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Pope Francis: 10 transformative moments that have inspired

the world

Pope Francis’ pontificate has been marked by countless transformative moments that have inspired the world. In this carousel, we’ve chosen 10 defining highlights to celebrate his legacy of compassion, humility, and courage...

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The legacy of Pope Francis: A decade of transformation

and mission

At a time when speculation about the health of the Pope "from the end of the world" abounds, it is important to remember his election as Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church, which took place in a particularly challenging moment...

Pope Francis: A Journey of Faith to Asia

Pope Francis, always unpredictable, continues to surprise us. This month of September, at the age of 87, he has embarked on the longest journey of his pontificate. Despite his health issues and difficulties walking, Francis remains steadfast in his commitment to reaching out to the most remote and smallest churches. He himself leads by example in the synodal and missionary conversion to which he calls the entire Church...

30 Years of Missionary Presence in Cambodia

Last Saturday, March 22, the missionary community in Cambodia gathered with joy and gratitude to celebrate the Thanksgiving Mass for the 30th anniversary of the presence of the Quebec Foreign Mission Society in the country...

25 Years of Missionary Presence in Kenya
A Journey of Faith and Commitment

This year marks a significant milestone for the Quebec Foreign Mission Local Group in Kenya as we celebrate 25 years of missionary presence (2000-2025)...

Diaconal Ordination of
Raphael Mulwa Mbuva and Michael Ochieno Nadebu

Last Saturday, March 1st, the diaconal ordination of our companions Raphael Mulwa Mbuva and Michael Ochieno Nadebu took place. This event was held at La Guadalupe Parish in Nairobi, Kenya, and was presided over by Monsignor Rodrigo Mejía Saldarriaga, SJ, Apostolic Vicar Emeritus of Soddo, Ethiopia...

Holy Week Meditations 2025

Christ is our hope

In the light of Pope Francis' challenge for Jubilee 2025

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What does your ideal job have to do with Saint Joseph?

Is your dream job to work less or work on something you want to enjoy, so it does not feel like work? You are not alone, and there is probably nothing wrong with that. But this reflection could offer you a grain of salt to go deeper into that thought...

We talk about Peace

In history, whether handed down in writing or through oral tradition, with mythical accounts, religious tradition or rather documents of a more empirical nature, we find numerous accounts of tragic and significant events. And yet, even in these sometimes dark narratives, the common converging point is peace, built by daring, sometimes heroic figures.

Do You Believe This?
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025

In 2025, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity offers a special opportunity to reflect on our shared faith. The commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea in 325 AD, provides a unique occasion to revisit the roots of our faith and explore its relevance in today’s world.

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MISSION IN LA CEIBA

A testimony from a mission in La Ceiba, Honduras, where faith, solidarity, and creativity intertwine in accompanying women, families, and the sick. A transformative experience of community, prayer, and shared hope...

An Afternoon of
Joy and Sharing

That’s exactly how it was! Between smiles, songs, dances, applause, and hugs, the afternoon of January 18 was spent at the Madre de la Misericordia temple in Honduras.
It was a pleasure to see the faces of men and women uplifted by faith and the joy of sharing within the community...

Celebrating Our Shared Journey in a changing world
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2025 is inspired by John 11:17-27. The theme, “Do you believe this?” (v. 26), comes from Jesus’ conversation with Martha in Bethany after the death of Lazarus. It invites us to reflect on our faith and the hope it brings...

Missionary Childhood: Little ones living and carrying

the good news

In our days, with a presence in more than 130 nations, Missionary Childhood, also called the Pontifical Society of Holy Childhood, helps kids and teens cultivate a missionary spirit by supporting them in sharing their faith and material resources, particularly with their least fortunate peers.

The path of the heart

A spiritual retreat was conducted in a welcoming, joyous, and fraternal atmosphere at the Bon Air house in Quebec City on February 7, 8, and 9, 2025, for a group of nine young men from diverse backgrounds. With the guidance of Lourdes Varguez, a nun from Jésus-Marie, Bernard Duquette, PMÉ, and Pedro Perna, the young people explored God's immense love for everyone...

The Saint Joseph Stopover

Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, a group of very special people gather in the former Notre-Dame de Foy church. Closed to worship for 3 years, it was reopened to welcome an extraordinary project called the St-Joseph Stopover. The first stopover called “halte” in french was founded in 2013 in Granby. Notre Dame de Foy is the 10th in Quebec... Why this unexpected multiplication?...

A Daring and Invigorating Presence in Quebec

“Be a meaningful, daring, life-giving and hope-bringing presence to those living in situations of hardship, isolation or in search of a path to meaningful living and liberation.”

Respond with Trust, Unfold the Mission, Serve with Love: The Annunciation

Discovering our call and mission is a journey of purpose. Being prepared and living up to it requires faith and courage. This is the powerful message that this young woman inspires across generations that call her blessed. On this March 25th, let’s celebrate her words that continue to echo through time: "Be it, according to Thy will."...

Innocents: A Call to Justice and Liberation

Immediately after Christmas Day, we encounter celebrations that, at first glance, may seem shocking against the backdrop of love, peace, reconciliation, and unity that characterise this season. On 26th December, we commemorate the martyrdom of Stephen, recognised as the first martyr who testified to his fidelity to the risen Christ, giving his life in the process...

John the Baptist: Voice of the voiceless in the desert

In times of uncertainty and change, it is essential to listen to the voice of the prophets, those who, like beacons in the darkness, announce life and guide our path. The voice of the prophets reminds us that, although storms may batter our lives, there is always a course that leads us to fulfillment, for all rivers flow into the sea...

The Generosity of Saint Nicholas: Inspiration for Advent and Life

We begin the liturgical year with Advent, a time that precedes a great celebration: Christmas. Advent brings with it the feast of Saint Nicholas, a man created by God and placed in the history of humanity like any other. This man knew how to listen to God’s voice within and direct his life toward the fullness of Christ...

Key protagonists and themes of Advent

Advent is a time of unique depth—a cycle of preparation and reflection that invites us to open our hearts to the arrival of Jesus Christ and the “inauguration” of God’s Kingdom, a realm of justice and freedom...

Advent: A Call to Journey with the Poor

In this season of Advent — a time of hope, anticipation, and preparation — we reflect on the call to encounter Christ in the poor and marginalized. As we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus, we are reminded of the powerful message left by Gustavo Gutiérrez, Catholic priest and founder of Liberation Theology, who passed away this year...

Embracing hope: Advent and journey

We begin a new liturgical cycle. Changes in the seasons and calendars are important as they help us become aware of time and the significance of life. Everything is grace when we look at events through the eyes of faith and with hearts wrapped in hope...

Living Advent through silence

We have grown up immersed in liquid societies, accustomed to constant physical, mental, visual, and auditory motion. This frantic pace shapes us into less authentic people, living on the surface of life. Yet deep within, we recognize a longing for moments of solitude and stillness… to pause...

Final Message of the Sixth American Missionary Congress

Church of America! The Lord Jesus gathers us once again today in assembly, as a missionary family in the Caribbean, on the Enchanted Island: Puerto Rico. His blazing fire has made us feel the human warmth of the welcome and fraternity of our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters.

Ignite the missionary zeal to extend the invitation of Jesus

to all

Go and invite everyone to the banquet!

In a world filled with division and exclusion, Jesus' appeal to "Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet" serves as a powerful reminder of the all-encompassing love of God. This invitation knows no bounds, extending far beyond the confines of a select few; it encompasses all of humanity and the entire creation...

Go and invite everyone to the banquet!

"Go and invite everyone to the banquet" is a central expression of the missionary mandate that deeply resonates with the Amazonian Church, especially in the context of our communities and current challenges. The invitation to the banquet, as expressed by Jesus in the parable (Mt 22:1-14), is not only about attending an event but entering a new reality of communion and fullness of life, accessible to all without exception...

The king's son gets married!

The king's son is going to marry the most beautiful girl in the country. The father is overjoyed. The wedding will be grand. The king himself carefully prepares a sumptuous banquet, to which he has the pleasure of inviting all the great people of the kingdom along with their families and friends. The "great people of the kingdom" are like the king's brothers. They are people of merit who have won wars for the kingdom...

Yeshua at banquets of the rich

Yeshua is sometimes seen at banquets where the rich invite personalities like him to impress them with their wealth and affirm their status as masters of the people. The fact that he accepts these invitations tarnishes his image as a man in solidarity with the poor and earns him the reputation of being a glutton, a drunkard, and a flatterer of the powerful (Matthew 11:19). If he accepts attending these banquets, it is primarily because Yeshua and his companions need to eat from time to time. These banquets also give him an opportunity to present to those who lead the people what matters most to him in this world...

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Ecological Way of the Cross

Laudate Deum in Honduras

On Friday, March 21, in the Quezada neighborhood sector, the Ecological Way of the Cross Laudate Deum took place, an initiative promoted by the Mesoamerican Ecclesial Ecological Network (REMAM) in collaboration with the Parish of Mary Queen of Peace...

Hydroponics on the Hillside

Cultivating Hope in Comas

The food sovereignty project of the Local Group of Peru focuses on supporting Ollas Comunes and Comedores Populares on the hillside of Comas. Beyond food sovereignty, ecological conversion represents a path towards a sustainable and just food system....

We Forget that We Ourselves Are Made of Earth: People Displaced by Climate Change

According to the UN/UNHCR, in its 2023 report on Climate and Development in Honduras, it is projected that between 40,600 and 56,400 people will be forced to move within the country by 2050 due to the conditions generated by climate change...

The Creation and the care
of the Amazon

Seeds of hope

Pope Francis, in his encyclical Laudato Si', calls us to an ecological conversion, to rediscover our relationship with creation and with all living beings. He tells us: “We are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air, and we receive life and refreshment from her waters” (Laudato Si', 2)...

Building Bridges in a Fractured World

Living in a fractured world, with so many wounded along the way, we are called to solidarity. We must become tents and field hospitals, as Pope Francis invites us. It is essential for the Church to take risks in building solidarity and fraternity, breaking down the walls that divide us. We must be a prophetic Church, inviting everyone to the banquet of God’s love and generosity...

Walking with Migrants and Refugees:
A Divine Mandate

In light of the current global events, the poignant message of "God walks with his people," chosen for this year's World Day of Migrants and Refugees, is especially meaningful. It serves as a reminder of God's consoling presence. It’s a somber call to prayer, reflection and action, on behalf of those compelled to leave their homes in search of safety, dignity, and a brighter future...

Pope Francis: A Journey of Faith to Asia

Rio 2016 Refugees (Attribution: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil) - Wikimedia Commons

The journey of refugee & migrant athletes

Olympics beyond borders

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team, which will compete for the third time in the Olympic Games (OG), represents millions of people who have been forcibly displaced worldwide. According to UNHCR, it is estimated that by September 2023, around 114 million people will have been forced to leave their homes across the planet...

The influence of faith and the church on olympic sports

A transcendent connection

We are about to begin the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will start with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
Often, we see these kinds of events as simply sporting events and fail to visualize details or alternative teachings that can enrich the meaning of sports in general...

Do not abandon me in old age

A call for intergenerational solidarity

IV World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, July 28, 2024

In our current society, which often idolizes youth and views old age as a burden, Pope Francis' message for the 2024 World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, "Do not abandon me in old age," resonates with special urgency...

The transcendence of the years

Discovering the wisdom and mission of the elderly

In the story of Ruth and Naomi, we find a clear teaching about the importance of protecting and caring for the elderly. This story shows us a touching example of solidarity and love between generations...

From the Mind to the Heart:

Fatherhood and the Sacred Heart

This June we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This month we also celebrate Father's Day. Although both holidays are not directly related, they share a significant connection...

Return to Ordinary Time

Like Returning to Nazareth

and its Inner Silence

After going through several important feasts of the liturgical calendar, such as Pentecost, Trinity, Corpus Christi, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we return to Ordinary Time...

Sacred Heart of Jesus

On June 7, we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is a special occasion to reflect on a foundational element of our Christian faith: the love of God.

In the Holy Scriptures, we find multiple mentions of God's love for humanity...

Corpus Christi:

the Underlying Unity of the

Human Family

The apostle Paul uses the analogy of the body of Christ extensively in his Epistles to teach that the church is not confined to walls or borders. It is universal, encompassing all of humanity...

Pentecost:

The Manifestation of the Holy Spirit

All the disciples were together on the day of Pentecost. Suddenly, a sound from heaven like a mighty wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what appeared to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. (Acts 2:1-11)...

Motherhood of God

A Reflection for Mothers` Month

In this month of motherhood, we would like to reflect on a figure that is often overlooked in our theological discussions: the "Motherhood of God". Although God transcends gender, we use images and metaphors to speak of Him...

Who is Your Mother?

The month of May will be filled with well-deserved and sweet words of affection about and for mothers. What if we step out of this norm and allow ourselves to be provoked by some ancestral words that still resonate as a polytonal composition in some ears of our days and reflect on the question "who is my mother" (Mt 12, 48)?...

A world without mothers would be inhumane (P. Francis)

The words of the Holy Father about mothers remain as valid today as they were when he first spoke them a few years ago. This month, dedicated to Our Mother Mary and in which many countries celebrate Mother's Day, is the perfect time to share some of the Pope's reflections...

Laudato Si' Week 2024:

Seeds of Hope

Laudato Si' Week is celebrated from May 19 to 26. We recall Pope Francis's urgent call to action in his encyclical Laudato Si'. This year, the focus is on inspiring “personal and cultural transformation amid ecological and climatic crises.”...

All Connected...

Pope Francis reaffirmed this idea in his encyclical "Laudato Si" in 2015, highlighting the pressing need for integrated human growth and ecological conversion...

Here I am!

Do you remember what was your state of mind when you woke up this morning? Were you happy, sad, maybe not very motivated or full of energy?...

Prayer for Vocations

Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd of souls,
You who know your sheep and know how to reach the heart of man,
Open the minds and hearts of those young people
Who seek and await a word of truth for their lives...

Jubilate Domino Omnes Terra!

The word "Jubilate," the first word of Psalm 99(100) verse 2, has given us the French term “Jubilaire,” signifying one celebrated with joy...

Nicole and Claude show a photo of Réal Blain, PME, at the centennial exhibition of the SME in Pont-Viau

A red thread

In the heart of the Limoilou neighborhood in Quebec, Juan Ramon Moncada, pmé, joins as a volunteer at the Popote Roulante. There, he meets Nicole and Claude, who share emotional memories of Réal Blain, a former missionary priest of the SME in Japan who was crucial in their lives...

The Maison Bon Air

A place of hospitality and fraternity

The Maison Bon Air of the Foreign Missions Society of Quebec currently offers a living environment that combines the hospitality of the House of Bethany with the caring of the Inn of the Good Samaritan....

Jesus, the Good Shepherd

This fourth Sunday of Easter (2024), we remember Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and celebrate the world day of prayer for vocations...

"I have a dream!"

"I have a dream!" This famous quote expressing the societal project from the North American pastor and activist Martin Luther King Jr is well known worldwide!

Road to Emmaus...

Journey of a Missionary Community Church

"Fervent Hearts, Feet on the Path" (cf. Lk 24,13-35) is the title chosen by Pope Francis for the World Mission Sunday (DOMUND) 2023. This phrase, inspired by the story of the disciples at Emmaus, is familiar to us...

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Little girl, rise up!

(Mark 5:41)

Many children—both girls and boys—experience true nightmares when they are taken from their families. Older children, other minors, and sometimes young adults also fall victim to false promises of a better life, only to end up trapped in what we call human trafficking.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

A beacon of inspiration for young generations

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, also known as "The Lily of the Mohawks," is a saint who deeply resonates with today's young generations...

Reflection: Saint Kateri

This Gospel text can help us find a place in Jesus' family, in his large community...

Sharing Faith, Connecting Hearts:

Pentecost & Communications Day

For the Foreign Missions Society, Pentecost and World Communications Day hold deep significance, capturing the essence of spreading the Gospel and the role of modern communication in this mission...

Who is asleep? Jesus or us?

A very dark night. A raging storm. A monstrous tsunami heading our way. Unstoppable. Jesus asleep, even as the boat is sinking. A guttural cry sprang from the disciples: “Jesus, wake up! We’re going to drown!”
But who is actually sleeping? Is it the flesh-and-bones Jesus who, in the last three years of his life, fought relentlessly against the dinosaurs among his people?...

What are you looking for?

Christ's calls to live a life of fullness are very diverse in the Gospels. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus addresses Peter and Andrew first, and his first words are: "Come after me... (Mt 4:19 and Mk 1:17)." In the Gospel of John, seeing that some were following him, Jesus' first words are: "What are you looking for?" (John 1:38). And you, what are you seeking? ...

Welcome to the SMÉ House

in Sendai!

Passing by a white house in Sendai, Japan, an image of the Virgin Mary that offers the baby Jesus catches the eye. It's not just for its aesthetic beauty or how it harmonizes with the lightness and attention to detail typical of Japanese culture, but for other reasons as well...

Called to Sow Hope and Build Peace...

Missionary Conversation

with Monsignor Vittorino Girardi

Monsignor Vittorino Girardi, bishop emeritus of the diocese of Tilarán-Liberia, Costa Rica, was the special guest of our missionary conversation, as part of the activities held during the Week of Prayer for Vocations 2024"...

News from Honduras...

As part of their missionary formation immersion in Honduras, four youths continued their initial formation with Quebec Foreign Mission Society (QFMS or SMÉ in French) with a visit to Choluteca...

World Day of Prayer for Vocations...

On the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Missionary Animation Service of the SME organized two virtual prayer meetings for vocations. The central theme of both meetings was the message of Pope Francis for the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations...

Holy Week 2024...

Testimony of Holy Week Mission

Holy Week was an experience where we encountered many challenges, insecurities, difficulties... Impossible to say: no more!...

Photography as Ministry

Telling Truth and Beauty through Images

Photography is a powerful art that has the potential to communicate profound messages and tell stories with great impact...

Missionary Testimony of Father Juan Bautista Prak Bunhong

Bunong Catholic Priest honoring his ancestral traditions in Cambodia

Moving testimony of Father Juan Bautista Prak Bunhong, a missionary priest of Bunong origin who has managed to find a balance between his faith and his attachment to the ancestral traditions of his people...

"My experience with Father Frank Bélec, brother and friend of the Mapuche People"

Testimony of Irma Porma

Irma Porma lives in Temuco, the capital of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. From the very first contact, she was very excited to share her experience with Father Frank, whom she refers to as a great friend of hers and of the Mapuche People...

With You, I Learned
the Value of Solidarity

Every community kitchen or communal pot – as we call it in Peru – is a sacred space. When opening the door, we enter a place where vegetables and spices mix with what each woman brings from home: her struggles, joys, discouragement, hope....

Assuming a New Paradigm

Berta Cáceres

(1971-2016)

Berta Cáceres was an indigenous Lenca leader, feminist, and co-founder of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). Recognized locally and internationally as a brave defender of human rights and indigenous peoples...

Heroes for the environment

“Irmã” Dorothy Stang

(1931-2005)

This missionary defended the poor, illiterate peasants of the Amazon rainforest the greed and profit-seeking of landowners in the state of Pará...

Heroine of Peace, Social Justice, and Ecology

Wangari Maathai

During Laudato Si' Week 2024 “Seeds of Hope,” dedicated to promoting peace, social justice, and sustainable ecology, we honor Wangari Maathai, brave activist and founder of the Green Belt Movement.

A planet without plastic is possible...

Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd, was an opportunity to reflect on our commitment to the environment. At the SME headquarters in Laval, Canada, our colleagues carried out a series of activities aimed at raising awareness about the global ecological emergency...

Finding dignity in struggle: Ana's journey!

Ana breaks down in tears when she talks about her challenges because she lost her cleaning job, which she thought would be the beginning of a new chapter for her...

Seeing christ in contemporary's suffering

Have you ever seen, at this time of year, people in procession following a cross on a Friday and wondered: what are they doing? Or have you ever left the house on a Friday during Lent to pray the Way of the Cross? Millions of Catholics around ....

Our Magazine:

FALL 2023
WALKING TOGETHER
OCTOBER: MISSIONARY MONTH
WINTER 2023
MISSIONARY ANIMATION IN MOTION
SPRING 2024
OUR CHURCH MUST BE MISSIONARY - MEDITATIONS FOR HOLY WEEK

The Foreign Missions Magazine aims to be an open window both on the commitment of the missionaries of the Quebec Foreign Mission Society and on the spirituality that animates them...

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Holy Week Meditations 2025

Final Message of the Sixth American Missionary Congress

Our Magazine:

The Foreign Missions Magazine aims to be an open window both on the commitment of the missionaries of the Quebec Foreign Mission Society and on the spirituality that animates them...

We celebrate 104 years of Mission!

Our presence along the years!

COUNTRIES OF MISSION

Our Calendar 2025!