World Mission Sunday, the worldwide Eucharistic celebration for the Missions and missionaries of the world, is celebrated annually in parishes worldwide on the next to last Sunday in October, this year on Oct. 20.
The World Mission Sunday collection is a unique, global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of over one thousand local churches in Asia and Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe. Through the work of these churches, and their witness to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love and mercy, his hope and peace.
Through baptism, we are called to be part of the Church’s missionary efforts, through prayer, self-sacrifice and support of missionary vocations through material aid.
Give in your parish the weekend of Oct. 19-20, or
GIVE SECURELY ONLINE
Read Bishop Walkowiak’s World Mission Day letter to parishioners:
(English | Español) – coming soon!
How You Can Help
All donations to the World Mission Sunday collection go entirely to support churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young or poor. A vast majority of these are in Africa and Asia.
Give in your parish the weekend of Oct. 19-20.
GIVE SECURELY ONLINE
Promote World Mission Sunday on social media to help bring about awareness.
Use these downloadable graphics & suggested post text: (English and Español), and #WMS2024 #SpeakAboutMission #Pray #Give #WorldMissionSunday
Talk with others about World Mission Sunday and how their generosity can impact others, bringing God’s love, mercy, hope and peace to the poor.
“To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.”
In his message for World Mission Day 2024, (Español) entitled “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt 22:9), Pope Francis writes, “Mission, we see, is a tireless going out to all men and women, in order to invite them to encounter God and enter into communion with him. Tireless! God, great in love and rich in mercy, constantly sets out to encounter all men and women, and to call them to the happiness of his kingdom, even in the face of their indifference or refusal. Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd and messenger of the Father, went out in search of the lost sheep of the people of Israel and desired to go even further, in order to reach even the most distant sheep (cf. Jn 10:16). Both before and after his resurrection, he told his disciples, ‘Go!’, thus involving them in his own mission (cf. Lk 10:3; Mk 16:15). The Church, for her part, in fidelity to the mission she has received from the Lord, will continue to go to the ends of the earth, to set out over and over again, without ever growing weary or losing heart in the face of difficulties and obstacles.”
Remembering that we are baptized and sent in Christ on mission to the world, we can pray for the Church’s worldwide missionary work and offer financial help and charity through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. One of four pontifical mission societes, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is entrusted with the promotion of World Mission Sunday, collection and distribution of the proceeds.
Resources
Pray the World Mission Rosary in October Learn more: (English | Español)
Each decade of the World Mission Rosary calls to mind an area where the Church continues her evangelizing mission.
Read Pope Francis’ World Mission Day 2024 message (multiple languages)
World Mission Day and Extraordinary Mission Month (The Pontifical Mission Societies)
Parish Resources / Recursos Parroquiales
Learn more about the work of the diocesan Missions Office
Contact Father Stephen Dudek, director of missions, for more information.
