In response to the call of Christ and his Church, the Shalom Catholic Community will open two new missions in 2025. The foundation of a new mission represents for us a concrete response to God’s call to communicate his Love and Mercy to all peoples.
From the foundations discerned by the General Council, starting from a process of accompaniment with the dioceses and the sectors responsible for the missionary action of the Community.
Shalom arrives for the first time in Morocco
The Diocese of Tangier, in Morocco, is one of the two Catholic dioceses in the country. It is a Latin diocese, directly subordinate to the Holy See, and plays an important role in the presence of the Catholic Church in a predominantly Muslim context. It was officially created in 1469 and since last year Monsignor Emilio Rocha Grande has been bishop of the diocese.
In a meeting with the General Council of the Community, Bishop Rocha Grande welcomed the Community, which from now on will also be present on Moroccan soil:
“I am very excited to be able to count on the Shalom charism, which means music, art, fraternity, to build together a Church that is ever more alive, more dynamic, more extroverted. It will be a pleasure to be able to count on you”.
The new mission in Morocco will expand the evangelizing presence of the Community in the Maghreb region (North Africa) where we already have missions in Tunisia and Algeria.
A new mission in the south of France
The Diocese of Nice, located in the south of France, is one of the oldest Catholic dioceses in the country. Located in the beautiful region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, it covers a territory with a strong Catholic tradition and, at the same time, a cultural context marked by diversity and tourism. Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault has been bishop of the diocese since 2022.
Berenice Gerbeaux is a member of the Episcopal Council of Nice and shared that she is looking forward to the arrival of the Community in the diocese: “I am looking forward to collaborating with you, working with you and, above all, that the young people of the diocese can benefit from your missionary zeal, your deep faith and your energy. We are waiting for you”, he said.
The new mission in Nice thus joins the evangelization of the Community in the South of France where Shalom is also present in Avignon, Toulon, Aix-en-Provence and Perpignan.