Lively young voices were raised in prayer and song Oct. 1 as approximately 700 children and their adult chaperones gathered in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield for the annual diocesan Mission Mass, hosted by the Office for the Missions.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki concelebrated the Mass with Msgr. John Ossola, and Fathers Christopher House, Seth Brown, John Burnette, Paul Habing, Robert Jallas, Stephen Thompson, Jerry Wickenhauser, MM, and Fredrick Chima Mbiere. Father Brian Alford was master of ceremonies and Deacon Patrick O'Toole served as deacon.

Students from Cathedral School and St. Louis School in Nokomis assisted at the liturgy, while the Ss. Peter and Paul School choir from Alton, under the direction of Paula Malone, led the singing.

In his homily, Bishop Paprocki spoke about several saints — all represented in the Cathedral artwork — who have contributed to the missionary work of the church. However, he focused on St. Therese of the Child Jesus, also known as the Little Flower. St. Therese, whose feast day is Oct. 1, is one of the two patron saints for the missions.

"It is interesting that she holds such a significant title, because after entering the convent at the age of 15, she was never able to engage in what we would normally consider missionary work," Bishop Paprocki said. "She did not travel to any distant countries to bring the message of the Gospel to those who had not heard it.

"She was not able to join other missionaries in bringing the love and compassion of Christ to the suffering and poor of the world. Yet she had a great desire to be a missionary and therefore dedicated her life to praying and offering sacrifices for those who were engaging in those important works on behalf of the church."

St. Therese is an inspiration, he said, because "she shows us that sharing in the missionary work of the church is available to everybody, regardless of the state in life in which we find ourselves. … She saw her part as being within the heart of the church, a part which, although hidden, is essential to the life of the church."

Bishop Paprocki told those present at the Mission Mass that the missionary work of the church "happens on every level, at every age and in every location throughout the world, whether it be in our homes and schools here in Illinois, or in the streets and villages of the poorest places on earth."

"Regardless of where the Lord calls us to be of service to his church, we must always see ourselves as being on mission," he said. "To try to understand the church without the element of mission is to misunderstand the true meaning of the church as founded by Jesus Christ."

Toward the end of Mass, Vicki Compton, director of the Office for the Missions, thanked the Mission moderators who "work so hard to raise awareness for the missions in our parishes and schools" and the generous donors to the missions who pray, serve in the missions or donate money to help.

Compton quoted St. Therese as saying, "I feel that when I am charitable, Jesus alone acts in me." Then she prompted the children to emulate St. Therese, saying, "Let this be a challenge to you today and every day, to be charitable, kind, generous, forgiving and loving so that others may see Jesus in you."

Schools who won awards for their fundraising efforts for the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) were: Blessed Sacrament School, Springfield, first place; St. Mary School, Brussels, second place; St. Louis School, Nokomis, third place; Ss. Peter and Paul School, Alton, fourth place; and St. Mary School, Paris, fifth place.

Finally, Compton also acknowledged three students who are among the 24 students to have artwork chosen to be displayed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and on the MCA website to be sent as e-greetings during Advent and Christmas. The girls, who are all students of Karie Preston at St. Ambrose School in Godfrey, are Meghan Elliott, Ruby Pruitt and Emily Selby. The girls were provided with framed copies of their artwork to hang in their school.

For more information on the Office for the Missions, go to www.dio.org/missions or contact Vicki Compton at (217) 698-8500.