SAN DIEGO — Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido had heavenly assistance with his homily at the annual Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) Mass.
It was held March 25 at Our Mother of Confidence Church in University City. Almost 420 people attended, including nearly 285 Catholic school students.
At the bishop’s invitation, five canonized “saints” shared their personal stories, including St. Rose of Lima, St. Francis Xavier, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Francis of Assisi.
The saints — in reality, elementary school students in costume – weren’t a loquacious bunch.
When Bishop Pulido concluded a brief chat with St. Rose by asking if there was anything else she’d like to say, she replied, “Well, I think I said everything.”
St. Francis Xavier disclosed that he learned foreign languages to preach the Gospel in Asia as a missionary. But he declined with a smile when Bishop Pulido asked if he’d like to say a few words in any of those languages.
St. Therese of Lisieux, asked by the bishop if she had any advice, kept it short and sweet: “Believe in God.”
Earlier in his homily, Bishop Pulido noted the Catholic Church’s long history as “a missionary Church.”
“From the moment that Jesus went up to Heaven, he commissioned us to go around the world to teach, to catechize, to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and we continue to do it throughout the last 2,000 years.”
“I’m so glad you participate as missionaries, as little missionaries, helping other children, with your prayers, your sacrifices, and even your money,” he told the children.
Founded in 1843, the Missionary Childhood Association is one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, which operate under the jurisdiction of the pope. In the Diocese of San Diego, the MCA is overseen by the Office for the Missions. Through the MCA, children in kindergarten through eighth grade are encouraged to support their peers in mission countries.
Some children attended the Mass in the cultural attire of another country, and the Prayers of the Faithful were read by children in various languages.
Just before the conclusion of Mass, representatives from 28 schools and one parish religious education program received a certificate of recognition for MCA participation. A pizza lunch was held in the parish hall after Mass.
Trevor Nochta, an eighth-grader at St. Martin of Tours Academy in La Mesa, was still dressed in a black cassock after the Mass. During the liturgy, he had portrayed St. Francis Xavier.
Reflecting on the value of starting early in supporting the missions, he said, “It’s important for everyone around the world to know about God, especially at a young age, so that we can spread the word of God just as saints like St. Francis Xavier did.”
Nochta said that his favorite part of the Mass was seeing people “dressed in different outfits, representing their culture,” but all of them “unified through God.”
Seated together at the luncheon, Trinell Lewis and his son, Ryan, shared their thoughts.
“For me and our family,” the elder Lewis said, “(this event is) special because we get to see all these different families and communities, kids from all over the city, all come together” to worship God and “to show support for other kids throughout the world.”
Ryan, an eighth-grader at St. Kieran School in El Cajon, was wearing cultural attire that reflected his African heritage. He said that, when you support the missions, you “can contribute to (solving) problems in other areas and grow closer as a community of Catholics.”
Molly Schroeder, the eighth-grade homeroom teacher at St. Charles School in Imperial Beach, found it “wonderful” to witness so many schools come together for the Mass.
“Seeing all the students in their cultural attire,” she added, “was super beautiful and … a reminder of the Universal Church that’s present everywhere but also present here in San Diego.”
Schroeder brought six students with her to the Mass, including eighth-grader Elijah Daub.
“When we support the missions, we can help people from across the globe, people who are in poverty,” Daub said, sharing that the subject hits close to home because he has “very poor” cousins living in the Philippines.
“We can improve the quality of life for others,” he said, “and I feel like it’s important to establish those connections from a young age because it becomes a lifelong habit.”
For more information, visit sdcatholic.org/missions/missionary-childhood-association.
