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Background
The Catholic Mission Forum emerged out of the Steering Committee
of the Jubilee Mission Congress that took place in Chicago,
Illinois in the Jubilee Year 2000. The Steering Committee
began its work in 1997 and convened around its table key missionary
dimensions of the Church in the United States, such as, the
U.S. Bishops’ Secretariat for Mission, the U.S. Catholic
Mission Association, Catholic Network of Volunteer Service,
Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Leadership Conference
of Women Religious, and the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Its purpose was to bring about more communion, collaboration,
and reconciliation among the groups in the Church in the United
States who deal with missionary issues. As part of its agenda,
the Committee provided a forum in the Mission Congress for
representatives of various constituencies in the mission community
to reflect on the key elements of Catholic mission as articulated
in the Church’s documents. These elements are liturgical
life, prayer and contemplation, social transformation, proclamation
and catechesis, inter-religious dialogue, and presence and
witness. The Congress called forth a broad agenda for continuing
attentiveness to key mission issues and invested the Committee
with responsibility for implementation of its recommendations.
In accepting this responsibility, and to further the work
and the goals of the Jubilee Year with regard to mission issues,
the Steering Committee has reconvened as the Catholic Mission Forum.
The founding members of the Forum are:
Catholic
Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS)
a non-profit organization established in 1963, has as its mission to
be a bridge between people thinking about volunteering and
member programs, over 200 of which offer volunteer opportunities.
Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM)
serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregations
of the 25,000 vowed religious priests and brothers of the
United States, ten percent of whom are foreign missionaries.
CMSM provides a voice for these communities in U.S. church
and society. CMSM also collaborates with the U.S. bishops
and other key groups and organizations that serve church
and society.
Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)
is a membership organization which exists
as a support system and corporate voice for leaders of institutes
of women religious (Catholic sisters) in the United States.
The purpose of the Conference is to promote understanding
of religious life by: assisting members to carry out more
collaboratively their leadership in their congregations
in order to further the mission of Christ in today's world;
fostering dialogue and collaboration among religious congregations
within the Church and in the larger society.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Mission
Office of Home Missions
The national staff manages day-to-day operations of the Bishops’ Committee on
Home Missions programs and activities, including allocations,
education, and promotion.
Office for World Mission
The national staff manages day-to-day operations of the Bishops’ Committee on
World Missions. The committee works closely with the Pontifical
Missionary Societies, the mission-sending societies of
men and women, organizations of lay missioners, and other
organizations promoting the mission ad gentes, encouraging,
supporting and fostering mission animation efforts in
the United States.
U.S. Catholic Mission Association (USCMA)
unites and supports people committed
to the cross-cultural and global mission of Jesus in service
to the Church and world.
Actions
- The Forum invites dialogue with other entities and missioners
to promote mutual understanding.
- The Forum initiates or supports programs to implement recommendations
from the Mission Congress. i.e. missiom-education.org
- The Forum addresses ways in which the Church might best respond
to the emerging mission realities.
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