Our activities
The Missionary Servants of the Poor are engaged in many pastoral fields.
Hover the mouse over the boxes below to know our mission areas:
The Parish ... meeting place
The Parish is a place of encounter...
THE PARISH... MEETING PLACE
"Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved" is Jesus' command to the apostles before his ascension to heaven.
The missionary Servant of the Poor, while carrying out his pastoral apostolate in a parish, is aware that he is an instrument of Good News and an encounter with Christ who came "not to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through him. Considering the presence of the world in his parish, he strives to be close to all, providing communion, a sign of the Kingdom. He knows that he must not exclude anyone, but his preferential option is for the poor, the most needy. It is in this spirit that the Servant of the Poor embodies the charism of "charity without limits" for which the Founder James Cusmano gave his life.
The Parish is a place of encounter and hospitality. Whoever knocks on the door will be welcomed, because the Servant of the Poor is always ready to serve. No matter the race, color or social status, "they do not belong to anyone, so they are ours". This is the movement of love that makes life a gift at the service of the most needy. By testifying with his own life, the Servant of the Poor fulfills the great dream of the Founder to unite the poor and the rich to lead them to God.
Through pastoral activities, the Servant of the Poor brings a "morsel" of life and hope to the sick, the sad and the abandoned. The main purpose, both in formation and celebration, is to lead the faithful to an encounter with Christ, the source of life.
WITH THE LAITY
collaboration between the religious Bocconisti...
PRESENCE WITH THE LAITY
One of the expressions of the Cusmanian charism is the collaboration between the religious Bocconisti and those who are inclined to works of charity. In the various places of evangelization, around the seminaries and houses of our Congregation, we form and cherish close relationships with people who wish to live the charism of the Blessed Founder by actively participating in the initiatives of the Giacomo Cusmano Association, also known as Boccone del Povero (Morsel of the Poor).
It is above all in the spiritual care of the associates and those assisted by the Work that the missionaries, engaged in many other activities of the parish communities, find their point of charismatic convergence with the laity. The lay Association of Boccone del Povero is not only an object of pastoral care for religious, but a luminous and encouraging support in order not to lose sight of the essence of the identity and mission of a missionary servant of the poor.
Frequent contact of religious supported by lay associates, with people in situations of fragility or extreme social vulnerability, therefore helps not only to maintain in religious the desire to serve Christ in their poor, but also to understand that the charism of Blessed James does not the exclusive property of the consecrated persons of the Congregation, imprisoned in ecclesiastical bureaucracies or suffocated by the pessimism of those who have experienced a failure or fatigue along the way; but it is a gift that asks for freedom of growth, given to the Church to be lived, known and shared, according to the character of the limitless charity desired by Blessed James Cusmano. A charism which, overcoming institutional conditioning, reaches the lay faithful so that they become a concrete expression of it together with religious, in a synodal, missionary Church, a servant that meets the social and existential peripheries of wounded humanity and in need of concrete proximity, solidarity and fraternal love, regardless of religion, race or social position.
Therefore, the commitment of these religious to the laity, as a fraternal presence that unites rich and poor in the charism of Blessed James, may be constant in the spiritual meetings, in the frequency of meetings with members and assistants, in the assemblies of the Association, in the daily pastoral work; to keep alive the flame of charity lit by the founder, whose center is the Person of Jesus, Bread of full and abundant life for all.
THE ELDERLY
a merciful glimpse to the elderly...
THE ELDERLY
The Congregation of the Missionaries Servants of the Poor has always given a merciful glimpse to the elderly. Our Religious in the horizon of "charity without limits" have special care for those who have given their lives for their children and have committed themselves to work, to build a better world with wise dedication. We praise God because in most families there is concern for the elderly. However, it is not so rare to see the opposite; children who ignore or despise their parents, who abandon them and even take advantage of their pensions.
All over the world, social initiatives for the elderly are multiplying, society increasingly understands the need to take care of those who have gone before us on the path, but it is still not enough! This is why so many associations, public and private, mostly Catholic, practice Christian charity by dedicating time to the elderly. The Missionaries Servants of the Poor assiduously carry out this service, guaranteeing the sacraments, frequent and family visits, dialogue and welcoming listening.
There are many people who find it difficult to face old age with the anxieties and limitations it entails. Many people, aware of the time that passes, in their infirmities and in the effort to accept the shortness of existence, fear being a burden for others and thinking they will die before they grow old.
Bocconists try to live the proximity to the elderly with respect and love, trying to brighten their days and restore their dignity. Old age is an important phase of life and requires proper care. The Missionaries Servants of the Poor become spokespersons for the social injustices and mistreatment suffered by the elderly, taking charge of their fragile lives and assisting families to educate them to an adequate attention to this reality.
THE JOY OF BEING SENT
bear witness to the Risen Lord...
THE JOY OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. "HERE I AM, SEND ME!
One day a priest, celebrating Holy Mass, at the moment of the homily said: do you agree that the main task of the Church is the mission? All those present answered yes; but the priest emphasized: "it is not the main task, it is the only one. The nature of the Church, its origin is missionary."
Certainly in the Church, there are many ways of living the mission and multiple God-given charisms to grow this need. The Missionary Servants of the Poor (S.d.P.), with their specific charism (The Morsel offered to the poorest), corresponding to the gift received from God, offer their service as a confluent contribution to the one Christian mission. At the same time, the Missionary (S.d.P.) remain a living response to the question formulated by the Lord: "Who shall I send? Who will go for us?" (Is 6:8).
But how does a servant of the poor concretely live the mission? The key is poverty, embraced personally with the profession of religious vows, in order to be recognizable in the proximity to the Poor, to the needy, to the excluded, to the one whom no one considers and to serve him; without forgetting the teaching of the blessed Founder: "if they are not of someone's, they are ours." This motivates the choice of working in parishes and living popular missions where no one wants to go, assisting the poor by administering the sacraments, supporting orphaned children and youth in their studies, spending themselves in Charity without Limits, etc.
This is the way in which the Missionary (S.d.P.) bear witness to the Risen Lord who wishes to deliver his message to the hearts of men, brothers and sisters of the same Merciful Father; and they show a Church which, today as in the past, considers the Poor as the first recipients of the Gospel proclamation... The Missionary (S.d.P.) believe and live the words of Jesus Christ: "What you did for one of the least of these my brethren you did for me" (Mt 25,40).
"The good done does not benefit so much the one who receives it but the one who does it"; these are the words pronounced by Father Cusmano to encourage his children. They are words that joyfully resonate in the heart that proclaims and encounters its brother, in whom Jesus Christ lives, and that become very personal, inexpressible experiences; recognizing Jesus in the Poor is a great treasure that no one can take away, and whoever lives it, knows it...
COMMUNICATION
evangelization through the mass media...
IN THE MEDIA COMMUNICATION
The Missionary Servants of the Poor are inserted by vocation into the missionary soul of the Church. In Baptism, every Christian receives the missionary character through the Gift of the Holy Spirit, confirmed in Confirmation; by virtue of our consecration as Bocconists, this mission becomes radicalized and becomes a living and visible response to Paul's exhortation... Evangelize! (1 Cor 1,17)
The Servant of the Poor also involves joyfully into the project of evangelization through the mass media, intervening in radio programs and - as recently happened in Brazil - on television. It is a great responsibility to enter hundreds of thousands of homes and hearts carrying the Word of God; a precious opportunity to be a Church close to the poor also through technology. The Word of God has an intrinsic communicative power, but it is effectively flanked and updated by love, hospitality, affection, service and dialogue that increases the culture of encounter. And again, other ways of transmitting experiences and values through which the charism and identity of a missionary Servant of the Poor exist and are put into practice.
We praise God who has given us to "suck" in the heart of the beloved Congregation from an early age, the milk of the "spirit" in the formation offered by the missionaries Servants of the Poor, available and generous announcers of the Word in every area. The religious who works in the media, reaps daily the fruit of sowing in the working group, but mainly in the listeners and viewers. As a sign of belonging to the Family founded by Blessed James Cusmano, the religious, sons and daughters of the Founder, retain a distinctive trait: the mission of transmitting the Faith through Charity, preserving first of all the love of God in their hearts and developing the Charism of Charity Without Limits! Omnia pro Christo!
Apostolate in the school
The school for us is a house of love, of learning human and intellectual virtues...
WITNESSING TO THE CHARISM OF THE BLESSED FOUNDER
JAMES CUSMANO IN THE SCHOOL APOSTOLATE
The Missionary Servants of the Poor live the charism of "charity without limits", proposed by Father James Cusmano, also as educators committed to the integral formation of the human person. The care of this aspect begins in the primary and secondary schools for which we are responsible. The school for us is a house of love, of learning human and intellectual virtues, a center to awaken consciences and orient them to the fundamental values of life such as respect for every human being, the preciousness of motherhood, service to the indigent, attention to the poor and the elderly, defense of the oppressed, respect for nature. In this way, the school takes on the features of a family in which each individual can experience acceptance, listening, love and support. Teachers and students share this family atmosphere that promotes the person and predisposes him or her to offer the best resources in a balanced path of growth. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the mission countries in the heart of Africa, several schools run by the Missionary Servants of the Poor have been established. Some initiatives included in the school programs, trace essential lines of our charism:
- the Angelus prayer every Saturday, at the conclusion of our school activities;
- the quarterly retreat for teachers and students, separately with themes chosen taking into account the different level of formation;
- the assistance to indigents, i.e., orphans who have difficulty paying school fees;
- the organization of weekly school debates between students of different classes on current social issues;
- guided tours of cultural sites, visits to prisoners, visits to students and teachers in situations of illness or bereavement;
- weekly organization of moments of fraternity such as soccer, dance, recitation of poems or plays;
- the organization of the annual celebration of the Blessed Founder James Cusmano as Patron and Protector of our educational institution;
-The organization of the Holy Mass for the opening and closing of the school year.
Trusting in divine grace, to which we hope to correspond by working for our best, we commit ourselves to actualize the charism of Father James Cusmano, tireless servant of charity.
In moments of leisure
keeping alive the joy of social gatherings, meetings to laugh, play and celebrate...
IN MOMENTS OF LEISURE
When we talk about a religious vocation, we immediately imagine a life with restrictions, rigid schedules and countless renunciations. Obviously when one makes a choice, a fundamental option in life, all the other decisions gradually conform to that first and most important decision. This is what happens with religious life, because of the primary choice to serve Jesus through the evangelical counsels, some decisions come together to corroborate and give witness of follow-up.
However, despite the details of religious life, a Servant of the Poor keeps the joy of a common life, like everyone else. This includes enjoyable picnic activities, physical activity, outings and many other activities. Going out to have fun with the confreres and doing the same things that so many other people do during leisure time is a reality that the Missionary Servants of the Poor also live.
Some brothers prepare the food, others the drinks, put them on ice and at the established time they are all ready for another day of leisure. Besides being a time for personal satisfaction, the community outings are also an opportunity to approach and live the joy of sharing, whether the joys or anguish.
It is possible to reconcile the commitments of religious life with the routine of a common life: following Jesus in a radical way, but keeping alive the joy of social gatherings, meetings to laugh, play and celebrate.
For a long time, leisure, besides not being encouraged in religious houses, was also considered illicit or sinful. Thank God that was a thought of the past, now leisure is an integral part of a religious community. Recreational activities are welcome: animation with music, games, outings, theaters or any other kind of free and pleasurable rest. All of this is a necessity and even serves to socialize and also to detoxify the work that, sometimes, not to say, are often stressful and tiring. Without a doubt, this is a beneficial activity for everyone.
We all need rest, so: live the leisure! There comes a time when we need to stop for a while and rest, after all, no one is from iron!
THE DETAINEES
for the defense of the rights of people in prison...
THE DETAINEES
The Religious Servants of the Poor are called by God to approach the forgotten, the rejected. Our Founder lived this teaching of Jesus Christ with passion. Noticing the abandonment of the poor by the Government of Palermo, which did not recognize them as citizens, Father James exclaimed: "If they belong to no one, then they are ours”.
The ministry of charity of the religious Servant of the Poor also extends to the detainees. Our Congregation collaborates with the pastoral workers of the prison to accompany detainees on their journey of rehabilitation and social reintegration, in understanding the moral and legal duty of each one to answer for his or her actions. A human being cannot be identified with the error committed, nor ignored in his dignity and in the recovery of integrity before God and others; the importance of religious presence to contribute to the formation of the detainees to Christian values, in the path of daily conversion that involves every human being, is indisputable.
The Bocconisti collaborate with prison police officers and the families of detainees, for the defense of the rights of people in prison and their relations with their families, the prison structure, society.
When the person serving a sentence is accompanied by a person, the presence and action of God can be verified: there are many requests for forgiveness, the result of life review, of the mistakes made with their dramatic consequences. And gradually, with the touch of grace, prisoners return to the hope of social rehabilitation and take their lives back into their own hands.
The culture of the "prison industry" is still widespread in our society, strongly fuelled by a complex network of criminals. To apply a ruthless human "justice" that punishes without offering other possibilities of redemption and growth, is a social disease: Blessed James' teaching is precious to stem it and overcome it through a pastoral service aimed at the recovery of prisoners, in a climate of Christian humanization that condemns sin, but not the sinner.
Justice, Mercy, Compassion animate the Cusmanian charism of our time, also conveyed by the service that the Missionaries Servants of the Poor offer to prisoners and society itself to confirm the hope of a new beginning always possible with the grace of God in unlimited charity.
