Catholic Missionaries

[Cat]

Hope this is the right section of the forum for this question.
If there is another thread(s) about this, please link me up.

Can someone please tell me about how missionaries are “sent” in the Catholic Church?

I think that the term “mission” is different in Catholicism and Protestantism. Perhaps someone can clarify how Catholics use the word differently than evangelical Protestant. E.g., at least once a year in our parish, we have a “mission:” a guest speaker, usually a priest, comes and gives a couple of talks about a pertinent subject. This is NOT what evangelical Protestants mean when they talk about missions.

I was evangelical Protestant for over 40 years before converting to Catholicism.

In the evangelical churches, there are two common ways that missionaries are sent:

1. The denomination sends them, after the candidates complete any requirements that the denomination sets. The denomination pays expenses, salary, schooling for kids, etc.

e.g., In the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, a missionary must have completed a Master’s Degree, complete two years of “home service” and six months of internship in the field where they are hoping to be sent.

1. A para-church organization, e.g., Campus Crusade for Christ, sends them. Usually the missionary has to raise support by asking friends, relatives, contacts made while visiting churches and giving presentations, etc.

---

There are other kinds of missionaries, e.g., the self-proclaimed, self-sent missionary (e.g., Arthur Blessit). There are also “tentmakers,” or missionaries who go into a country and work at a secular job, but also maintain a Christian witness and seek to share the Gospel one-on-one or in small settings.

And there are humanitarian missionaries who go into a country to help with feeding the hungry, building hospitals, schools, etc.​

Most Protestant churches have some kind of “Missionary Committee” in their church, and these committees will do all kinds of projects to help the missionaries and also to keep the missionaries in the mind of the church members. E.g., missionary bulletin boards, missionary conventions and rallies, ladies missionary luncheons (fundraisers, prayer support), etc.​

So how does all this work in the Catholic Church? Are all the missionaries priests, deacons, or religious? Is there a “sending” organization? Do individual parishes/dioceses send their own missionaries? Who decides which countries/fields need a missionary outreach?

And how does the lay Catholic get involved?

Is there a book or online resource that I can read to learn more about Catholic missions and missionaries?

Thanks so much!

 

[augieboo]

Can someone please tell me about how missionaries are “sent” in the Catholic Church?

All kinds of ways.

E.g., at least once a year in our parish, we have a “mission:” a guest speaker, usually a priest, comes and gives a couple of talks about a pertinent subject.

That’s a parish mission, which is similar to a revival meeting.

So how does all this work in the Catholic Church?

Like most things in Catholicism, that’s complicated.

Are all the missionaries priests, deacons, or religious?

No.

Is there a “sending” organization?

Yes. Many.

Do individual parishes/dioceses send their own missionaries?

Sometimes, on a more-or-less temporary basis.

Who decides which countries/fields need a missionary outreach?

Usually the organization doing the sending, but not always.

And how does the lay Catholic get involved?
Is there a book or online resource that I can read to learn more about Catholic missions and missionaries?

[1] Click on this link religiousministries.com/directory/index.asp

[2] Type “mission” into the “keyword” box.

[3] Scroll the pulldown menu to “lay ministries”

[4] Click the “Search Directory” button.

[5] Peruse some 200 or so Catholic lay organizations involved in some aspect or aspects of missionary work.

 

[MCH]

I know the Redemptorists are missionaries

 

[Titus]

There are many missionary orders, and orders which send missionaries. Many of these end up as martyrs (even in modern times). Pray for the missionary vocation!

 

[holly_potter]

Is there such thing as being a missionary to your own country? I know the US is predominatly Christian, so nearly everybody knows about God, even if they don’t believe He exists. But what I was thinking was some sort of mission to spread the wisdom of God…like the pro life movement or FOCUS or classes on polite driving (did you see the 10 driving commandments? ), or even perhaps writing thought-provoking books or going on teaching tours or something?
I’d be interested in how wide the missionary definition is! Also, can one be called to be a “missionary” for the Church, without necessarily being a part of a Catholic group? And is there a list of Catholic organizations one can work for as perhaps a career?
Forgive me, but my mind is far more active right before bedtime!