Mission Society of St. Joseph of Mill Hill
The Mission Society of St. Joseph von Mill Hill ( abbreviation MHM , Mill Hill Missionaries , Latin : Societas Missionarium Sancti Joseph de Mill Hill ) is an international Roman Catholic missionary society of priests , brothers and lay people . There are currently around 500 members in 30 communities who are represented in the mission areas with local churches in Africa , Asia , Oceania and South America . Her motto is: Amare Et Servire , in German: "To love and to serve". The German-speaking headquarters of the order (in which many German missionaries also worked) had been the mission house in Brixen, South Tyrol, since 1891, which still exists today. The richly illustrated mission magazine St. Josephs-Missionsbote issued there was read in the entire German-speaking area.
history
The Mission Society of St. Joseph von Mill Hill was founded on March 19, 1866 by Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1832-1903) the Archbishop of Westminster (London) . His task was pastoral care in the new African colonies as well as missionary work and evangelization , making the Mill Hill missionaries the first English missionary society. The name comes from the founding place Mill Hill a suburb of London and the St. Joseph College located there, the current motherhouse of the religious order. The members from European, Asian and African countries live and work together in international communities and thus characterize worldwide missionary work.
Missionary work
Mill Hill Missionaries work with local Churches in Africa, Asia, and the churches in Oceania and South America. In addition to the houses in Europe, there are also training centers and seminars for young missionaries and priestly candidates in Africa and Asia . The earlier mission churches have meanwhile become partner churches with their own responsibility and independence.
The missionaries have been active in Uganda since 1895 and founded parishes , schools, hospitals and health centers. Missionary work in today's Kenya began in 1903. The bishops of the Ngong diocese (Kenya) all emerged from this missionary society.
In their missionary work, the Mill Hill missionaries were supported by the Carmelites in instruction and training for work on farms.
French Spiritans took over the French-speaking part of Cameroon in 1923 , the Mill Hill missionaries took over the English-speaking part as mission area.
The Mill-Hill missionaries active in the Sultanate of Brunei were expelled in 1988, and today there are four Catholic priests working in the Southeast Asian country.
The situation
The General Chapter of Mill Hill Missionaries was held in Kenya in 2005, for the first time in the history of the Order. The most important item on the agenda was the decline in the number of members in the mission society and advice on possible solutions. It was reported that the average age of the members was between 65 and 70 years and that half of the order members are retired. This age structure also shows considerable gaps in staff when filling the various offices and leads to considerations to make local changes. In some countries, however, the Mission Society will definitely continue its commitment to vocational ministry and formation, including: Central Africa , India and the Philippines . The 2006 Congregation elected Father Antony Chantry from England as the new Superior General , who succeeded the French Jac Hetsen. The Office of the General Council took Fr Brendan Mulhall (England) and Generalvikaren Father Michel Corcoran (were Ireland ) and brother Joos Boorkamp ( Netherlands ) selected.
See also
Web links
- Homepage of the Mill-Hill Missionaries (English)
- Data from the history of the Catholic Church in Uganda
- Brief history of the Church in Africa
- Superior conference of male religious orders in Austria
Individual evidence
- ^ "Former petroleum engineer becomes bishop in Brunei" , ORF Religion, October 20, 2004.
- ↑ Meeting of the General Chapter ( Memento from July 29, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )