Pontifical Mission Societies

Given the title "Pontifical" in 1922, the Pontifical Mission Societies have a special responsibility in the Universal Church. They are under the direct canonical jurisdiction of the Pope, who, together with the entire body of Bishops, remind the faithful of their Baptismal call to mission, as they gather basic support for more than 1,150 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and Latin America. The Pontifical Mission Societies are: 

Where are the Pontifical Mission Societies Located?
National offices exist in more than 120 countries around the world including the United States. Central administrative offices are located in Rome, Italy, under the direction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States is located in New York City. In addition, every diocese in the United States has a diocesan director who is appointed by the local ordinary (bishop) of that diocese.

The Pontifical Mission Societies under the Diocese of Metuchen, assist the bishop in promoting oneness with Pope Francis and with the church’s missionaries who offer Christ’s saving good news in young and emerging local churches. Christ himself is the source and center of this oneness, and it is he who expects all his people to be missionaries – his instruments of evangelization.

The office provides staff services for developing faith-filled financial and prayerful support within the diocese for the worldwide missionary work of the Church. It promotes missionary education and awareness within the parish community and in its schools and religious education programs. It also encourages, as well as generates, ongoing sacrificial commitment of prayer and alms by the diocesan community for our sisters and brothers worldwide, who are served by Catholic missionaries in Jesus’ name and ours.

How to Help the Missions
All baptized Catholics have the opportunity to participate in the worldwide mission of the Church by offering their prayers, personal sacrifices or financial contributions to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Missionary Childhood Association or the Society for St. Peter Apostle. The Missionary Union of Priests and Religious is a spiritual apostolate for Priests, Religious men and women, catechists and lay people. Each year, the celebration of World Mission Sunday provides an opportunity, within the context of the Eucharist, for Catholics to express their prayerful and financial support of the Church's worldwide missionary work and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in particular.

Save the Date: 2017 World Mission Sunday is October 22
The 2017 World Mission Sunday Family Celebration will be held on October 22 at the Cathedral of St. Francis, Metuchen. For more information, email pontifical.mission.societies@diometuchen.org.

Annual Report: Your Gifts to the Pontifical Mission Societies
“As the Father sends me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). To those of you who are proclaiming His Gospel by praying and sacrificing for thousands of Catholic Missionaries worldwide—and the poor whom they serve—heartfelt thanks from your sisters and brothers in Christ.” - Rev. Msgr. Richard A. Behl, Director of the Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

View the full Annual Report as published in The Catholic Spirit (October 6, 2016).

“As the Father sends me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). To those of you who are proclaiming His Gospel
by praying and sacrificing for thousands of Catholic Missionaries worldwide—and the poor whom
they serve—heartfelt thanks from your sisters and brothers in Christ.”

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