21/08/2022 - Fiji

Pontifical Mission Societies Annual General Meeting In Lyon, France.

Sr Mariana  Maramanicava  (Unit of Fiji) attended the Pontifical Mission Societies Annual General Meeting in from in mid to late May.

She writes of her time in France:

The meeting was from the 16^th to the 26^thof May. I arrived in France at 7pm on Friday evening. It was a long tiring journey form Fiji to France and spent the next two days resting.

The participants of the meeting were all different parts of the world.  Most of the participants were priests there were also three bishops, five sisters and our General President Monsignor Dal Toso.

 

Our President and the Secretariats of the Societies all came from Rome. This annual meeting is always held in Rome. However this year it was held in France as Pauline Marie Jaricot (Founder of the Propagation of the Faith) was from Lyon, France.  During our time there she was beatified.

 

The opening address was done by Monsignor Dal Toso, who is our General President of PMS. In between our meeting, we had the Coloqium of St Pauline Jaricot, we went to visit her museum, her home and the church where she was buried. We also visited the presbytery and church of the Cure of Ars.  During our time in Ars we had Mass during in the area near the body of St John Vianney.  All the priests present processed down and recommit themselves.

The climax was the Beatification mass, which was held in a huge EXPO-GYM. Representation from all walks of life in France were invited to attend. The biggest number was the Pontifical Mission Societies National Directors as we came from different parts of the world.  Priests were more than two hundreds plus bishops and archbishops and cardinals. For me, I was really privileged as representing the Pacific Islands to this special occasion. The mass was presided by His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tangle from Rome.

What touched me during the meeting was nearly all, shared about the poor, physically and spiritually and how we as baptized can help them.  While needs differ we need to be connected so that we know the poor in our midst and reach out to them.

I found my trip to France was an enriching and informative one, as I come to know, understand, and experience what Pontifical Mission Societiy is all about

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