“Many families in Ireland have had a member or a neighbour who has served as a missionary outside of Ireland. This month gives us a special opportunity to appreciate their work and to support those currently on mission through our prayer and financial assistance”. Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly, chair of the Bishops’ Council for Missions, said this in a message to the Irish Catholics, in which he invites them to be “missionary disciples” so that together we may “become missionary families and participate in the planned events during this month”. One such event is the “Miles for Missions”, a walk/run initiative in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on 20 October. The funds raised from the event will go to the children of Atse primary school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. For Ireland, this year’s theme “Christian Families are Missionary Families” is in continuity with the reflections of the World Meeting of Families that was held in Dublin in August. At all Sunday Masses this weekend, money will be collected to support “the promotion of the work of missionaries in poor and remote communities”. In particular, this year marks the centenary of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban, which was created in 1918 to support an Irish mission in China.