Catholic Mission has launched an Australian-led global awareness campaign to mark the beginning of World Mission Month. The #WeAreStillHere campaign features the faces and voices of missionaries from over 50 countries.

Catholic Mission, the Australian agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies, led the development of the campaign, working in close collaboration with partners across the globe for nearly twelve months to voice a stirring message that missionaries are still serving global communities.

Responding to a call from Pope Francis, inspired by Acts 4:20: “For we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard”, the campaign sheds light on the dedication of missionaries to serving people in places where poverty and disadvantage compound the devastating impact of COVID-19.

“This video is simply one of the tools now available to us in this technological era to build awareness of the significance of mission, particularly during the month of October,” says Fr Brian Lucas, National Director of Catholic Mission.

“1 October is the feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the patron of missions and the second last Sunday is World Mission Sunday. This is an opportunity to pay special attention to the importance of sharing faith in mission.”

In a major example of international cooperation, Catholic Mission and its partners sourced video messages of support from religious and lay missionaries representing every corner of the globe.

The campaign video, which has been translated into 30 languages, was launched globally with a special world premiere on Monday 27 September 27 on Catholic Mission TV.
The awareness campaign builds on the global popularity of a similar production last year which highlighted the “people with a thousand faces”, Pope Francis’ term for missionaries around the world.

The #WeAreStillHere global video was viewed over a million times on social media around the world, translated into dozens of different languages and featured on national television programs in Ireland and Malta.

“The international videos showcase the images that tell the story of what we have seen and heard and what we long to share with everyone,” says Fr Brian.

To access Catholic Mission TV and view the world premiere visit www.catholicmission.org.au/wearestillhere.