Italian dioceses hold prayer vigils for World Mission Day

Dioceses in Italy are holding prayer vigils to mark the 100th World Mission Day. In the Diocese of San Miniato, Bishop Giovanni Paccosi led a service at the Melorie church in Ponsacco. During the vigil, which included Eucharistic adoration and the reading of papal messages, the Bishop emphasized that the Church exists for the mission and that unity is essential for credible testimony.

In the Carpi Cathedral, Bishop Erio Castellucci will preside over a mission vigil on October 23 to honor the memory of Don Francesco Cavazzuti. Cavazzuti dedicated his life to the people of Goias, working amidst poverty and oppression. The service will feature testimony from Professor Sebastião Donizete de Carvalho, an eyewitness to the 1987 attack that left Cavazzuti blind. The vigil will include symbolic elements such as colored vials representing the five continents and items belonging to Cavazzuti to honor his vocation and service.