World Mission Sunday

Pope Francis world mission Sunday full text here

Every October something special happens on the second last Sunday of October. On this day, the Church reflects its deepest identity as the Church in mission.

World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to reflect on their own baptism, when they received the gift of faith, and recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice.

Annually, World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the next-to-last Sunday in October.

It is "an important day in the life of he Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for the all the missions of the world".

Pope John Paul II has also spoken of the Propagation of the Faith's General Fund of support, calling this a "central fund of solidarity." In a message delivered on a recent World Mission Sunday, the Pope said:

"The offerings that will be collected [on World Mission Sunday] are destined for a common fund of solidarity distributed, in the Pope's name, by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith among the missions and missionaries of the entire world."

Every year the needs of the Catholic Church in the Missions grow - as new dioceses are formed, as new seminaries are opened because of the growing number of young men hearing Christ's call to follow Him as priests, as areas devastated by war or natural disaster are rebuilt, and as other areas, long suppressed, are opening up to hear the message of Christ and His Church. That is why the involvement and commitment of Catholics from around the world is so urgently needed. Offerings from Catholics in the United States, on World Mission Sunday and throughout the year, are combined with offerings to the Propagation of the Faith worldwide.

Future Dates

• October 22/23, 2022
• October 21/22,2023