Let's go

Our group defined itself as Youth Missionary Service. Sermig, precisely. The MI is the center of gravity that links the SER and the G

October in the ecclesial context is the "missionary" month. Once a year the Church focuses its focus on initiatives in favor of missions ad gentes. «The sanctifying power of the Spirit that pushes us to evangelize operates in all the baptized. […] If one has truly experienced the love of God that saves him […] he is a missionary to the extent that he has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Pope Francis).

From the beginning of our adventure this term has been part of Sermig and, even before, together with the Student Missionary League and other friends I organized money collections for these friends who left for distant places to bring the message of Jesus. We went to popular places, in particularly at motorway toll booths. Our group then defined itself as the Youth Missionary Service.
Sermig, precisely. The MI is the center of gravity that takes the SER and the G by the arm, from each one flows like a cascade of interconnected responsibilities aimed at building a future of hope, a single world in peace, a life full of dignity for all. It's as if they were three connected light bulbs that illuminate the way to follow... MI implies not keeping to oneself that encounter with Jesus which can change one's life and give it a strong meaning, responding to God's love with concrete answers of help the poorest, in short, doing "other people's business".

In these 60 years Sermig has declined the MI in various ways, from sending its members directly on missions, to maintaining direct and continuous contact with the missionaries to help each other grow spiritually and humanly, to making them become terminals of the thousands of projects of development in many parts of the world, to broaden the mission to peace initiatives which have seen us present in many areas of conflict and war.

Ernesto Olivero
Editorial
NP October 2024