MISAL 2024 Ignites Renewed Missionary Zeal

Pilar, December 7, 2024: The biennial Meeting of International Societies of Apostolic Life (MISAL 2024) was held from December 2 TO 6 at the Pilar Pilgrim Center in Goa. Hosted by the Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier (Society of Pilar), representatives of 29 Societies of Apostolic Life participated in the meeting. The meeting coincided with the ongoing decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions. Delegates described the veneration of the sacred relics as a profound spiritual experience.

The presence of Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization added significance to the event. His interventions inspired the delegates, fostering a spirit of collaboration and shared commitment. MISAL gatherings, held over the decades, have served as a vital forum for unity and reflection among missionary societies. 

Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal; Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Dama; Bishop Simião Fernandes, the Auxiliary Bishop of Goa and Daman; Bishop Sebastião Mascarenhas of Baroda, and Emeritus Bishop Alex Dias of Port Blair, were present for the inaugural day. Bishop Mascarenhas, a member of the Society of Pilar, moderated the Questions and Answer sessions following Cardinal Tagle's keynote address and also facilitated several sessions.

The theme for this year, Journeying Together: Encountering New Frontiers, challenged participants to innovate in their missionary approaches. Delegates emphasized breaking barriers, fostering mutual learning, and embracing solidarity in their shared vocation.

Fr. Felix Wilfred, Director of the Asian Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies in Chennai and Emeritus Professor at the State University of Madras who was a key speaker for MISAL 2024, called on the delegates to embrace greater faith, courage and creativity as they respond to the new frontiers of mission in the rapidly changing world. In his address, he urged the delegates to engage boldly with contemporary challenges, stressing that these are both daunting and exhilarating opportunities for evangelization in today’s world.

Through the synodal process of ‘Conversation in the Spirit,’ the assembly discerned key priorities for missionary engagement in today’s world:

1. Personal Transformation and Faith Formation: Members are called to deepen their spiritual lives, igniting the love of God and the Spirit of Christ.

2. Missionary Outreach to the Margins: Special attention was given to serving migrants and others on the peripheries with a spirit of contemplation and openness to God’s surprises

3. Fostering Synodality and Fraternity: Delegates resolved to strengthen bonds within and between their societies, nurturing solidarity and a lifestyle rooted in fraternity.

4. Digital Missionary Commitment: Acknowledging the digital world as a new frontier, participants committed to innovative missionary work online.

The gathering concluded with a renewed resolve to journey forward with resilience, humility, and trust in God’s providence. Delegates expressed their commitment to embody the universal frontier of God’s love, echoing the sentiment that “journeying together, we reach far.”

St. Joseph Vaz, the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and Missionary Apostle to Sri Lanka, was invoked as an intercessor for their endeavours.

The next MISAL will be hosted by the Missionaries of Africa-White Fathers.

Br. Malvino Alfonso OCD