World Mission Sunday
"You shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).
World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on October 23, 2022. Instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, it is a day for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. It offers each of us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,100 mission dioceses. Every year, the needs of the Catholic Church in the missions grow, as new dioceses are formed, new seminaries are opened, and as war, natural disasters, or illnesses such as COVID-19 ravage communities.
In reflecting on the theme for 2022, Pope Francis wrote: "Christ was the first to be sent, as a 'missionary' of the Father (Jn 20:21), and as such, he is the Father’s 'faithful witness' (Rev 1:5). In a similar way, every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church."
On World Mission Sunday, a collection is held in churches in support of mission work. For those unable to attend Mass, donations can me made through most parish online giving sites or by making an online donation on the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States website.
Additional Resources
Pope Francis' World Mission Sunday message
