ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE REPORT:
| Report 2011 |
 Thursday 29 March 2012Imagine what’s possible when we work together. Catholic Mission’s 2011 Annual Report released today shows supporters in Australia helped more than 370,000 children, 9000 catechists and nearly 3000 seminarians in 2011. “The impact of the gifts, prayers and action from thousands of inspirational, caring Australians is testament to what’s possible when we work together in Christ’s name,” said Catholic Mission’s National Director, Mr Martin Teulan. Contributing total revenue of $17.15 million, Australian supporters gave more than 6% of the total global funds raised for the Pope’s own mission work. Over half the funds raised internationally for the Oceania region came from Australian donors. “For a country with a relatively small population, it is encouraging to see the difference our gifts make. For countries like Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, Myanmar (Burma) and Kiribati, Australian support is a Godsend,” said Mr Teulan. This year celebrates the 150th anniversary of the death of Catholic Mission’s founder, a lay single woman named Pauline Jaricot, whose vision grew to become the Pontifical Mission Societies, a global network known in Australia as Catholic Mission and operating in 160 countries. With a passion for mission, Pauline gathered together small groups of workers, mostly from her family’s silk factory, to offer daily prayer and a weekly sacrifice of a penny for the Church’s worldwide missionary work. “Pauline was a visionary of her time in the early 1800s. She saw a need for universal mission – for all missionary orders and dioceses to benefit – and did what she could to make it happen,” said Mr Teulan. “Every Catholic Mission supporter continues Pauline’s vision today – a vision that expanded to now support the work of heroic missionaries in 1100 dioceses in Australia and overseas, reaching out to Catholic communities in need, caring for children, and training catechists, religious novices and seminarians.” Mr Teulan said that Australians supported the work of the Church in 195 dioceses in 38 countries and more than two million Catholics received opportunities for spiritual growth and outreach to others. Other highlights in the annual report, he said, were Catholic Mission’s funding of: · 371,505 children in their spiritual and practical needs · 9462 catechists and 2987 seminarians in training · The building, upkeep and maintenance of 121 pastoral centres, convents (for Sisters involved in pastoral and practical care), churches and other key buildings · Subsidies for 9 Catholic radio and television broadcasters “Like Pauline Jaricot nearly 200 years ago, Catholic Mission supporters continue to see a need and do something about it. Each individual gift helps share the practical and eternal love of Christ with at least one other child, parent, seminarian,” Mr Teulan said. “Together, the impact changes whole communities in 38 countries – from remote Australia to Ethiopia, from Guatemala to Madagascar.” SOURCE: ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA |
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