What’s In A Name?

Brand names become part of our everyday conversation.  In fact, most of us don’t think much about the products we buy and use because we tend to choose the same things over and over.  And some brand names become generic references for similar products.  For example, no matter who manufactures the facial tissue we use, we most often refer to it as “Kleenex.” 

Since its introduction into the United States several generations ago, the program of mission education for children under fourteen has been known as the Holy Childhood Association or HCA for short.  This Association, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, was begun in France in 1843 and now exists worldwide.  Its purpose is educational and supportive; that is, it exists to teach children about the missionary activity of the Church, while at the same time providing an opportunity for children to help one another with material and spiritual support.  Recently, the society has undergone a name change and is now known as the Missionary Childhood Association—MCA.

The goals of the Pontifical Missionary Childhood Association are:

            1.   To help educators progressively awaken in children a universal missionary conscience.

2.   To help children develop their missionary awareness.

3.   To move children to share their faith and material means, especially with the children of the neediest regions.

4.    To promote missionary vocations, and

5.    To be integrated into the overall pastoral program of Christian education.

Cardinal Sean has expressed his clear desire that MCA be incorporated into every Catholic school and Religious Education program in our Archdiocese.  To that end, the student representatives from every Catholic school and parish Religious Education program are being invited to participate in our first annual Mission Education day to be held on Tuesday, October 30 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.  Each school and program is asked to send one adult and two students to join with Cardinal Sean and our staff for Mass and a day of activities and fun learning about the work of the missions.  More information will follow as the day draws closer.

-Rev. Rodney J. Copp, JCL