Summer Mission Co-op

The Summer Mission Co-operative (Co-op) Plan is an opportunity for parishes to learn about, take inspiration from, and support global missionaries. Missionaries visit participating parishes over a weekend of masses to share their stories and invite parishioners to offer financial contributions through a second collection.

Participating missionary groups serve the spiritual, social, and material needs of people in under-resourced areas throughout our world. Many of these groups also have members living and serving within the Archdiocese of Chicago as pastors or priest administrators, parishioners, volunteers at local agencies and parishes, and students in seminary or religious formation.

Parish Preference Form for 2019 Missionary Cooperation Plan (link)

85% of the collection at each parish directly supports the missionary diocese, congregation, or lay organization making the appeal.
5% of all Summer Mission Co-op collections support other mission projects and initiatives that apply for aid through the Mission Office (those who are unable to participate in MCP).
10% of all Summer Mission Co-op collections is used to support the operations of the Mission Office, which is funded entirely through the Co-op and the World Mission Sunday collections.

Prior to World Mission Sunday in October, every parish will receive a form to indicate any preferences for language and type of mission visitor (link). This form should be returned to the Mission Office as soon as possible.
By April, every participating parish will receive a letter from the Mission Office that contains information about its assigned missionary diocese, religious congregation, or lay organization.
Soon after, the pastor will be contacted by a representative of the assigned missionary cause to schedule one appeal weekend visit in June, July, or August.
When the appeal weekend arrives, the speaker will provide a letter bearing the seal of this office to verify his/her authorization to make the appeal. If the visiting missionary is a priest, he should also obtain an Endorsement Letter from the Office for Extern and International Priests.

The collection is taken up by the parish, then counted and deposited in the parish account following best practices. The second collection is not taken up by the appeal speaker, nor are any funds to be given directly to him or her.
Parishes send a check for the collected funds to the Mission Office. Checks should be made out to “Mission Office” or “Society for the Propagation of the Faith” with “MCP - (year)” in the memo line. Please use the yellow remittance card and mail checks to Mission Office 3525 S. Lake Park Ave. Chicago, IL 60653.
Once the funds from the parishes have been sent to the Mission Office, they are processed and sent to the missionary group. The parish will receive a receipt for the donated funds.

The missionaries depend on these funds for vital ministries and operations, so we ask that parishes please send the check to the Mission Office within a month of the collection weekend.