Catholic Mission in Schools

Education and Action

Helping kids

Young people instinctively understand we are all sisters and brothers of one human family. That is why they are ready and willing to help others, regardless of any differences. 

Children’s Mission is part of Catholic Mission’s work for children and encompasses 160 countries. Catholic Mission is the only international Catholic organisation which has specially dedicated works solely for children. It assists millions with schooling and broader life education, shelter and accommodation, medicine and health care, protection from abuse and human-trafficking, and providing catechesis and religious education.

Catholic Mission’s work for children provides the opportunity for more than half a million young Australians in Catholic schools to connect integrally with this international network reaching into rural clinics, village schools, HIV/AIDS orphanages, streets of inner-city slums and small one-room churches and chapels.

Invite your all students to give at least $2 each as a concrete way of witnessing and acting with the power of the Spirit and thus helping thousands of young people who won’t be coming to Australia this year for World Youth Day, but for whom the action will be life changing.

In this way you will be part of this life-giving enterprise of ensuring that even the littlest in Zambia or China, or the not-so-little in any corner of the world will have the chance to grow to their fullest potential through the love of Jesus shown by carers, teachers, priests and religious, doctors and nurses, and others. You’ll be ensuring that everyone will be able to live life to their fullest.

Thank you for supporting us

Thank you for all your fundraising efforts for Catholic Mission’s work for children. With your help, we are working towards achieving ‘life for all’ – a world in which all the world’s people are given the opportunity to develop their full potential, both physically and spiritually – especially children. In 2007 Catholic Mission allocated $21.33 million worldwide to projects for children, of which 2.63 million children benefited. Australian donors contributed $2.89 million, directly helping 500 projects around the world. This is an increase of 135 per cent on last year thanks to your kind hearts.

This year the funds were distributed to:

World Mission Month October 2008
‘one world one family one mission’

October is World Mission Month dedicated to the celebration of mission, culminating with the international celebration in every Catholic community of World Mission Day on Sunday, October 19.

This year’s theme for World Mission Month is ‘One world, One family, One mission’. We have only one planet for all to share. We are one family with one Creator God. We care because we are all brothers and sisters of the one family.

Because of issues such as international migration, globalisation, global warming and climate change there is a growing consciousness that we share a common humanity and destiny on one planet. The pains and troubles of one group sooner or later affect us all. There is no where left to run. It is time to take up our mission which is Jesus’ mission to create one world family.

Hundreds of thousands of young people at World Youth Day in July will reflect on, pray for and commit themselves to mission, empowered by the Spirit. World Mission Month is a call to action to live out Jesus’ mission in our daily reality, benefiting first the weakest, the most marginalised and the voiceless.

Catholic Mission will produce dedicated resources to assist schools in their celebration of Mission Month. Teachers’ notes, student worksheets and other education resources for World Mission Month will be available later in the year.

Children’s Mission Day is Wednesday, October 22 - a special celebration around the country.

Claim this date in your diary now as one for action and solidarity with young committed Christians around the world.

Resources

In April, Catholic Mission is launching the new children first! website. There you will be able to source the latest information on Catholic Mission’s work for children all over the world using the interactive world map.

‘Youth in Mission’ is a 12 minute documentary, suitable for upper primary and secondary.

This resource can help your school prepare for the celebration of World Youth Day as it shows young people around the world continuing Jesus’ mission and making a world of difference.

This film profiles three people from diverse backgrounds. Israel works as a youth worker and choir leader in an informal settlement (squatter town) on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. Marisa works in a grassroots women’s health program in the poor favelas of Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Chris works as an aboriginal education consultant in Western Sydney. Each in their unique way is clearly involved in living out Jesus’ mission today in their local community. 

To order copies of ‘Youth in Mission’ call 1800 257 296.