The Pontifical Mission Societies
This year’s World Mission Sunday theme, “Missionaries of Hope Among the Peoples,” was chosen by the late Pope Francis and now takes on even deeper meaning under his successor, Pope Leo XIV. Our new Holy Father, who spent most of his priestly life as a missionary bishop in Peru, is the first pope in modern history to come directly from mission territory. His personal witness gives renewed urgency and authenticity to this year’s call to mission.
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER TO PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
Clementine Hall
Thursday, 22 May 2025
Dear friends, our celebration of this Holy Year challenges all of us to be “pilgrims of hope.” Taking up the words that Pope Francis chose as the theme for this year’s World Mission Day, I would conclude by encouraging you to continue to be “missionaries of hope among all peoples.” Commending you, your benefactors and all associated with your important work to the loving intercession of Mary, the Mother of the Church, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of lasting joy and peace in the Lord.
The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) are a worldwide network at the service of the Pope that supports the missions and the Young Churches with prayer and charity. These include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.
The four societies have been defined as “pontifical” since 1922, thus indicating their status as official instruments of the Pope and of the universal Catholic Church. In most countries, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies leads the four societies and oversees the World Missions Sunday Collection, which is taken up on the third Sunday of October each year in every Catholic parish around the globe.
What do The Pontifical Mission Societies do?
The Pontifical Mission Societies provide vital support to mission territories where the Church is too young, too poor, or too persecuted to sustain itself. TPMS enables the Church’s presence in these areas through:
Proclaiming the Gospel and evangelizing communities that have never encountered Christ.
Building churches and chapels as gathering places of faith and worship.
Supporting mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay leaders who minister to the faithful.
Providing humanitarian aid, including food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable.
At the direct request of the Pope, The Pontifical Mission Societies ensures that the message of Christ reaches places where He has been forgotten, denied, persecuted, or shunned.
The societies care for young Churches until they can become self-sustaining—just as they once did for the Church in the United States, which was considered mission territory until 1908. Many Catholic churches across the U.S. were built thanks to the generosity of TPMS supporters worldwide.
Mission
As the official missionary arm of the Catholic Church charged with the work of evangelization, the Pontifical Mission Societies USA seek prayer and sacrifice to support more than 1,100 territories throughout the world where the Catholic Church is too young, too poor, or is actively persecuted and cannot thus be self-sufficient.
Vision
To form and develop in every baptized person a missionary spirit – rooted in prayer, sacrifice, and charity – at the service of the Pope in his ministry of proclaiming the Gospel to those who do not know Christ.
Commitment
Help develop a missionary spirit in every Catholic community in the United States, rooted in the life of the parish, but in communion with the local bishop, Pope Leo, the Church’s top missionary, and mindful of the challenges of the universal Church.
Who founded The Pontifical Mission Societies?
Two women (Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot and Jeanne Bigard), a Bishop (Msgr. Charles de Forbin-Janson) and a priest (Fr. Paolo Manna) became the charismatic Founders of this great movement for missionary cooperation in the Church, originated in France in the early 19th century, responding to the needs of the Church in their time.
Our story begins in France in the early 19th century. Pauline Jaricot, inspired by letters about the Missions from her brother, starts gathering together small groups — mostly workers in her family’s silk factory. She asked each member of the group to offer daily prayer and a weekly sacrifice of a sous (the equivalent of a penny at that time) for the Church’s worldwide missionary work. Pauline insisted that her efforts be directed to all the Church’s missions, that it be universal.
From Pauline’s vision came the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The very first collection of the Propagation of the Faith in 1822 supported the vast diocese of Louisiana, which then extended from the Florida Keys to Canada, as well as the Missions of Kentucky and China.
The Propagation of the Faith continues to seek prayer and sacrifice for the world’s Missions, now some 1,100 dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America. Help is offered for pastoral and evangelizing programs, for catechists and catechetical work, to build churches and chapels, for the work of Religious Communities in health care and education, and for communication and transportation needs.
More than a decade before Pauline Jaricot envisioned the idea for the Propagation of the Faith; a young French nobleman — Charles de Forbin-Janson — was ordained a priest.
One day in 1843, now Bishop Forbin-Janson had a talk with Pauline Jaricot about his longtime dream. In the course of the conversation, she suggested that he appeal to the children of France to help children around the world — and the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) was born.
Today, MCA continues to follow the vision of Bishop Forbin-Janson – “children helping children.” After learning about the great needs of the world’s poorest children, young people are invited to pray and to offer financial help so that children in the Missions may know Christ and experience his love and care.
The family of help for the Missions grew again as the 19th century was drawing to close. Jeanne Bigard, and her mother, Stephanie received a letter from a French bishop serving in Japan. He told of more than 50 young men preparing for the priesthood and about the difficulty he was having providing for them and trying to accommodate the growing number of young men applying for admission to the seminary. Stephanie and Jeanne began collecting funds to support those seminarians. In 1889, they established the Society of St. Peter Apostle to support mission vocations, both priestly and Religious.
In the first year of its foundation, the Society of St. Peter Apostle aided some 2,700 seminarians. Today, some 28,000 major seminarians, mostly in Asia and Africa, receive an average annual subsidy of $700 per student; assistance is also provided for men and women Religious novices.
Our story now takes us to Italy and a new century. Father Paolo Manna, a PIME missionary in Myanmar (then Burma) for a decade, begins to focus on just what is needed to be missionary and to encourage others in missionary work. His study leads him to establish, in 1916, the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.
This spiritual apostolate continues to address itself today to those called to bring Catholics to a better understanding of their baptismal responsibility for the Church’s missionary work — to priests, Religious seminarians, pastoral leaders, those engaged in catechesis and religious education. In fact, the success of the efforts of the other three mission societies is linked to the vitality of the Missionary Union, because it is through this work that the missionary spirit — a spirit of prayer and generous sacrifice — is developed and nurtured.
These four societies each received the official title of “Pontifical” work in 1922, and their central administration was transferred to Rome. National offices exist now in more than 120 countries. Today, this “family” of mission societies in the Church’s primary means to inform Catholics about her worldwide missionary work and encourage their active participation — through prayer and sacrifice — in those efforts. Almost two centuries after our story began, it continues — a story of all of us together — as “one family in mission” — committed to the worldwide mission of Jesus.
Missionary Childhood Association (MCA)
“Children Helping Children” around the World
The Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) is a Pontifical Mission Society – and the Holy See’s official agency for mission for children — whose motto is “Children Helping Children.” Young people are invited to pray, do good works, and to offer financial help so that children in the Missions today may know Christ and experience His love and care. If you think you can’t “go on mission,” think again: Some give to the missions by going; some go to the missions by giving.
MCA gives our students the opportunity to be co-missionaries as they support missionaries around the world who bring the Good News of Jesus, especially to children. Though not directly (at least not yet – fingers crossed), our students get to share their faith with their peers in mission lands.
Opportunities for Growth. To help our children grow in the faith, as well as learn about other cultures, monthly educational and spiritual resources are available from the Mission Office of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. You can receive these by e-mail; just give us your current e-mail address. Or download the monthly resource files in PDF format on this page. Encourage children to pray The World Rosary. And all are welcome to join in the annual Christmas Artwork Contest.
Celebrating 181 Years of the Missionary Childhood Association
One day in 1843, now Bishop Charles De Forbin-Janson had a talk with Pauline Jaricot about his long time dream. In the course of the conversation, she suggested that he ap-peal to the children of France to help children around the world. As a consequence of this meeting, the Mis-sionary Childhood Association (MCA) was born. Today MCA continues to follow the vision of Bishop Forbin-Janson—”Children Helping Children” as children pray and sacrifice for their brothers and sisters around the world.
MCA Christmas Artwork Contest 2025 Winners
Francis Aguinaldo
from Our Lady of Mercy School
Alyssa Ng
from St. Cecilia School
Our office selected local finalists from all the entries we received. We would like to recognize their artwork.
We thank you all for participating in your program and hope that you will continue to do so, as we would also like to encourage more schools and parish religious education programs to participate. This is one way to stay connected to missions: by having our students share their faith in works of art. We encourage all students to participate in the contest this school year. In the links below you can find the registration form.
Thank you again!
Genevieve Elizondo, Archdiocesan Mission Director
Robert O’Connor, Administrative Assistant
Abigail Prion
St. Catherine School – Grade 7
Adam Goyhenetche
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Alyssa Louie
OLM School – Grade 7
Amaris Sainez
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Caleb Lok
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Jillian Mostasisa
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Joseph Rollandi
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Julissa Mejia
St. Catherine of Sienna School – Grade 5
Paulina Eleazar
St. Catherine of Siena School – Grade 5
Scarlett Hing Wen
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Scarlett Morrison
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Shane McGuigan
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Soraya Tehrani
St. Cecilia School – Grade 7
Tiffany Rosillo
St. Catherine of Siena School – Grade 5
Victoria Valtierra
OLM School – Grade 7
The Missionary Cooperation Plan – MCP
Devoted to solidarity and understanding
The Missionary Cooperation Plan of the U.S. Catholic Church, referred to as MCP, was started in the late 1930’s and is conducted in Dioceses across the United States. It is a way of centralizing the efforts of missionary organizations from around the world who wish to appeal to Catholics in the United States. The purpose of The Missionary Cooperation Plan is two-fold. First, the many mission dioceses/religious congregations/lay organizations get a change to personally appeal for prayer and financial support from Catholics of the United States. Secondly, we Catholics get the opportunity to be educated about what is happening in the mission field today.
Below you will find complete information about The Missionary Cooperation Plan; the MCP Application Form for the Archdiocese of San Francisco; and a sheet of MCP Requirements and Guidelines for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Thank you for your interest in The Missionary Cooperation Plan.
MISSIONARY COOPERATION PLAN – WHAT IS MCP?
The Missionary Cooperation Plan of the U.S. Catholic Church, referred to as MCP, was started in the late 1930’s and is conducted in Dioceses across the United States. It is a way of centralizing the efforts of missionary organizations from around the world who wish to appeal to Catholics in the United States.
The purpose of the MCP is two-fold. First, the many missions dioceses/religious congregations/lay organizations get a change to personally appeal for prayer and financial support from Catholics of the United States. Secondly, we Catholics get the opportunity to be educated about what is happening in the mission field today. There are many new strides in mission. We emphasize solidarity and understanding of situations that make life so difficult for so many people. The US Catholic Bishops describe solidarity, in their statement, “Called to
Global Solidarity: International Challenges for U.S. Parishes, as: “action on behalf of the one human family, calling us to help overcome the divisions in our world. Solidarity binds the rich to the poor. It makes a free zealous for the rights of the oppressed. It drives the comfortable and secure to take risks for the victims of tyranny and war…”
It is the responsibility of the Mission Office, under the direction of the Archbishop, to choose who is invited to come to the Archdiocese. Each parish in the Archdiocese of San Francisco is annually assigned a missionary group. Appeals are made anytime from March through the end of August.
The Mission Office believes that it is important for Catholics in the Archdiocese to understand why missionaries come to your parishes each year. The plan gives parishioners an opportunity to learn about missions at home and abroad and an opportunity to financially assist the mission organizations in their efforts to spread the Gospel. Please extend a warm welcome to the missionaries as they share their faith stories in your parish. Thank you for the support and solidarity you have given in the past and will continue to give in the future.
Fill out this form completely and submit it to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Fillng out this form does not guarantee an assignment. The information will be used in considering your application for the Missionary Cooperative Plan or to update our files. Thank you for your help
Thank you for your interest in applying to the Missionary Cooperation Plan in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Please know we consider our speakers to be partners in our efforts to animate and educate the Catholics of the Archdiocese of San Francisco concerning the mission endeavors of our Universal Church.
To be considered for the Missionary Cooperation Plan, this form must be filled out completely.
Thank you for supporting the Missionary group that made a Mission Appeal in your Parish. It is greatly appreciated!
For a list of the Missionary groups assigned to the Missionary Cooperation Plan 2023 – Parish Assignments, click HERE
Frequently Asked Questions About The Pontifical Mission Societies
About World Mission Sunday…
In 1926, Pope Pius XI established an annual collection for the missionary work of the Church worldwide called “World Mission Sunday.” World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice.
As described by Pope John Paul II, World Mission Sunday is “an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world” (Redemptoris Missio 81). The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is entrusted with the promotion of World Mission Sunday, collection of the proceeds, and distribution of the proceeds.
As a representative of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Mission Office in San Francisco sends the proceeds to the National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. Offerings from Catholics in the United States, on World Mission Sunday and throughout the year, are combined with offerings to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith worldwide.
Mission dioceses – about 1,100 at this time – receive regular annual assistance from the funds collected. These mission dioceses submit requests to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and Pontifical Mission Societies for assistance for needs such as catechetical programs, seminaries, the work of religious communities, communication and transportation needs, and the building of chapels, churches, orphanages, and schools. These needs are matched with the funds gathered in each year. The world’s national directors of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith vote on these requests, matching the funds available with the greatest needs. These funds are then distributed in their entirety to mission dioceses throughout the 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 long-suppressed areas 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.
The Church’s Official Organization for Mission Aid
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith: Helping the World’s Missions.
This Society has become the Church’s official organization for mission aid. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith continues to seek prayer and sacrifice for the world’s missions. Help is offered for pastoral and evangelizing programs, for catechists and catechetical work, for the building of churches and chapels, for the work of religious communities in health care and education, and for communication and transportation needs. The financial contributions in our own Archdiocese of San Francisco largely come from the World Mission Sunday collection each October. Funds are also received from faithful monthly donors, from wills, bequests, and legacies, and through outright gifts made by the faithful of the diocese
Children Helping Children Around the World
The Missionary Childhood Association: Promoting Mission and Global Awareness Among School-Age Children.
In the 1840s, the founders of the new mission societies appealed to the children of Europe to help their sisters and brothers in the missions in China, and so began of what was then called the Holy Childhood Association in which young people can take part in service to mission youth around the world. Now named the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA ), this society is established in mission lands in more than 60 nations. MCA promotes mission and global awareness among school-age children. For more information: MCA, A History of Helping. MCA is unique among organizations for children in that its primary aim is to encourage children to share their Catholic faith with children in the developing world through their prayers, personal sacrifices, and financial offerings. Children also have a missionary calling: By our Baptism we become members of a family—the family of the Church. Family members have responsibilities, and our responsibility is to share our faith. Some people fulfill this responsibility by actually going to mission countries to bring the Good News of Jesus to our brothers and sisters who are in need. Most of us are missionaries by prayer and sacrifice. MCA engages children positively in the Church’s mission and provides resources and programs to increase their understanding and knowledge of the faith and the larger world.
CONTACT US FOR MCA RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS.
Supporting Religious Vocations Around the Globe
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle: Educating New Priests and Religious in Developing Countries.
More than 140 years ago, a French missionary bishop in Japan asked for help from French Catholics to support the training of Japanese men for the priesthood. The Bigards, mohter and daugher, started a small group for this purpose in Caen, France. From these humble beginnings emerged the Society of St. Peter Apostle. Within five years of sending their first donation to Japan, the Bigards, and those whom they enlisted to help, were sending funds to seminaries in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Korea and China. The goal of the Society of St. Peter Apostle, then and now, has been to invite individuals to support the education of candidates for the Catholic priesthood in the developing world and to support the formation of men and women candidates for the Religious life in the missions. Today, some 30,000 major seminarians, mostly in Africa and Asia, receive important subsidies to meet the costs of their studies and formation.
A Spiritual Apostolate in Support of Missions and Missonaries.
The Missionary Union of Priests and Religious: Lay People in Common Cause with Religious and Pastoral Leaders.
Founded in 1906, the Missionary Union is a spiritual apostolate. Unlike the other three Pontifical Mission Societies, this mission society does not collect or distribute funds. Its purpose is to educate and inspire priests, men and women religious, pastoral leaders, and those responsible for catechesis and religious education so that they may better animate others to share their faith and to be missionaries themselves, supporting also the missionary work of the Church worldwide.
I would like to serve as a lay missionary: What should I do?
There are a number of local and national organizations that help connect lay Catholics to mission opportunities in the United States and abroad. Contact the Catholic Volunteer Network, a national membership organization of Christian volunteer and mission programs that fosters and promotes full-time national and international service opportunities for people of all backgrounds, ages, and skills: www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org. Member programs have volunteer positions available in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and in over 100 countries across the world, ranging from a week to a summer to a several-year commitment and everything in between.
A beautiful way to remember, honor or thank a loved one, while supporting missionary work, is to have a Mass celebrated for them by a missionary priest. Through the Mass offering, you and your loved one will be united in the love of Christ with your brothers and sisters in another part of the world.
Help support a missionary priest by having Masses said for Loved Ones
Make your gift online here
Use this form to direct your gift to the mission or program you want it to support. Make a one-time gift, or pledge to continue this gift as a recurring donation on a regular schedule. Use this form to make your choices, supply your information, and push the button to Proceed to Payment. If you have comments or particular needs to communicate, please include them in the box for “Comments or Questions.”
Need to talk to someone?
Phone the Mission Office at: (415) 614-5670.
Every small gift makes a big difference!
Your gifts helps to sustain priests, religious, and lay pastoral leaders in more than 1,100 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe, as they proclaim the Gospel, build the Church, and serve the poor. With them, you answer, Here I Am, Send Me.”
Examples of what your help can do:
- $20 assists with renovation of a chapel in the Fiji Islands.
- $25 provides support for a catechist in Peru.
- $40 supports a Sister in Kenya serving among homeless children.
- $100 can provide a home, food, medical help, and education for orphans in Thailand.
- $5,000 helps support two girls’ homes in Sri Lanka.
GIVE ONLINE HERE, OR SEND A CHECK TO:
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
Archdiocese of San Francisco
Mission Office
1 Peter Yorke Way
San Francisco CA 94019
The Archdiocese of San Francisco Pontifical Mission Society
- Pontifical Mission Society
- One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109
- (415) 614-5670
