40 Years On Mission
From a tiny fishing village in Marsaxlokk on the small island of Malta to over twenty locations across 14 countries, the ICPE Mission has journeyed through both mountain peaks of joy and extraordinary acts of God’s grace and providence, as well as valleys of grief, uncertainty, and turbulence.
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the ICPE Mission attests to the truth that God often chooses the ordinary and the weak to build something solid and lasting—like an international community of lay Catholics spread across the globe. This community is diverse, speaking different languages and celebrating various cultures, yet all united under the single calling to see lives transformed through the joy of the Gospel.
The beginnings of the ICPE Mission trace back to January 1985 when the first school of evangelisation started in San Ġwann, just a few miles away from Malta’s capital city, Valletta. It was in Marsaxlokk, during a one-year community life experience, that the future was shaped, and the first ICPE missionaries felt the call to join. Some of them are still actively involved in our mission today.
Celebrating our 40th anniversary is more than just marking a span of years; it is recognising a profound biblical milestone filled with spiritual significance and prophetic anticipation. In Scripture, the number 40 often signifies a period of testing, preparation, and transformation, culminating in renewal and divine fulfillment. As we reflect on four decades of our ministry, service, and growth, we are invited to see this moment not merely as an endpoint but as a threshold—a sacred pause before stepping into something new.
This perspective is deeply rooted in Scripture. The Bible reveals that the 40th year is not the finish line— it’s the threshold of a new beginning. It marks not an ending, but a launching point into deeper trust, greater mission, and renewed identity. For our community, these past 40 years have been a season of building, pruning, and laying deep foundations in anticipation of what God still intends to do.
In this light, our celebration is not only about what has been accomplished but also about what lies ahead. The biblical pattern urges us to treat this year as a consecrated turning point—one in which we seek God’s will with humility and boldness to prepare for greater fruitfulness. Just as 40 years in Scripture mark readiness for divine resets, our community stands on the brink of new possibilities, believing that the God who has sustained us thus far will lead us into the fullness of His promises.
Currently, the ICPE Mission is present in Australia, Colombia, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, and the USA. We grow, we learn, and we serve. And we are ready for the next chapter!
