“Chi Chi To Ko To Seireino Mina Ni Yotte, A-men.”

That’s “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen,” in Japanese.

Few among the 300 Catholic school and parish religious education students attending the 64th annual diocesan Grammar School/Religious Education Mission Reach-Out likely knew what this meant. But many among those at the Nov. 4 gathering held in Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Moorestown, were able to learn this and much more from Father Kevin Hanlon, who spoke of his vocation as a Maryknoll priest and the 20 years he spent working in Japan.

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Father Hanlon was one of eight missionaries who was invited by the diocesan Missions Office to share his stories and experiences with the youngsters gathered from across the diocese, along with their teachers and mission moderators.

The other speakers were Father Charles Muorah of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria, who now ministers in the Diocese of Trenton. He currently lives in residence at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport, and serves as an adjunct priest in St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton.

Also: La Salette Father Jack Nuelle, Madagascar; Sister Margaret Anne Meyer, a member of the Medical Missionaries of Mary, Uganda; Sister Ellen Anderson, a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, Zambia; Father Charles Galiath and Father John Hurley, both members of the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, South Africa, and Sister Rosemary Hayes, a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Ghana, Nigeria, Lesotho and the Dominican Republic.

Another workshop presenter was Marcie Steel, a teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Moorestown, who demonstrated how a “live skype” video conference is done between Our Lady of Good Counsel School and St. Francis Primary School, Kingston, Jamaica.

Our Lady of Good Counsel is part of a twinning partnership with St. Francis Primary School, which is a mission of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, and through skype, students from Moorestown are able to communicate with their Jamaican counterparts.

In addition to learning more about the work and lived experiences of missionaries who have served in several African countries, Jamaica, Madagascar and Central America, the day also provided students an opportunity to celebrate their own participation in assisting the missions and to meet Coadjutor Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who celebrated a Mass just for them.

Bishop O’Connell, in his remarks, made reference to his own vocation as a Vincentian priest then proceeded to encourage the students to “think about becoming a missionary.”

While most of the students will most likely go on to marry and raise families in the future, Bishop O’Connell said he believes that “there are a few of you in this room whom the Lord might call to serve as a missionary” priest, brother or sister.

“Think about it,” said Bishop O’Connell. “It’s a beautiful life.”

The Mission Reach-Out opened with a greeting by Msgr. Richard Tofani, director of the diocesan Office of Missions.

“I am honored by your presence,” he said in directing his remarks to the students.

Even though the students represented their respective schools and religious education programs, Msgr. Tofani said that “more importantly,” the students represent something much greater.

“You are not the Church of the future, you are the young Church of today,” he said. He then went on to praise the youngsters for the “many great gifts they bring to the Church” – their enthusiasm, vitality, vibrancy and the spirit they bring toward helping this “wonderful work of missions, the Church’s holiest and greatest duty.”

“When you think of this Mission Reach-Out, think of it as a celebration of the most important day of your life – the day you were baptized,” Msgr. Tofani continued. “On that day, you not only became a member of God’s family, the Church; you became a missionary of Christ. And we celebrate that today.”

Breaks between workshops and at lunch gave the visiting mission moderators and students a chance to reflect on the Mission Reach-Out as well as what they are doing in their own schools and parishes to support the missions.

Mariela Jimenez, an eighth grader at Pope John Paul II Regional School, Willingboro, found it “humbling” to hear the missionaries’ stories and their work with people who are less fortunate.

 The workshop Jimenez enjoyed the most was the “live skype” video conference.

 “I never saw that before,” said an impressed Jimenez of how skype can allow people to “chat across the world.”

Christine Mayer, a seventh grader at St. Gregory the Great School, Hamilton Square, said she found the workshops to be “eye-opening because you don’t realize how the missionaries are helping others until you talk to them.”

Mayer added that she was especially moved by what Father Nuelle had to say about his ministry in Madagascar and the poor living conditions with people living in houses made of straw and mud and many of whom might only have one meal a day.

Alexis Garhart, a sixth grader in St. Paul School, Princeton, appreciated learning about the “different places where our money goes to help the missions” as well as interacting with the missionaries.

“It meant a lot hearing them tell about how we can help to make a difference,” said Garhart.

Mercy Sister Jane Higgins, mission moderator in St. Paul School, Princeton, talked about how the school hosts bake sales and dress down days throughout the year to raise money for missions, She added that it was her hope that the Mission Reach-Out would  give the students she accompanied that day an incentive to wanting to do even more for the missions.

Students like Gabby Fernan, a fifth grader in Sacred Heart School, Mount Holly, who enjoyed Father Hanlon’s session not only learned a few Japanese phrases, they also got to hear about how he arrived to his vocation as a Maryknoll priest, and observations he had about Christianity and Catholicism in other parts of the world, namely Mexico, where he spent three years prior to heading for Japan.

“In Mexico, the people are poor, but they are rich in spirit,” he said. “They really believe in God.”

In Japan, however, the people “have everything they need – just like us here in the United States,” said Father Hanlon, “but they are very poor in spirit.”

“There are very few people there who can talk about God, talk about Christ,” he said. Father Hanlon added that there are very few Christian schools in Japan and that most of the students attend public schools. There is however, more of a Catholic presence in the high schools and private schools.

The Mission Reach-Out was capped off with the Mass celebrated by Bishop O’Connell and the homily given by missionary presenter, Father Galiath.

Click here to read about the Mission Reach-Out held for diocesan high school students