“As Pope Francis highlighted in his message for Mission Sunday 2020, I would like first of all to thank the Creator for the gift of the Extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019, which the Church around the world celebrated and which, personally, opened new horizons and deepened my missionary awareness”.

This is the testimony of Josipa Prskalo, layperson, collaborator of the magazine Katolički tjednik (Catholic weekly), and of the portal Nedjelja.ba, (Domenica.ba), presenter of the Zov misija column (Call of the missions), reported Fides News Agency.

Josipa is in frequent contact with missionaries from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, so he knows that their challenges have become more complicated with the pandemic. “I receive a particular strength, hope and faith from their steadfastness even watching the video message #WeAreStillHere – # JošSmoUvijekOvdje – he explains -. I got goosebumps and I felt a certain pride in discovering that there are people in the world who unconditionally put the needs of others before their own. ‘Idealists’ who, like Saint Mother Teresa, are a pencil in the hands of God and who clearly say: ‘we remain’.”

Josipa continues: “It is true, we are all missionaries and the Church is missionary by nature. As the Pope tells us, the mission that God has entrusted to each of us actually helps us to get rid of fears and worries; after Jesus, there is no better example of a missionary.

But they too are ‘tormented’ by something: they are tormented by empty churches, by the obligatory social distancing of those who represent the special tenderness of the Church, they are tormented by hunger which, due to the coronavirus, kills even more. But with their unshakable faith, they know and believe that “no one is excluded from God’s love” and they entrust themselves wholeheartedly to God’s Providence.

The Holy Father repeats, with the prophet Isaiah: “Here I am, send me”. In this way all of us are also sent and become collaborators of the missions if we pray, speak and give. We try to be the messengers of the missions and their best ambassadors. Let’s not allow these challenges created by the pandemic to increase distrust and indifference in us, but rather to increase faith and care for others”.

Finally Josipa expresses the hope that this World Mission Day “may also be an incentive to be stronger and united with those who preach the Good News all over the world. Let’s pray for the missions and missionaries: they need us as much as we need them”.

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