World Mission Sunday was instituted in 1926 by Pope Pius XI. It is celebrated as a day to remember the catholicity and universal solidarity of the Catholic Church. It was created to help Christians worldwide recognize their responsibility regarding the evangelism of the world, and renew their commitment to missionary works throughout the church.

          This celebration happens on the next-to-last Sunday of October. World Mission Sunday joins all Catholics of the world into one community of faith. At Mass that Sunday, we recommit ourselves to our common vocation, through Baptism to be missionaries, through prayer, participation in the Eucharist, and by giving generously to the collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

         On World Mission Sunday, we join our Holy Father in supporting his missions. As we pray and respond here at home, we share in those celebrations taking place in every parish and school throughout the world. Together, through our prayers and financial support, we bring the Lord’s mercy and concrete help to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions. In a world where so much divides us, World Mission Sunday rejoices in our unity as missionaries by our Baptism, as it offers each one of us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,111 mission dioceses.