Over 175 Participants Explore the Transmission of Faith During Centenary Mission Month Teaching

More than 175 participants from across the Caribbean gathered virtually on Thursday, October 22, for a Centenary Mission Month Teaching hosted by Pontifical Mission Societies Antilles, in celebration of the 100th World Mission Sunday. The Zoom session, led by Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, focused on the transmission of the faith amid the profound cultural and societal changes shaping the contemporary world.

The gathering brought together PMS representaives, catechists, teachers, ministry leaders, Church leaders and other members of the faithful for an engaging reflection on Venite ad Me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change, a document prepared by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by the Holy Father.

Returning to the Heart of the Gospel

In his presentation, Archbishop Gordon emphasised the importance of returning to the kerygma — the foundational proclamation of Jesus Christ’s love, death and resurrection, and the salvation offered through Him. He explained that the Church must respond to the realities of an epochal change marked by fragmentation, secularisation and evolving relationships between faith and culture.

The Archbishop noted that faith can no longer be assumed to pass automatically from one generation to the next. Instead, the Church must find meaningful ways to proclaim the Gospel that speak to the lived experiences and questions of people today.

He also highlighted encouraging signs of renewed interest in the faith, including reports of increasing adult baptisms in France. However, he stressed that welcoming new converts is only the beginning. The Church must also provide the accompaniment, formation and community support needed to help them grow in their relationship with Christ and become active members of the Christian community.

A Christ-Centred Mission

The presentation further explored the call for a Christ-centred and Spirit-filled mission, emphasising that the transmission of faith involves more than communicating religious knowledge. Drawing on the document’s reflections and the vision expressed in Evangelii Gaudium, Archbishop Gordon highlighted revelation as a covenantal dialogue that engages the whole person and every dimension of life.

Central to this mission is the Paschal dynamic: the daily invitation to die to oneself, surrender to God and trust in the love and presence of Jesus Christ. Through this ongoing conversion, Christians are called not merely to know about Christ but to encounter Him personally and allow that encounter to transform their lives.

Archbishop Gordon also drew attention to the need for Christian formation to begin with the first proclamation of the Gospel. He observed that catechesis and homilies can sometimes assume a foundation of faith that has not yet been established. The proclamation of Christ’s love must therefore be clear, simple and powerful, reaching both the minds and hearts of those who hear it.

Transmitting the Faith in the Caribbean

The discussion also considered how the Church can more effectively transmit the faith within Caribbean communities, where religious traditions, cultural expressions and popular practices provide important opportunities for evangelisation.

Among the areas explored were popular piety, the Charismatic Renewal and the homily as privileged spaces for sharing and nurturing faith. Particular attention was given to inculturation — the process through which the Gospel becomes deeply rooted in a culture, shaping its values, relationships and everyday practices rather than remaining a superficial or separate aspect of life.

The example of Trinidad’s Carnival highlighted the importance of engaging with local cultural expressions and discerning how the Gospel can speak meaningfully within the Caribbean context.

A significant question emerged from the discussion: How can the Church help those who have been baptised but have become distant from the faith, as well as those returning to the Church, to embrace Christianity more fully and live it out in their daily lives? Participants recognised that welcoming people back is essential, but so too is accompanying them towards a deeper encounter with Christ and a more active life of discipleship.

Listening to the Holy Spirit and Discerning the Way Forward

The session also included a prayerful conversation facilitated by Fr. Esteban, with Archbishop Gordon guiding participants through a process of spiritual discernment. In breakout groups, participants engaged in three rounds of sharing, reflecting on what emerged from prayer, what touched them most deeply, and what they believed the Holy Spirit was calling them to do next.

The discussions underscored the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance, approaching others without judgement and sharing the Good News through everyday actions, loving service and authentic Christian witness.

Rather than focusing solely on strategies or programmes, participants were invited to consider how the Church could foster an environment in which people encounter the love of Christ, experience a genuine sense of belonging and find the support needed to grow in faith.

In concluding the session, Archbishop Gordon returned to the central importance of the kerygma in the Church’s mission. The proclamation of Christ’s love and saving presence remains the foundation upon which catechesis, Christian formation and missionary discipleship must be built. The gathering concluded with prayer, asking for a deeper understanding of these truths and the grace to put them into practice.

As the Church celebrates the 100th World Mission Sunday, the Centenary Mission Month Teaching offered participants an opportunity to reflect on the responsibility shared by all the baptised to transmit the faith. The session reaffirmed that this mission begins with an encounter with Jesus Christ and continues through accompaniment, prayer, community and the witness of lives transformed by the Gospel.

The challenge before the Church in the Caribbean is not simply to preserve religious traditions, but to help people discover the living presence of Christ and become missionary disciples who share His love in their families, communities and throughout the region.