![Catholics urged to strengthen missionary spirit in Prospect Park #Catholic – It was a day to unite the whole Church in one mission, in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call, and for Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney to bring that missionary spirit to a united home church in the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
A nearly full, bilingual crowd of pilgrims, including m missionary priests, religious, and laity, gathered on Oct. 18 at St. Paul Church in Prospect Park, N.J., to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney in marking the 100th World Mission Sunday at the parish’s noon Mass.
That afternoon, a video from Pope Leo XIV was shown for World Mission Sunday, which was guided by the theme, One in Christ, United in Mission.
“You saw him smiling in the video, right? He has that beautiful ‘alma misionera,’ that missionary heart and joy that comes, and you can see it in his smile, and in the example that he lives as he asks the whole Church to continue our missionary journey with joy and zeal, enthusiasm,” Bishop Sweeney said after the video. “This requires hearts united, corazones unidos, in Cristo, hearts united in Christ,” he said.
A papal decree from the Second Vatican Council says that our pilgrim Church, by its nature, is a missionary Church.
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“It is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin,” the decree expresses.
Pope Leo has been recovering from recent surgery to remove that area of his lungs after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is waiting for his upcoming trip to Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay. Bishop Sweeney linked the missionary call to the experience of immigrants to the United States, past and present.
During the Mass, St. Paul’s faithful donated to the second collection, the World Mission Sunday collection. Through the Pontifical Mission Societies, proceeds from the collection:
• Support more than 1,100 missionary dioceses across the earth, including Pope Leo XIV’s previous diocese of Chiclayo in Peru,
•Fund religious formation and seminaries worldwide, helping about 80,000 seminarians,
•Support the Missionary Childhood Association, which helps the faith formation and practical needs of children worldwide,
• Fund the Pontifical Missionary Union, which works in formation to help empower missionary disciples.
• Support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The Vatican says the society “aims to open the heart of every believer to the vastness of the missionary horizon, through spiritual and material support for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.”
• Fund the Society of St. Peter the Apostle for priestly and religious vocations.
“As we reflect on being one in Christ and united in mission,” Bishop Sweeney told the congregation in his English and Spanish homily, “let us allow ourselves to be guided and inspired by grace, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation, cada uno de nosotros, each one of us, and advance together, juntos como hermanos, that together [as] sisters and brothers, we go forward as missionaries in the commitment of evangelization, sharing the good news of the faith in this new missionary age in the history of the Church.”
Bishop Sweeney continued, “Let us pray at this Mass that we can be renewed in our hearts, at home, in our families, in school, at work, as we live our faith, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation.”
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/catholics-urged-to-strengthen-missionary-spirit-in-prospect-park-catholic-it-was-a-day-to-unite-the-whole-church-in-one-mission-in-response-to-pope-leo-xivs-call-and-for-bishop-kevin-j-sw.jpg "Catholics urged to strengthen missionary spirit in Prospect Park #Catholic – It was a day to unite the whole Church in one mission, in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call, and for Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney to bring that missionary spirit to a united home church in the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
A nearly full, bilingual crowd of pilgrims, including m missionary priests, religious, and laity, gathered on Oct. 18 at St. Paul Church in Prospect Park, N.J., to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney in marking the 100th World Mission Sunday at the parish’s noon Mass.
That afternoon, a video from Pope Leo XIV was shown for World Mission Sunday, which was guided by the theme, One in Christ, United in Mission.
“You saw him smiling in the video, right? He has that beautiful ‘alma misionera,’ that missionary heart and joy that comes, and you can see it in his smile, and in the example that he lives as he asks the whole Church to continue our missionary journey with joy and zeal, enthusiasm,” Bishop Sweeney said after the video. “This requires hearts united, corazones unidos, in Cristo, hearts united in Christ,” he said.
A papal decree from the Second Vatican Council says that our pilgrim Church, by its nature, is a missionary Church.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“It is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin,” the decree expresses.
Pope Leo has been recovering from recent surgery to remove that area of his lungs after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is waiting for his upcoming trip to Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay. Bishop Sweeney linked the missionary call to the experience of immigrants to the United States, past and present.
During the Mass, St. Paul’s faithful donated to the second collection, the World Mission Sunday collection. Through the Pontifical Mission Societies, proceeds from the collection:
• Support more than 1,100 missionary dioceses across the earth, including Pope Leo XIV’s previous diocese of Chiclayo in Peru,
•Fund religious formation and seminaries worldwide, helping about 80,000 seminarians,
•Support the Missionary Childhood Association, which helps the faith formation and practical needs of children worldwide,
• Fund the Pontifical Missionary Union, which works in formation to help empower missionary disciples.
• Support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The Vatican says the society “aims to open the heart of every believer to the vastness of the missionary horizon, through spiritual and material support for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.”
• Fund the Society of St. Peter the Apostle for priestly and religious vocations.
“As we reflect on being one in Christ and united in mission,” Bishop Sweeney told the congregation in his English and Spanish homily, “let us allow ourselves to be guided and inspired by grace, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation, cada uno de nosotros, each one of us, and advance together, juntos como hermanos, that together [as] sisters and brothers, we go forward as missionaries in the commitment of evangelization, sharing the good news of the faith in this new missionary age in the history of the Church.”
Bishop Sweeney continued, “Let us pray at this Mass that we can be renewed in our hearts, at home, in our families, in school, at work, as we live our faith, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation.”
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
It was a day to unite the whole Church in one mission, in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call, and for Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney to bring that missionary spirit to a united home church in the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
A nearly full, bilingual crowd of pilgrims, including m missionary priests, religious, and laity, gathered on Oct. 18 at St. Paul Church in Prospect Park, N.J., to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney in marking the 100th World Mission Sunday at the parish’s noon Mass.
That afternoon, a video from Pope Leo XIV was shown for World Mission Sunday, which was guided by the theme, One in Christ, United in Mission.
“You saw him smiling in the video, right? He has that beautiful ‘alma misionera,’ that missionary heart and joy that comes, and you can see it in his smile, and in the example that he lives as he asks the whole Church to continue our missionary journey with joy and zeal, enthusiasm,” Bishop Sweeney said after the video. “This requires hearts united, corazones unidos, in Cristo, hearts united in Christ,” he said.
A papal decree from the Second Vatican Council says that our pilgrim Church, by its nature, is a missionary Church.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“It is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin,” the decree expresses.
Pope Leo has been recovering from recent surgery to remove that area of his lungs after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is waiting for his upcoming trip to Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay. Bishop Sweeney linked the missionary call to the experience of immigrants to the United States, past and present.
During the Mass, St. Paul’s faithful donated to the second collection, the World Mission Sunday collection. Through the Pontifical Mission Societies, proceeds from the collection:
• Support more than 1,100 missionary dioceses across the earth, including Pope Leo XIV’s previous diocese of Chiclayo in Peru,
•Fund religious formation and seminaries worldwide, helping about 80,000 seminarians,
•Support the Missionary Childhood Association, which helps the faith formation and practical needs of children worldwide,
• Fund the Pontifical Missionary Union, which works in formation to help empower missionary disciples.
• Support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The Vatican says the society “aims to open the heart of every believer to the vastness of the missionary horizon, through spiritual and material support for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.”
• Fund the Society of St. Peter the Apostle for priestly and religious vocations.
“As we reflect on being one in Christ and united in mission,” Bishop Sweeney told the congregation in his English and Spanish homily, “let us allow ourselves to be guided and inspired by grace, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation, cada uno de nosotros, each one of us, and advance together, juntos como hermanos, that together [as] sisters and brothers, we go forward as missionaries in the commitment of evangelization, sharing the good news of the faith in this new missionary age in the history of the Church.”
Bishop Sweeney continued, “Let us pray at this Mass that we can be renewed in our hearts, at home, in our families, in school, at work, as we live our faith, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation.”
Catholics urged to strengthen missionary spirit in Prospect Park #Catholic –
It was a day to unite the whole Church in one mission, in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call, and for Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney to bring that missionary spirit to a united home church in the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
A nearly full, bilingual crowd of pilgrims, including m missionary priests, religious, and laity, gathered on Oct. 18 at St. Paul Church in Prospect Park, N.J., to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney in marking the 100th World Mission Sunday at the parish’s noon Mass.
That afternoon, a video from Pope Leo XIV was shown for World Mission Sunday, which was guided by the theme, One in Christ, United in Mission.
“You saw him smiling in the video, right? He has that beautiful ‘alma misionera,’ that missionary heart and joy that comes, and you can see it in his smile, and in the example that he lives as he asks the whole Church to continue our missionary journey with joy and zeal, enthusiasm,” Bishop Sweeney said after the video. “This requires hearts united, corazones unidos, in Cristo, hearts united in Christ,” he said.
A papal decree from the Second Vatican Council says that our pilgrim Church, by its nature, is a missionary Church.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“It is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin,” the decree expresses.
Pope Leo has been recovering from recent surgery to remove that area of his lungs after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is waiting for his upcoming trip to Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay. Bishop Sweeney linked the missionary call to the experience of immigrants to the United States, past and present.
During the Mass, St. Paul’s faithful donated to the second collection, the World Mission Sunday collection. Through the Pontifical Mission Societies, proceeds from the collection:
• Support more than 1,100 missionary dioceses across the earth, including Pope Leo XIV’s previous diocese of Chiclayo in Peru,
•Fund religious formation and seminaries worldwide, helping about 80,000 seminarians,
•Support the Missionary Childhood Association, which helps the faith formation and practical needs of children worldwide,
• Fund the Pontifical Missionary Union, which works in formation to help empower missionary disciples.
• Support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The Vatican says the society “aims to open the heart of every believer to the vastness of the missionary horizon, through spiritual and material support for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.”
• Fund the Society of St. Peter the Apostle for priestly and religious vocations.
“As we reflect on being one in Christ and united in mission,” Bishop Sweeney told the congregation in his English and Spanish homily, “let us allow ourselves to be guided and inspired by grace, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation, cada uno de nosotros, each one of us, and advance together, juntos como hermanos, that together [as] sisters and brothers, we go forward as missionaries in the commitment of evangelization, sharing the good news of the faith in this new missionary age in the history of the Church.”
Bishop Sweeney continued, “Let us pray at this Mass that we can be renewed in our hearts, at home, in our families, in school, at work, as we live our faith, to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation.”