CFED-Finals(CICM in the World)

• Entering into the different strata of humanity is clearly observed by the CICM
• Since the beginning, from the time of its Founder, the direction is clear - that the missionaries go to where they are most needed
• Their missionary work is always carried in response to a need
• Such commitment, like the Founder and the early members of the congregation could even cause the loss of their lives yet, the zeal and dedication to serve the needy is never extinguished
• Jesus: '"I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness."'
• Jesus the Good Shepherd

  • His mission is a mission of love and service to humanity and the whole of creation
  • It is a self-giving love that entailed much sacrifice - his life
  • It does not turn back when trouble comes
  • Jesus dies so that His friends might live
  • The completeness and transcendence of this self-giving is revealed when the Good Shepherd gives Himself totally in the act of dying
• In His death, the love of the Father is revealed as sustaining and transforming the friends of Jesus through their own death
• Drawing from the inspiration set by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the apostles and the Church continued the mission of bringing the Gospel to God's children in the different parts of the world despite difficulties
• The Church continues serving the world through her life giving ministry, especially the poorest of the poor
• The CICM commits to the same mission of bringing the Gospel to God's children in the most remote areas of the world - in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, living and working together in multicultural communities as brothers, continuing this long tradition of caring for God's poorest and most neglected people in many parts of the world and of sharing the hope and comfort of the Gospel while relieving their suffering
• This is the actualization of the challenge to bring the Gospel of Christ to where they are needed - into all the strata of humanity, leading to social transformation
• All missionaries - priests, Brothers, Sisters, and lay folk - each according to their own state, should be prepared and trained, lest they be found unequal to the demands of their future work
• From the very beginning, their doctrinal training should be so planned that it takes in both the universality of the Church and the diversity of the world's nations
• It is very necessary for the future missionary to devote himself to missiological studies: that is, to know the teachings and norms of the Church concerning missionary activity, to know along what roads the heralds of the Gospel have run in the course of the centuries, and also what is the present condition of the missions, and what methods are considered more effective at the present time
• Building up a community with all those who collaborate with the CICM in their work, their parishes, schools and missions is always an important and enriching element of their life
• Sharing the joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams of those to whom they were sent brings them something precious: they learned to respect other cultures, to feel at home' in other cultures, to join and walk side by side with people of other cultures
• They are ready to leave their family, their people and their culture in order to devote themselves forever to another people, to learn their language and integrate themselves to the extent possible into their culture
• Adopting their language, food and customs, they inculturate themselves into the life of the people, participating in the day-to-day effort needed to achieve lasting spiritual and material change
• Their mission country becomes a second homeland for them
• Announcing the Gospel to all nations, he confidently makes known the mystery of Christ, whose ambassador he is, so that in him he dares to speak as he ought (cf. Eph.6:19; Acts 4:31), not being ashamed of the scandal of the Cross
• Following in his Master's footsteps, meek and humble of heart, he proves that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Mat.11:29f) By a truly evangelical life, (4) in much patience, in long - suffering, in kindness, in unaffected love (ef. 2 Cor. 6:4f), he bears witness to his Lord, if need be to the shedding of his blood
• One of the basic reasons for the missionary engagement for the majority of the confreres is their concern to serve the poorest, to struggle with them and for them, so that the poor may live a liberated life, in dignity and solidarity
• Christ was on the side of the poor and in their being with the poor, they meet Him
• For many confreres, the joy of their vocation is to live in the midst of oppressed and crushed peoples, with whom they feel very close and whom they deeply love
• The CICM missionaries cherish the spirit of the radical availability of the first generations of CICM missionaries who left their home country, often to never return, and placed themselves at the service of the poorest and most vulnerable in Mongolia or Congo
• They dare to hope that in any case this radical availability will remain specific for the CICM of the future
• It's a radical availability that could take even the highest sacrifice of one's life for the cause of the mission which some of the confreres went through
• In Europe, there is a search for missionary integration
• In Africa, the accent is on communion and solidarity
• In Asia, the emphasis is on evangelization and attempts to dialogue with the great religions of the region
• In America, the accent is on solidarity in the struggle for liberation
• Inspired then by Father Verbist's example, other young men took up the challenge to evangelize in some of the most remote areas of the world and have been among the first to bring the Good News of the Gospel to the peoples of China, the Congo, the Philippines and Indonesia
• Today, the CICM missionary priests and brothers are found in the different areas of Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, living and working together in multicultural communities as brothers, continue this long tradition of caring for God's poorest and most neglected people in many parts of the world
• This reality is a clear proof that the sacrifices of Fr. Theophile Verbist and his companions are not in vain
• In fact after the death of the founder, CICM missionaries continued the work He and his companions started
• After the death of Fr. Theophile Verbist, the CICM had sent 74 missionaries to continue the missionary work in Inner Mongolia from 1865 - 1887
• In 1888, they breached the 100 mark and because of the demand for missionaries in other countries, the CICM expanded its missionary work - established its mission in Congo
• In 1907, the CICM started the mission in the Philippines
• In 1931, the CICM started a mission in Singapore for seafarers and to promote inter-religious dialogue
• In 1937, the CICM founded a mission in Indonesia, including a Catechetical Institute, minor seminary and an agricultural school