The Mission of Our Church

by Gunther Simmermacher · Published October 1, 2024 · Updated September 30, 2024

Dear Reader,

The Church’s primary function is to evangelise — to lead people to God and salvation. This is the missionary imperative that comes into a special focus every year in October with Mission Sunday (this year on the 20th). A number of articles in this edition shine a light on the charism of mission.

So we read about two Pretoria-based priests from India’s Kerala region, which produces such great numbers of vocations that many of its priests serve as missionaries around the world, also in Southern Africa. Our local Church must be grateful to these priests, as it must be to all missionaries.

A different kind of mission, which is driven largely by lay people, is performed by the Neocatechumenal Way, which is marking 40 years of activity in South Africa. On page 22, the team responsible for the movement here recalls these four decades of growth and graces.

Both of these stories should inspire us, as may that on page 8 of the twins who grew up amid Syria’s civil war and went on to become priests. They are now serving in the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, which is a special mission in itself, in the very setting of the Gospel narrative.

And in his column, Raymond Perrier highlights the mission of a Sister, and points out that the call to mission is not the sole domain of priests and religious.

He is correct, of course. In different ways, we are all called to be missionaries — to propose Jesus to people who do not know him, who do know but have dropped him, and who say they know him but don’t act as if they do (and sometimes we all are guilty of the latter). This month in particular we should take the time to prayerfully reflect on how we are doing in responding to God’s call to evangelise. How well are we manifesting Christ in the world?

How wonderful it would be if the pope were to hear that the faithful in Southern Africa are great missionaries. The Holy Father’s representative, the man who reports to the pope about the state of our local Church, features on the cover of this issue.

In our interview feature on page 14, we get to know the papal nuncio, Archbishop Henryk Jagodziński, who took office in Pretoria in July.

The responsibilities resting on nuncios are great. Especially in their crucial role in the pope’s appointment of bishops, they can shape the future of a local Church for decades, for better or for worse.

Archbishop Jagodziński has received a warm welcome in Pretoria, with those who have met him remarking on his warmth and good humour. He will need the support of all in the local Church with whom he will interact. May his tenure in our region be distinguished by accomplishment and joy in the service of Our Lord and his Church.

At this time of the year, many families are experiencing great stress due to the exams which school and tertiary students must sit. The pressure is especially high on those writing their matric. According to experts, the ever-present risk of suicide increases at this time of the year partly because of those pressures — which, it needs to be noted, teachers also experience.

This is nothing new. Teenage depression and suicide, especially linked to exams, was a topic discussed in The Southern Cross already 50 years ago, in a youth column written by the late Noel Bruyns. The difference between now and 1974, or even 1994, is that today matters of mental health are more openly discussed and addressed.

We hope that our article on pages 12-13 will contribute to that discussion, and perhaps also help families that are going through the stress of exams. This is one article you may feel free to copy and pass on to those who might benefit from it.

Thank you for reading The Southern Cross, and this month in particular, please evangelise by telling your friends about your monthly Catholic magazine.

God bless,
Günther Simmermacher
(Editor)