Dear Friends in Christ:

This Mission Sunday message comes to you from the Catholic Missions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi where I have been privileged to visit during the past two weeks.

Words fail in trying to describe the extraordinary commitment of the local and foreign priests, religious, and laity working to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people scattered throughout these countries. The work of evangelization focuses on preaching, faith formation, and the Sacramental life of the Church. These efforts are supported by the operation of schools, the provision of health and medical services, and the implementation of many self-help projects.

What amazed me day after day was the incredible "multiplier effect" of our Mission Sunday donations. The creativity of the missionaries and relief workers enables them to multiply one dollar many times over. It reminded me of Jesus feeding the thousands with a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish.

Since half of this region's inhabitants are under 20 years of age, many Mission efforts focus on primary and secondary education, preventive health measures like vaccination programs, and nutritional programs for the mothers.

The missionaries continue to educate and train local peoples to operate most programs, and many of these then become nurses, teachers, doctors, agronomists, and other development professionals.

The Catholic Church is the most effective organization in proclaiming the Gospel and in providing the full spectrum of humanitarian services because of our built-in structure of parishes, dioceses and networks of worldwide Catholic aid organizations. Other international aid groups must spend much of their money on bringing in outside staff, whereas our Catholic groups --- such as Catholic Relief Services --- can integrate at once with the Catholic infrastructure already in place.

I urge all of us in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to open our hearts wide this Mission Sunday and to be as generous as we can to fulfil the missionary mandate of Jesus Christ: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations….And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age!" (Matthew 28: 19-20)