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The Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts has issued a new postage stamp in the denominations of Rs.45.00 on September 29, 2018 to the 175th anniversary of the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood.
| Date of Issue | 29th September, 2018 |
| Denomination | Rs.45.00 |
| Catalogue No: | CSL 2302 |
| Stamp Designer | Givantha Arthasad |
Stamp Size: | 60mm x 30mm |
| Sheet Composition: | 20 stamps per sheet |
Beginning of the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood -
It was children who were affected most adversely and rendered helpless as a result of the French Revolution of 1789. It meant that a large number of children were thrown on to streets for want of parental care. As a result of this situation, in 1843 the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood of the Holy Father was formed by way of children helping children through the initiative of His Highness Bishop Charles de Forbin Jansen, in the city of Nancy in France.
Its unique objective was to mould children in Christian values from tender age, make them identify Jesus Christ and live according to His example and to create a generation of children who are committed to the needs of those in other countries.
Accordingly, having observed the necessity of making children the messengers of the teaching, Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood was formulated with a view to directing them towards training in missionary activities.
Today the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood is spread over more than 120 countries throughout five continents. Accordingly, the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood proliferated throughout the world are functioning under the chairmanship and guidance of His Holiness the Pope.
Thus, the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood functions with the main object of ensuring a good way of life for the children living throughout the world with understanding of the teaching and spreading its message. Its unique feature is the children with means helping those in needs motivated by the feeling of sensitivity by helping and providing guidance to them, building leadership qualities and personality among children, understanding of life and building a deep sense of spirituality among them, enhancing their sense of taste, abilities and skills and thereby creating a generation of children committed for others and blessed by the love of Christ.
Similarly, its other unique objective is to create a commendable missionary service engaging children in a secure world where they will be able to overcome various challenges in society defeating evil. The other activities include providing guidance in good work such as the implementation of inter-mission exchange programmes to enhance inter-Club relationships in social activism of Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood, creation of diverse, creative and sensitive missionaries, implementation of educational programmes for target groups, visiting children and their families at grass-root level in order to instill good qualities in them and also directing children for the divine calling.
Spread of Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood in Sri Lanka -
Having understood the hazardous impacts caused by social inequalities and decadence on the lives of children at that time, the then Director of Pontifical Societies of the Missionary Childhood, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith (then Father), revived the Society which existed in this country at that time under the title, “Bala paraya”, under the new title ‘Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood’.
A first practical training conference organized by the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood units was held at Anuradhapura on the12th, 13th and 14th of September in 1987 with the object of sharing experiences with others particularly with a view to building confidence among the Catholic children and thereby enabling them to live such experience themselves.
It is a great pleasure to see the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood initiated at Anuradhapura has expanded in every diocese of the church today without any division such as Sinhala or Tamil.
It is our bounden duty to protect the child as he is the adult of tomorrow’s world. Hence it is the aim of the Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood to undertake this journey along with Jesus with the firm determination of bestowing to the future generations true missionaries in the caliber of Saint Joseph Vas without allowing their beautiful lives like flowers to wither away.
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