Background: World Mission Sunday
October 21, 2018
On October 21, the Church around the world commemorates World Mission Sunday. The theme of the Pope’s message for the day is “together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all.”
World Mission Sunday was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and first commemorated in 1927. As St. John Paul II explained in 2001, Pope Pius “accepted a request by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith to ‘establish a day of prayer and propaganda for the missions’ to be celebrated on the same day in every diocese, parish and institute of the Catholic world ... and to encourage offerings for the missions.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Pope Francis: Messages for World Mission Day
- Pope Benedict XVI: Messages for World Mission Day
- St. John Paul II: Messages for World Mission Day
- St. Paul VI: Messages for World Mission Day (Italian)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!