calendar. The magazine "Missioni Oggi" which will be dedicated throughout 2019 to the themes taken from the letter of Pope Francis announcing the Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019 with the logo of the Extraordinary Missionary Month on the cover for the whole year. There will also be themes taken from the letter of Pope Francis to Cardinal Filoni about the Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019. Liturgical commentary in the pastoral journals "The Lord's Day" and "From Word to Life” and missionary homilies for children. The PMS has also asked all the dioceses to emphasize the theme of mission ad gentes in the opening speech of the new academic year in the seminars and meetings for the permanent formation of the clergy. The commitment of particularly well-known Catholics close to the Church to promote the Extraordinary Missionary Month through videos on social media with the hashtag #MiesiącMisyjny. Resources include two short films promoting the Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019 with some members from the School for Missionary Animators who share their testimony and missionary engagement, a poster for every month of 2019 to promote the Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019 with a quote taken from the letter of Pope Francis announcing it, and articles on the Extraordinary Missionary Month in national publications.