October 20th is World Mission Sunday. Pope Francis chose 2024’s theme, rooted in the Gospel: “Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet” (Matthew 22:9), reflecting the synodal and universal call to bring God’s love to everyone. The Holy Father has always emphasized synodal inclusivity: Reach out to and invite everyone because God loves everyone!
To better grasp the import of World Mission Sunday, imagine yourself living in 16th-century Filipinas and witnessing how the first “Bishop of the Philippines,” Domingo de Salazar, O.P., committed his life to a tough mission.
In 1588, he reported to King Philip II that the mission in the Far East was overwhelming. Only one rugged church building stood in the middle of Manila, the one built by Padre Juan de Vivero in 1571, and there were only eight Augustinian friars residing in four conventos in the city.
Bishop Salazar begged the king for more missionaries, physical assets, supplies, and other items he detailed on his bucket list. He informed the king that evangelization had to continue after conversion by providing the natives with sustained Catholic instructions.
By 1605, the Catholic Church was firmly established and steadily growing by the grace of God, thanks to decades of dedication and hard work. Through their prophetic ministry and good examples, the Spanish missionaries gave the Filipinos the special gift of Faith, which we are now mandated to share with others; hence, we are “gifted to give.”
Now, visit the island of Tuvalu, Polynesia. In June 2024, Pope Francis appointed Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) Fr. Eliseo Napiere superior of the Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti, a pre-diocesan missionary territory. He succeeded another MSP, Most Rev. Reynaldo B. Getalado, now Bishop of Rarotonga, another mission diocese in the Pacific.
Today’s Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti, Diocese of Rarotonga, and other far-flung and difficult mission territories in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa fall under the Dicastery for Evangelization, specifically the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches. Its pro-prefect is Cardinal Chito Tagle.
Mission and synodality go together. The special Mission Collection on this day in every parish is meant to benefit 1,150 mission territories where the Gospel has not yet been received, has been recently embraced, or is courageously upheld in the face of persecution.
Let us join Pope Francis in this universal mission of evangelization and synodal conversations, and bring hope to many communities in need!
JOSÉ BAUTISTA MAXIMIANO
Dr. José Bautista is the Lead Convenor of the Love Our Pope Movement (LOPM) and author of the 3-volume work on Church Reforms (Claretian) and the 3-volume work on 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines (Claretian). Email: jomaximiano@gmail.com
