Roman Catholic 
Diocese of Ogdensburg

Weekly Mission Column

World Mission Sunday 2020:  Who, What, Where & When  
October 14, 2020

The late Pope John Paul II once referred to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith's General Fund of support, as a “central fund of solidarity." He went onto say that, ”..the offerings that will be collected [on World Mission Sunday] are destined for a common fund of solidarity distributed, in the Pope's name, by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith among the missions and missionaries of the entire world."

What is World Mission Sunday?

This year, World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on the weekend of October 17-18, 2020.  World Mission Sunday is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. Annually, World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the next-to-last Sunday in October. Offerings from Catholics in the United States, on World Mission Sunday and throughout the year, are combined with offerings from Catholics around the globe and distributed to mission dioceses which amount to about 1,150 at this time.  

This year’s theme for World Mission Sunday is “Here I Am, Send Me.” Every parish in the world can participate, united, in this special Eucharistic celebration. Every parishioner is a missionary, sharing our love for Christ’s Gospel with one another, supporting the Church most in need. The celebration of World Mission Day is also an occasion for reaffirming how prayer, reflection and the material help of your offerings are so many opportunities to participate actively in the mission of Jesus in his Church. The charity expressed in the collections that take place during the liturgical celebrations of the third Sunday of October is aimed at supporting the missionary work carried out in my name by the Pontifical Mission Societies, in order to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and Churches throughout the world, for the salvation of all.

Who benefits from my donations?

Your ongoing support of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is vital to the missionaries serving in 1,150 dioceses throughout Asia, Africa, parts of Latin America and Europe, and on the Islands of the Pacific. Your generosity makes it possible for local priests, religious, and catechists to reach out to communities, families, and children in desperate need, bringing the light of Christ to the darkest of circumstances. 

The World Mission Sunday celebration highlights the outreach of local churches through priests, religious and laity among the poor and marginalized half a world away. Life-changing help is provided to mission churches in territories covering more than half the globe.

Mission Gratitude.

Your prayers and generous support offered to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith on World Mission Sunday directly benefit the mission church and help deepen your relationship with Jesus by helping so many missionaries around the world.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 2020

OCTOBER 18TH       World Mission Sunday  

Pope Francis invites all baptized Christians to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through prayer, meditation on the Word of God, and pilgrimage.  We move beyond the typical “heroic vision” of missionaries and reinforce the transforming relationship between faith and the world to which we are called.  Pope Francis reminds us that we are “Baptized and Sent:” we are all the “Church of Christ on Mission in the World.”