MISSION TO LOVE
Pope Leo XIV smiles while blessing a baby in St Peter’s Square—a gesture reflecting his closeness to the “little ones.” In his message for the centenary of World Mission Day in 2026, the Pontiff emphasizes: “The mission of the disciples and the Church as a whole is to continue the mission of Christ in the Holy Spirit: a mission born of love, lived in love, and leading to love” (§ 3).
Photo Credit: Francesca Pollio Fenton/aciafrica.org
MISSION IS FUN
TICKETS AND TRAIN OF THOUGHTS
BY Fr Efrem Tresoldi MCCJ
FR JAMES ROSSI was a deeply loved missionary, but he was also famously forgetful. One day, he boarded a train to preach at a parish recollection in a nearby town. Mid-journey, the ticket inspector arrived. When he reached the priest, Fr. Rossi began to frantically rummage through his pockets, his jacket, and his bag, growing more embarrassed by the second. The ticket was nowhere to be found. Seeing the priest’s distress, the inspector smiled kindly and remarked, “Don’t worry, Father. I trust that you bought one. Don’t stress if you’ve misplaced it.” Fr Rossi looked up, still completely agitated, and replied, “Oh, that is not the problem at all! The problem is that without the ticket, I have absolutely no idea at which station I am supposed to disembark!”
These Italian Names…
Some years ago, Br Guilermo and Fr Manuel were about to visit the community of Bressanone, South Tyrol, Italy, as part of their work at the General Council of the Comboni Missionaries. An email was sent to the superior of Bressanone to inform him of their arrival.