The Holy Father highlights the power of prayer and generosity in sharing the Gospel with those in need.
By Gina Christian, OSV News
(OSV News) — The aim of World Mission Sunday (Oct. 18), established 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI, has “borne fruit in my own life,” said Pope Leo XIV.
“Looking back on my youth, I can see how the prayers offered to the Lord of the harvest mysteriously helped prepare my heart to hear Jesus’ call to follow him as an Augustinian missionary,” Pope Leo said in a video message about the annual observance posted Oct. 7.
In January, Pope Leo announced he had chosen the theme “One in Christ, united in mission” for this year’s celebration, with his message for the day encouraging “the whole Church to continue its missionary journey with joy and zeal in the Holy Spirit.”
Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and universally observed by 1927, World Mission Sunday is a dedicated day of “prayer and missionary promotion throughout the Catholic world,” according to its founding decree.
Held on the next-to-last Sunday of October, the observance also includes a collection that serves as the primary financial support for the Pontifical Mission Societies, a worldwide network operating at the service of the pope and consisting of four organizations, three of which were designated as pontifical by Pope Pius XI in 1922.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith supports the evangelization efforts of the local church; the Missionary Childhood Association educates children about their part in the church’s missionary outreach; and the Society of St. Peter the Apostle trains the next generation of missionary clergy and consecrated religious.
The Pontifical Missionary Union, designated as pontifical in 1956 by Pope Pius XII, focuses on forming clergy, religious and pastoral leaders more deeply in their role as evangelizers.
Missionary experience in Peru
The future pope served for years in Peru, a country particularly blessed by missionary priests, said Father Anthony D. Andreassi, a priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Brooklyn, New York, and a researcher for the Pontifical Mission Societies USA.
In an Oct. 5 interview with OSV News, Father Andreassi explained how the 20th century saw an uptick in the number of North American priests, both diocesan and religious, assigned to Latin America, where the Church already had a 500-year presence, but “never enough of a native clergy.”
The Augustinian Order “started sending people into Peru in the 1960s,” said Father Andreassi. “And then, all of a sudden, you see Robert Prevost” — who would eventually become Pope Leo XIV — “there in the 1980s.”
In his video message, Pope Leo said “the prayers and contributions of the faithful encouraged and sustained my missionary work in Peru, as well as that of countless others throughout the world.”
“For this reason, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported World Mission Sunday over the years,” he added.
The pope said this year’s theme “invites us to reflect on the fundamental task of nurturing the Church’s unity in following Christ, particularly in our commitment and responsibility to spread the Gospel message of salvation to all people.”
Baptism makes each of the faithful “a member of the Body of Christ” with “a unique role in contributing to Jesus’ saving work.”
“Our Lord calls us to cooperate as one family, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to bring everyone everywhere into a communion of faith in Christ,” said Pope Leo.
Pope Leo calls for support for evangelization
He reaffirmed his appeal from his previously released message for the day, urging all to “commit to contributing to the great mission of evangelization — which is always a work of love — according to our own vocation and the gifts we have received.”
Prayers and “practical support” will be “a great help in bringing the Gospel of God’s love to everyone, especially the poorest and those most in need,” said the pope, quoting from his earlier message.
He thanked those who “carry on the legacy of World Mission Sunday” and “support generously the evangelizing mission of the Church throughout the world.”
Featured image: Then-Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo, Peru, offers a message of hope during a flood caused by heavy rains that struck northwestern Peru in March 2023, in a screenshot taken from a video by Caritas Chiclayo. (NCR/Caritas Chiclayo/Peru)
