In the church October is traditionally termed the ‘month of the
missions’. While ‘the missions’ may appear to some as an outdated
concept concentrated on geography rather than the general Gospel
message, the term is a timely reminder of the message that mission
is meant for all people as Saint Pope John Paul II expressed and
emphasized in his encyclical Redemptoris missio which is subtitled
‘On the permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate’.