Commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the PMS in the Philippines (1932-2012), the CBCP has declared 2012 as “Year of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS)”

In a pastoral exhortation, Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP President, said: “It is to be a grace-filled year, marked by renewed enthusiasm for dedicated service as Christ’s evangelizing disciples.”

 

Official launching of the special year for PMS will be on January 14, 2012 with a Mass to be led by Archbishop Socrates Villegas, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, at the Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Pasay City.

Fr. Socrates Mesiona, PMS national director, said that “it is but fitting and appropriate to start the year of the PMS with the guidance and intercession of the patroness of mission, St. Therese of the Child Jesus.”

The Church believes that the eight-decade dedication of the PMS in putting faith in motion through missionary works will reach a greater height once a maturing faith amongst every Filipino is attained.

It is said that the PMS are the “Pope’s Mission Societies” having the “leading role” in mission promotion of the Catholic Church.

“The PMS were given the status of ‘pontifical’ meaning they are under the direction of the Holy Father. Their common goal is the fostering of a universal missionary spirit among all Catholics”

Interestingly, “as the Philippine ‘Year of the PMS’ will be reaching its climax in late 2012, the entire Church will commence its celebration of Pope Benedict’s ‘Year of Faith’ (October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013).”

It is to be noted that there is a “profound relationship [that] exists between these two year-long activities: faith and missionary evangelization are always interwoven.”

Other dioceses have already signified the schedules of their local launching of the year of PMS.