Every year we celebrate World Mission Sunday on the second to last Sunday of October. This year, it is Sunday, October 18, 2026.

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Resources from 2025

• This year there are two papal messages for World Mission Sunday posted on the Vatican website:
  • Pope Francis’ Message (published in January 2025)
  • Text of Pope Leo’s video message (video may be viewed below)
• World Mission Sunday web page on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website
• Pope Leo’s Address to the Pontifical Mission Societies (May 2025)

“Missionaries of Hope Among all Peoples”

The theme of World Mission Sunday 2025 is “Missionaries of Hope Among all Peoples."  Read Pope Francis’ message on the Vatican website or view Pope Leo’s message on YouTube (in English!).

Pope Francis’ Message for
World Mission Sunday 2025

Help Pope Leo support the missions by giving to the World Mission Sunday collection. To give online, or to explore special projects you can help throughout the world, visit PontificalMissions.org.

Do not forget to pray for missionaries in your daily prayers.

The Pontifical Missionary Societies

The missionary work of the Catholic Church is carried out by The Pontifical Missionary Societies.

The Pontifical Missionary Societies

For answers to some basic questions about the Pontifical Missionary Societies, visit their FAQ page:

Pontifical Mission Societies
Frequently Asked Questions

The Pontifical Missionary Societies has four branches.

1. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith: founded in Lyon, France in 1822 by the Bl. Pauline Jaricot, to promote missionary cooperation.   This aim was widened to include collecting material help for the missions, the promotion of missionary vocations, and educating Christians with a missionary spirit.  Noteworthy in this is its initiative of missionary masses in October, most notably World Mission Sunday, on the third Sunday in October.
2. The Society of Saint Peter the Apostle: founded by Madame Bigard of Caen, France in 1889, to provide financial help for the formation of local clergy in missionary Churches, as well as to the formation of religious, both male and female.
3. The Pontifical Society of the Missionary Childhood. This work was founded in 1843 by Most Rev. De Forbin Janson, bishop of Nancy, France, with the goal of “children helping children”; educating children with a missionary spirit, so that they pray and sacrifice for their brothers and sisters in need around the world.
4. The Pontifical Missionary Union: founded in Italy by Fr. Paolo Manna in 1916, to help Catholics better understand their baptismal responsibility for the Church’s missionary work.

In the United States, the website for The Pontifical Missionary Societies is PontificalMissions.org.