World Mission Sunday
“May we feel inspired to set out in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus to become, with him and in him, signs and messengers of hope for all, in every place and circumstance that God has granted us to live. May all the baptized, as missionary disciples of Christ, make his hope shine forth in every corner of the earth!” – Message of Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2025
Pope Francis selected the theme for this year’s celebration of World Mission Sunday: Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples. Earlier this year, we were blessed with the election of Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago. He was sent forth to the Augustinian mission world, served as a missionary bishop in Chiclayo, Peru and now is in the Vatican. Under Pope Leo, the Pontifical Mission Societies coordinate missionary formation and animate a missionary spirit in every nation and diocese.
In response to our baptism, we have been called to participate actively in the common evangelizing mission of the Church by the witness of our lives, prayer, sacrifices and our generosity. This World Mission Sunday, let us reflect on our common call to missionary discipleship and give generously to support the missionary efforts of the Church in the 1,124 areas that are too young, too poor or persecuted.
POPE LEO XIV: A MISSIONARY POPE
- Pope Leo XIV Speaks About the Call to Mission
- Pontifical Mission Societies Meet with Pope Leo - EWTN
- Pope Leo XIV Address to Pontifical Missions (English | Spanish | Polish)
- Mission Matters Interview with Augustinian Prior Provincial
One Mind and One Heart On the Way to God - World Mission Sunday Article (English | Spanish)
- La Hora Católica: Misa y Más Entrevistas:
- León de Perú Documentary- Vatican News (English | Spanish)
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About 75% of the collection supports about 1,124 mission dioceses through The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, particularly in the rapidly growing churches of Africa and Asia, as well as under-resourced parts of Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.
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9% of the collection supports the work of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which works to alleviate poverty and affirm human dignity, build up the church and promote Christian unity and interreligious dialogue in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.
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Approximately 15% supports the operations of the Global Mission Office, which is funded entirely through this collection and the summer mission appeals.
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The World Mission Sunday (WMS) Collection is held on the second-to-last weekend of October each year.
- The Global Mission Office will send to each parish:
- A letter from Cardinal Blase J. Cupich encouraging participation
- Copies of a poster to promote awareness of the collection
- Announcements and promotional materials for the bulletin
- Liturgical helps to foster missionary spirit during the weekend services
- A remittance card and return envelope for processing the collection.
- How to encourage participation:
- Share the Cardinal’s letter with your congregation, by putting it in the bulletin or sharing parts of it in announcements or liturgical reflections
- Include announcements and ads in your parish bulletin, social media and website
- Hang the posters supplied by the Global Mission Office in prominent church locations
- Include prayer intentions for our global sisters and brothers in the Prayer of the Faithful
- Offer additional opportunities to learn about and pray with the global Church by leading a world mission rosary or offering a meditation on missionary saints
- Contact the Global Mission Office to arrange a special WMS speaker.
- After the collection is taken up, it is counted and deposited into the parish account following best practices.
- The parish prepares and sends a check to the Global Mission Office. It should be made payable to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith with “WMS-(calendar year)” in the memo line. If possible, use the grey remittance card, and mail checks to Global Mission Office 3525 S. Lake Park Ave. Chicago, IL 60653.
- It’s very important that the Global Mission Office receive your donation by December 31. The financial year of the Global Mission Office ends in December each year. The office must report our donations to the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies by the end of the calendar year.
If you need additional materials, please feel free to contact the Global Mission Office.
