Posted October 16, 2015

Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the annual World Mission Sunday Mass held this year Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 1500 Marian Road in Abington, on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10:30 a.m.

Preceding the Mass at 10 a.m. will be recitation of the World Mission Rosary for the missionaries.

The event commemorates the work of mission churches throughout the world and the support they receive from the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

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Following Communion at the Mass, Bishop Fitzgerald will present an award to seven winners of the annual Christmas artwork contest of the Missionary Childhood Association, the Pontifical Mission Society for children.

The winners are Michael Ferraiolo and Julianna Kissinger of St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield; Mathew Strimel of Our Lady of Port Richmond School in Philadelphia; Andrew Huff of St. Peter the Apostle School in Philadelphia; Julia Thomson of St. Laurentius School in Philadelphia; and Andrea Verch and Maria del Mar Zuniga-Stanton of Regina Coeli Academy in Abington.

Ferraiolo, Kissinger and Strimel are three of the 24 national winners selected from thousands of entries in the national art contest. The national winners’ artwork will be displayed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., during the Advent season.

The artwork of the other students will be displayed during the Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians.

During the weekend of Oct. 17-18, missionaries will speak in several parishes of the archdiocese on behalf of World Mission Sunday.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (Ad Gentes).