Association of African Priests and Religious, choir and musicians for World Mission Sunday Mass, broadcast live from RTÉ studios in Dublin, 20th October 2024.
The vibrant, uplifting choral music of the Association of African Priests and Religious provided a joyful backdrop for the 20th October World Mission Sunday Mass, broadcast live on RTÉ Television from Dublin.
For the 9th year running, Misean Cara co-hosted the mass, alongside AMRI (The Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland / www.amri.ie/) and Missio Ireland (The Pope’s official charity for overseas mission / www.missio.ie).
The mass, celebrating the Pope’s annual day for celebration and support of the Church’s missions worldwide, was an especially important occasion for Misean Cara in 2024. This year, Misean Cara celebrates its 20th anniversary of supporting Ireland’s missionary organisations overseas.
The Most Reverend Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Diocese of Waterford & Lismore was Celebrant for this year’s mass. Bishop Cullinan recently joined Misean Cara on a visit to Kenya to see firsthand the work being done by Misean Cara members to reach the furthest behind with projects in sustainable livelihoods, education, healthcare, and human rights. The Bishop was accompanied in celebrating the mass by Fr Michael Kelly, Saint Patrick’s Missionary Society and National Director of Missio Ireland. The congregation brought together members and staff from Misean Cara, MISSIO Ireland, AMRI and the Loreto House Religious Formation Ministry Programme.
Representing Misean Cara as readers at the mass were Sr Josephine McCarthy, Presentation Sisters and Vice-Chair of Misean Cara’s Board and Sr Rosemary Odoul, Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa.
Musical Directors for the choir were Fr Cyril Odia, SDB and Sr Felicity Kalu. Choir members Sr Gertrude Mensah, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, and Sr Mary Kemjei, Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, who are also both Misean Cara members, performed as soloists during the mass.
Watch again!
If you missed the live broadcast of the mass on October 20th, it is available to watch on the RTÉ Player here:
Supporting Ireland’s Missionaries through Misean Cara
Each year, October is set aside in the Catholic Church as the Month of Mission, established in 1926 by Pope Pius XI to “foster understanding of the greatness of the missionary task, encourage zeal among the clergy and the people, make the missionary movement more widely known, and encourage offerings for the missions.”
A highlight of the month each year is Mission Sunday, a day for the Catholic Church’s annual appeal for spiritual and financial support for the life-transforming work of overseas mission and missionaries.