Faith

Maureen Crowley
Heil

When I was in elementary school at Saint Michael School In Hudson (of blessed memory), one of the many activities in which I participated was Girl Scouts. I began as a Brownie, eventually "flying up" to Juniors. My original troop met at a neighbor's house, with a friend's mother as our leader. It was there that I learned a song that has become a touchstone for the way I live my relationships within my mission ministry. If you know it, please sing along in your head.
Make new friends but keep the old.
One is silver and the other, gold.
A circle is round -- it has no end.
That's how long I want to be your friend.

As I write this, I sit with many of my mission friends of many years at our National Pontifical Mission Societies Conference. We are meeting in Puerto Rico this year in order to also attend the Congreso Americano Misionera VI, a Pan American Mission Congress held every six years. Delegates from each country in North and South America gather to pray, speak about, and act on ideas about how to better educate and animate the faithful in our own dioceses on the needs of the young and growing mission Church.

This year, I have a new friend who has come along from Boston to the conference and congress to learn "the ropes" of this great mission life. Daria Braithwaite, a recent graduate of the University of Vermont, has joined our team as our Mission Education Coordinator and is already making her mark, writing our Mission Education materials for elementary schools and parish faith formation programs that are being shared and used in dioceses across the United States. Visits to the students to share the mission message began recently with Daria getting the knack of spreading the mission message in person.

Daira has also jumped in with both feet to our new program called #GivingTuesday, which kicked off on Monday, November 18. Schools, individuals, our board members, and even the employees of the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Boston are giving and challenging their friends and family to join them in support of missionaries who minister to children.

We have a generous donor who will match the first $10,000 we raise, which will trigger another $10,000 gift! In effect, that triples the first $10,000 we raise.

This past week, I introduced silver, Daria, to gold -- longtime colleagues in the Pontifical Mission Societies. We invite you into our circle of Friends of the Missions -- on #GivingTuesday, from November 18 to December 3 by going to https://bit.ly/46xUFpF.

God Love You!

- Maureen Crowley Heil is Director of Programs and Development for the Pontifical Mission Societies, Boston.

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