Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) begins today in Rome at the San Lorenzo International College of Brindisi of the Capuchin Friars.
The assembly's intense work program will continue until Wednesday, May 28. The most anticipated moment of this annual meeting is the audience with Pope Leo XIV, scheduled for tomorrow morning, Thursday, May 22. The new Bishop of Rome will receive at the Vatican more than 120 National Directors of the PMS from five continents, including the 20 recently appointed, who have arrived in the capital in recent days to participate in a specific course for new Directors.
The Assembly, an opportunity for exchange, discussion, and missionary formation, will feature the participation of the National Directors, the Secretaries General of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the Interim Coordinator of the PMS, Father Tadeusz Nowak (who is also Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith), and the person in charge of Administration, Sister Roberta Tremarelli.
This afternoon, after the Eucharistic celebration and the usual preliminaries, the culminating moment of the first day will be the address by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches).
The Thursday morning meeting with Pope Leo XIV represents a privileged moment to "embrace" the newly elected Pope and renew our commitment to the mission at service of the Pontiff, who, according to the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, presides over the Dicastery for Evangelization, of which the PMS are a part.
This is a unique and eagerly awaited opportunity to greet him with affection and, above all, to hear his message to the Missionary Societies, which will be treasured as inspiration for the work of the coming months.
After the meeting with the Pope, the Assembly participants will pass through the Holy Door and celebrate the Eucharist presided over by Cardinal Tagle in St. Peter's Basilica. In the afternoon, a visit to the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island -where the relics of new martyrs and witnesses of the faith are kept - is planned, followed by a moment of missionary prayer.
On Friday, May 23, the Assembly will continue according to a packed schedule, including presentations by several PMS national directions to share their local experiences. Reports are planned from the Finance Council, from the person in charge of Administration, Sister Roberta Tremarelli AMSS, and from the Secretaries General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Father Tadeusz J. Nowak OMI; of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood, Sister Inês Paulo Albino ASC; and of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, Father Guy Bognon PSS.
On Saturday morning, it will be the turn of the Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union, Father Din Anh Nhue Nguyen OFM Conv, and the Director of Fides Agency, Gianni Valente, who will address their respective reports.
In the afternoon, following the plenary session - which will include dialogue between the National Directors and the members of the Executive Committee - a meeting is scheduled with Archbishop Samuele Sangalli, Deputy Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization. Continental meetings will then follow, continuing on Sunday, when the Eucharistic celebration will be presided over by Bishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the same Dicastery.
On Monday, May 26, the program includes a day of ongoing formation, centered on two roundtable discussions on missionary animation and formation in the local Churches: one dedicated to Africa and Asia, and another focused on the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. The day will begin with an introductory talk by Bishop Joseph Dinh Duc Dao, Bishop Emeritus of Xuan Loc (Vietnam), former Director of the International Center for Missionary Animation (CIAM) and Professor at the Pontifical Urbaniana University. This will be followed by communications and observations from several bishops who have been involved in the national directions of the PMS in their respective countries.
In the afternoon, following a discussion session in the Assembly, brief reports on the continental meetings will be shared and heard. Tuesday the 27th will be dedicated to work on the PMS Statutes and the presentation of the theme for the next World Mission Sunday 2026. On Wednesday, May 28, the last day of the Assembly, the various closing ceremonies and the final address by the Interim Coordinator of the PMS, Father Tadeusz J. Nowak OMI, will take place. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 21/5/2025)
