Vatican City: US Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre has said that generous contributions collected from the faithful of the United States on World Mission Sunday, serve as concrete assistance to those most in need, the vulnerable, and those facing persecution and intimidation, worldwide. The 95th edition of World Mission Sunday this year falls on 23 October.
Educating children in mission schools; helping orphans, the elderly, and the sick; building and repairing chapels and churches; helping missionary dioceses; and supporting religious formation and seminaries, are just some reasons the imminent Pontifical Mission Sunday collection in the United States has great importance, says Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
World Mission Sunday is the Holy Father’s annual appeal for spiritual and financial support, ensuring that the life-giving work of overseas missions and missionaries can continue. It is a concerted global effort that enables the Church to build up local churches in Asia and Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe.
The Sunday, which was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and held its first worldwide collection the next year, is held globally on the next-to-last Sunday in October every year.It is a moment for the entire Church to provide help to over 1,100 dioceses.
Archbishop Pierre underscored the day's importance, based on his experience serving the Church across the globe.
"My own diplomatic service in several mission territories, including Uganda, Haiti, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and the Pacific Islands," he shared, "has given me firsthand experience of the vital importance of the Mission Sunday collection."
“The generous contributions of the faithful in the United States make it possible for the Pontifical Mission Societies to provide annual subsidies to missionary dioceses, and to directly support mission seminaries and religious formation houses, the education of children in mission schools, the building of chapels and churches, as well as sustaining homes for orphaned children, the elderly and sick.”
“This support," Archbishop Pierre insisted, "makes possible the proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration of the Sacraments, and service to the poor in mission dioceses."
Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday is a reflection on this year’s theme: "You shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Father recalls that the Church is missionary by nature and that we are called at Baptism to share in this mission together.
The Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States work through local Bishops, churches, and missionary congregations to ensure that resources are distributed equitably and justly, based on the needs of individual churches. The money goes directly from the United States to the Bishops in the mission territories, allowing for a direct link between the two local churches.