Holy Week is Mission Week! Thanks to the generosity and courage of so many people, approximately 1,500 missionaries spent Holy Week sharing God’s love on city streets and on social media through acts of mercy and evangelization.

Spread out in 17 different mission experiences in10 different cities in the Unites States, Canada, and the Philippines, these missionaries came up with creative ways to share the message of Holy Week while keeping their missionaries and those they were serving safe and healthy.

What were some of the activities these missionaries did on missions?

• Prayed for the unborn and their parents outside abortion clinics
• Encountered those in need in authentic conversation and prayer through Cross Walks and other activities
• Gave out food, water and clothing to homeless and others in need
• Offered their time to help at soup kitchens, prolife centers, homeless shelters and other outreach organizations
• Assisted in construction and clean up from hurricanes
• Went door to door inviting people back to Church and the sacraments
• Assisted with local parish activities
• Prayed together and participated in the Holy Week liturgies in a deep, intentional way
• Grew closer to God, their Catholic faith and the Catholic communities

Those participating in the Virtual Family Missions in the Philippines were reminded that we have all received a missionary vocation. It is something we can ALL do! They connect virtually for talks, prayer moments and missionary activities. They had a deeply spiritual family encounter, despite the COVID restrictions.

Sometimes as missionaries, we can doubt if our missionary efforts and prayers actually make a difference. One missionary activity is called a “Cross Walk,” where missionaries carry a large wooden cross, ask people for prayer intentions, write them down on sticky notes and then nail them to the cross. It is a simple activity that takes just a few minutes. In Philadelphia, over 200 missionaries came out over Holy Week to pray, do cross walks, encounter those in need and assist various parishes. On Good Friday, one missionary team encountered a woman who approached them asking for sticky notes to write down her prayers.  She explained that she remembered the missionaries from over a year ago, when a missionary team had approached her asking for her intentions. In that moment, she had asked for two very important intentions: that she would be able to conceive a child and that she would fully recover from cancer. Now, over a year later, she explained, I have been completely cured from cancer and have given birth to twins! She eagerly wrote down more intentions on the sticky notes, fully convinced of the power of these missionaries’ prayers.

Now that we are rejoicing in the Easter season, we can allow our joy to overflow in a continued missionary lifestyle. Would you like to join the mission?

• Join us for our Mission Youth Summit! Connect in-person or virtually to find out how you can bring missions to your area.
• Attend a summer mission experience! Check out our Mission Youth website to sign up for a summer mission week.