Pope’s July missionary prayer intention for missionary nuns

(July 04, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI in his missionary prayer intention for the month of July is urging prayers for women religious in mission territories that they may be witnesses of the joy of the Gospel and living signs of the love of Christ. Nuns, with their ‘feminine genius’, play a tremendously important role in bringing Christ to the world through their teaching, pastoral care and medical work. By the latest estimate, there are 740,000 women religious in the world. While their number is declining in Europe and North America, it is rising in many mission countries, especially in Africa and Asia. The growth is a sign of the growing vitality of the Church in developing countries, where often the Church provides many of the educational and health services that these societies are unable to provide to their own poor. Blessed John Paul II appreciated the importance of women religious. “The future of the new evangelization,” he said, “is unthinkable without a renewed contribution from women, especially consecrated women.” Just last month, while addressing Indian bishops from Tamil Nadu and Chattisgarh states on their ‘ad limina visit to Rome, Pope Benedict noted the outstanding service and witness to faith by India’s women religious. He said they bear witness to the Church’s holiness, vitality and hope, and offer countless prayers and perform innumerable good works, often hidden, but nevertheless of great value to the up-building of God’s kingdom. Let us therefore join the Holy Father this month in praying for missionary nuns worldwide, that they may walk in the love and joy of the Gospel and bear much fruit.