What is World Mission Sunday?

World Mission Sunday is a day set aside by the Catholic Church to remember and support the Mission work being done around the world. This special day, on the weekend of October 19 & 20 this year, is an internationally celebrated weekend crucial for sustaining the Church’s outreach in over 1,111 Mission areas.

The impact of World Mission Sunday for the Church in the United States:

● The Church in the United States was once Mission, heavily reliant on support from Catholics worldwide. Today, U.S. Catholics have the opportunity to return that generosity by supporting global Missions.
● The Run by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of four Pontifical Mission Societies, this day of giving has seen the Church come together on the Pope’s request since 1926, when Pope Pius XI made this the only canonically mandatory universal collection.
● The World Mission Sunday collection was inspired by the efforts of laywoman Blessed Pauline Jaricot, who founded the Mission Societies back in 1822. She asked her friends to pray for the Church in Mission areas daily and donate a penny a week. Two-thirds of those first pennies raised were sent to the vast diocese of Louisiana, which included Philadelphia! In the United States, we benefited from this collection held by the Societies until 1908.

Supporting Mission Around the World

● We are here today, extending to you the Gospel’s call to “Go and invite everyone to the banquet,” which is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year.
● This table is set by those who answer Christ’s call to “Go and make disciples of all nations” Matthew 28:19, extending an invitation to all corners of the Earth, especially in areas where it has not yet been received, has been only recently embraced or is courageously upheld in the face of persecution. From the windswept plains of Mongolia to the dense forests of the Amazon, contributions from the faithful all over the world—YOUR gifts have made YOU a partaker in this holy Mission: a Mission that continues to invite everyone to experience the boundless love of God.

Faith in Action

● Participating in World Mission Sunday is a tangible way for Catholics to live out the Great Commission, bringing the message of Christ to the ends of the earth. It’s an expression of solidarity with Missionaries and a means to share Christ’s love universally.

This year’s theme intrinsically links our Mission of evangelization to the invitation to the Eucharistic table where the Lord feeds us with His word, His Body and His Blood. It is the place that sustains us with the hope of eternal life, especially for the faithful in the Chitula parish in Malawi.

Here, in a makeshift tent, a beautiful Mass is celebrated by priests, whose ordinations were made possible from scholarships by the Mission Society, Saint Peter Apostle. Eventually, the Chitula faithful here hope to have a more perfect place to worship our Lord, Jesus with help from the Mission Societies.

They come together, inviting communities from about a 40-mile radius, as receiving the Eucharist is important, but not frequent. As one Missionary said, “There are many well-built churches that are empty in other countries, but in the Missions, hundreds do not even have a simple building to celebrate Mass.”

On World Mission Sunday help build a Mission Church, which serves as a school, faith formation center and more; train clergy and provide essential services.

For digital version, more photos and info:
Scan QR Code, visit phillymissions.org or email pofaith@archphila.org

For Your Bulletin and Social Media Postings:
Much more than a collection! World Mission Sunday is meant to be the culmination of a month dedicated to praying and learning about the Missions. Include these easy ways in your communication to your parish faithful to help the Missions:

PRAY:
● Pray the Mission Rosary, developed by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in 1951, each day in October. It is a unique way to pray for the Missions. Each decade of the Rosary is represented by a different color, symbolizing different regions of the world. As Sheen said, “Peace will come only when the hearts of the world have changed. When the World Mission Rosary is completed, one has embraced all continents, all people in prayer.”
● Pray the Archdiocesan Rosary Weekly with others and your family. Every Monday at 8 to 8:30PM, join hundreds of people who pray the Mission Rosary virtually! Missionaries join in often! United in this most powerful prayer, the Rosary, we ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for an increase in faith, unity, personal intercessions and the Missions. Go to phillymissions.org for the Zoom link.

LEARN:
● Sign up at phillymissions.org for MISSION Magazine, the publication of the Mission Societies. MISSION, first written by Archbishop Fulton, has gone uninterrupted since the first issue in July 1951. There, you can find stories of Missionaries and the impact this day of prayer and giving has all over the world.

New York, NY – September 5, 2024 – The Pontifical Mission Societies USA (TPMS USA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Father Roger J. Landry as the new National Director, effective January 2025. This appointment has been formally approved by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the pro prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, following the suggestion of the Board of Directors headed by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York.

Father Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and present Catholic Chaplain of Columbia University, brings extensive experience and a dynamic vision to TPMS USA. His background in pastoral work, bioethics, youth ministry, and missionary activity aligns perfectly with TPMS’s mission to support the global Church’s missionary efforts.