Mission Sunday Activities in SVD South Sudan and Uganda
(From 12th to 19th October, 2025)
Introduction
This month, the entire Catholic Church invites all Christians to pray the Rosary with the Blessed Virgin Mary for peace throughout the world. Moreover, this week, we celebrate the 99th World Mission Sunday with the theme: “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples.”. This theme reminds us that every baptized person is called to be a bearer of hope—not only through words but also through the witness of life, love, and service. All of us are invited to rekindle our missionary zeal, pray for those who have dedicated their lives to proclaiming the Gospel, and renew our own participation in Christ’s mission wherever we are.
Mission Activities in South Sudan
In our SVD mission settlement in South Sudan, we serve at Holy Family Parish, which includes 39 chapels. Among them, 9 chapels are currently active in mission work, serving around 3,000 Christians.
From October 12th to 19th, we organized various missionary activities within Holy Family Parish. We visited police stations, prisons, the governor’s office, hospitals, markets, army barracks, and the homes of the sick and the poor—bringing them blessings and the Word of God. During these visits, we prayed the Rosary, shared the Bible, and introduced the missionary spirit of the Catholic Church and the SVD congregation. We also encouraged everyone to join us in prayer—not only on Sundays but throughout the week. As we preached the Word of God, many people came to listen. Some, especially soldiers, expressed their desire to return to the Church after hearing the Good News.
Mission Activities in Uganda
In our SVD mission settlement in Bidibidi, Uganda, we serve at St. Arnold Janssen Parish, which includes five Eucharistic Centers and 30 chapels serving around 300,000 refugees, as well as 16 chapels serving about 7,000 local Christians.
During Mission Sunday week, together with the SSpS sisters, we organized special activities for Animators, the Women’s Catholic Action Group, the Youth, the Holy Childhood Association, and all Christians in both the Eucharistic Centers and St. Arnold Janssen Parish, Ariwa. We encouraged all Christians in our mission communities to hold prayers and activities within their Small Christian Communities across all five zones. In their villages, they gathered to pray for the missions of the Church, share the Word of God, sing, dance, and give thanks for God’s blessings. Through this weeklong celebration from October 12th to 19th, we experienced deep joy and gratitude. We witnessed the faith of the Catholic Church growing stronger in the many Small Christian Communities throughout the Bidibidi settlement.
A Joyful and Graceful Experience
Throughout this Mission Sunday week, we saw the joy and gratitude reflected on the faces of those we visited—especially prisoners and the sick who received our blessings. We could truly feel that the spiritual life of many people is deepening day by day, as they joyfully gather to pray, share the Scriptures, and participate in other spiritual activities. We believe that through these missionary efforts, many people have come to understand more deeply the mission of the Catholic Church and the SVD. Many hearts have turned back to God and drawn closer to Jesus. We continue to hope and pray that all people may truly become Missionaries of Hope among all nations.
SVD-SSD-Uganda Communication Team
