Vatican City, Oct 1, 2019 / 13:35 pm
Pope Francis opened the Extraordinary Missionary Month Tuesday invoking St. Therese of Liseux, the patron saint of missionaries.
"Saint Therese of the Child Jesus shows us the way: she made prayer the fuel for missionary activity in the world," Pope Francis said Oct. 1 during his homily at Vespers in St. Peter's Basilica.
"This is also the Month of the Rosary: how much are we praying for the spread of the Gospel and our conversion from omission to mission?" the pope asked.
October is dedicated to reflection and prayer for the missionary work of the Church. Pope Francis chose October 2019 to be an Extraordinary Missionary Month for the Church to mark the centenary of Benedict XV's apostolic letter Maximum illud, on the propagation of the faith throught the world.