This weekend is World Mission Sunday, and diocesan parishes will hold a special collection to help support the missionary service of the Church.

The theme for this year's Mission Sunday is: "I Will Build My Church." These words are not spoken to any one individual, but to all of us who are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Through this initiation we continue the work of Jesus and proclaiming the "Good News" to our world. Through this initiation we become the heart of Jesus that is moved by others in their desperation; we become the hands of Jesus to touch and comfort the sorrowful; we become the smile of Jesus that gives hope to the despairing; and we put on the mind of Christ Jesus to speak words of justice to right the wrongs inflicted unjustly unto others.

We continue the work of Jesus to assemble the believers, teach them, feed them and send them out to bring more persons into the peace and joy of God's kingdom.

We each have some role to play in this faith adventure. In 2005, I made my first mission journey to the Diocese of Masaka, Uganda. While celebrating Mass for school children of St. Francis Parish, amid the sea of young girls dressed in pink and young boys in pink golf shirts, there was one child dressed in a tan Western style suit. I could not help but notice him. When our eyes met, we both broke out into a smile.

After Mass my traveling companion and I were led outside below a large tree where again the school students gathered to sit upon the ground and listen to the speeches of welcome spoken by their adult leaders. Again this child sat there attentively, right in the front row.

Afterwards our visiting delegation was escorted into a building where we enjoyed some lunch. Coming back out many hours afterward, we were met by adults from the community dancing and singing. Again this child was among them. Before I left I called the child and told him that I believe the Lord Jesus was calling him to be a priest missionary.

What ever happened to the chi