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BRITAIN

 

Director Fr. Tom O’Reilly SSC

Dear Columban Friend,

 

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK in September is a truly momentous event.  Catholics are proud to see the Pope welcomed by Her Majesty the Queen as a visitor who plays a leading role in upholding the moral basis of society and making the world a better place for all.  

 

Coming to us as the Chief Pastor of the universal Church, Pope Benedict’s visit can remind us that the message of Jesus Christ is for all races and cultures.  Every local church is called to look beyond its own boundaries and share in the Church’s universal mission.  As members of a missionary society within the Church, we Columbans know from experience how the church in Britain has responded most generously to the missionary call.

A number of events during the Pope’s visit will highlight how the Church today is called to engage in universal mission.  He will meet and pray with members of other Christian Churches to emphasise the importance of all Christians working together in proclaiming the message and values of Jesus Christ.  He will also meet leaders of other religions and cultures to show that all peoples of faith must co-operate in building a better world.  Despite our religious and cultural differences, we are called to live and work together as brothers and sisters in one human family, the family of a loving God.  

Your ongoing prayerful and financial support enables the Missionary Society of St. Columban to engage in Christian mission in places as diverse as Chile and Pakistan, Fiji and Japan.  Inspired by the message of Jesus Christ, we stand with people who are deprived of basic human rights, we promote better relations between peoples of different cultures and religions, we call attention to the urgent need to respect God’s creation and care for the endangered earth.

 

In asking again for your support, we are very grateful for the many ways you engage with us in the mission of the Church.  May the visit of Pope Benedict be a source of inspiration, encouragement and blessing for all of us.

 

Yours sincerely,

Fr. Tom O’Reilly

Director