World Mission Sunday

Every year, the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday – which is marked this year on Sunday, Oct. 19 – to remind us of the missionary dimension of our Christian vocation. The collection taken in parishes across the diocese today will support the missionary movements which the Pontifical Mission Society coordinates (the Pontifical Mission Society is also known as “Missio” in some countries).

Pope Leo XIV chose the theme: “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples” which focuses on our responsibility to bring hope to everyone. He challenges us to prayer and community building as two effective means of sustaining hope in a world of despair. Pope Leo has released a video message urging every Catholic parish in the world to take part: “Thank you for helping me to help missionaries throughout the world.”

Bishop Hagemoen’s Delegate for Missions, Fr. Joseph Salihu, also reminds us of our fundamental vocation as missionaries and shares a link to a two-minute video to encourage prayer and donations for the mission work coordinated by the Pontifical Mission Society:

In offering our prayers, we join with missionaries everywhere in communion and compassion to support them in spreading the Good News, and by giving a donation we respond to Christ’s call to share our faith in Jesus so that all may experience God’s love.