To set foot in the complex of St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville, is to understand the commitment that the parish has made to the missionary call of the Church, Oct. 18.

Festively decorated with visual reminders of our brothers and sisters around the world, the church and Faith Formation Center provided the perfect setting for the diocesan celebration of World Mission Sunday.

Banners of flags from countries throughout the world were hung, making the facility look like a mini-United Nations. Tables with artifacts and photos showing the parish’s proud 11-year partnership with the Church of San Andres Parish, Sacabaja, in the Diocese of El Quiche in Guatemala, and of the Diocese of Trenton’s seven-year partnership with the Diocese of Kasana-Luweero, Uganda, were displayed. In the community room, parishioners were invited to sample the tasty Guatemalan pastries and coffee that were served after Mass.

Inside the church, a brilliant blue globe hung over the center of the sanctuary — calling to mind those who live and serve in the missions of the world — during the Mass that was celebrated by Bishop John M. Smith. Among the concelebrants were Father R. Vincent Gartland, pastor of St. Ann Parish, and Msgr. Richard L. Tofani, diocesan director of missions.

World Mission Sunday Mass is celebrated in every parish in every diocese around the world on the same day and Catholics throughout the world are called to celebrate their vocation to be missionary, said Bishop Smith, in his homily.

World Mission Sunday was started 83 years ago in 1926 when Pope Pius XI established a Sunday for a collection for mission work throughout the world. The day is organized by the Society of the Propagation of the Faith in which Catholics are asked to recommit themselves to being active members of the Church and “continuing the mission story through their prayer, work and financial support,” said Bishop Smith.

Bishop Smith reviewed how each of the day’s three readings appropriately reflected the theme for Mission Sunday.

The Gospel, said Bishop Smith, reminds all of the baptized of their call to be of service as missionaries, similar to the way that Jesus had sent his apostles out to be missionaries and commissioned them “to go out into the world and baptize.”

“Like the apostles, we are all on a mission through our Baptism,” said Bishop Smith. “At Baptism, each one of us is called to be a missionary; called by the Lord to share our faith with those around us. It is therefore necessary for us to annually renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel so that all nations may become part of the people of God in every continent, in every place in the world.”

“The task of evangelizing all people continues as the Church’s one and essential mission, a duty which is widespread and profound and has meaning in the present day which is ever more fervently in need of the Good News of Jesus Christ and salvation,” said Bishop Smith.

Bishop Smith urged the congregation to remember those men and women who have dedicated their lives exclusively to the work of evangelization.

“They are men and women who bear witness in spreading the kingdom in situations we can’t even imagine,” said Bishop Smith, referring to those missionaries who are victims of persecution, faced with all kinds of oppression – imprisonment, torture and death.

“Even today, there are people who are put to death in some places in the world because they mention the name of Jesus Christ and preach his Word openly,” said Bishop Smith. “The goal of the Church’s mission is to illumine all people to the light of the Gospel; to illuminate all people to the light of Christ that shines the faith in the Church.

"Let us continue to pray that all of us in the Diocese of Trenton may be teachers and effective witnesses of Jesus and his missionary mandate to make disciples of all nations.”