At Baptism, new Christians are anointed with holy oil and become members of the Church, sharing in Christ’s priestly, kingly and prophetic vocation. The newly baptized also inherit a mandate from Christ to be his witnesses before the world and to proclaim his Gospel by word and example.
Diocesan Office of Pontifical Missions
Supporting the Spread of the Gospel
It seems hard to believe that there are still billions of people who have not yet heard the “Good News” of Jesus. That is why the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies exist in the Church: namely, to promote mission awareness among the baptized and support for the spread of the Gospel. The Diocese of Harrisburg has been blessed with generous and faithful people who respond with sacrificial generosity to these mission aid societies. Since the Missions Office began in the diocese in 1924, countless missionaries have benefited from the prayers and support offered year after year. Thank you for answering the call to the ‘missionary spirit’ through your support of this holy work of the Church.
Reverend Alfred P. Sceski
Diocesan Director
Office of Pontifical Missions
Mission - A Magazine of the Pontifical Mission Societies
Click here to read the newest edition of Mission, a magazine of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Mission magazine releases quarterly.
If you are interested in receiving a hard copy (free) of the next upcoming issue, please contact our office.
The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) are a worldwide network at the service of the Pope, supporting the missions and young Churches through prayer and charity. The four societies that comprise TPMS are:
- The Society for the Propagation of the Faith
- The Missionary Childhood Association (for students through middle school)
- The Society of St. Peter the Apostle
- The Pontifical Missionary Union
Since 1922, the first three of these societies have been designated as pontifical, underscoring their official role as instruments of the Pope and the universal Catholic Church. In most countries, a National Director oversees the four societies and manages the World Mission Sunday Collection, taken up in every Catholic parish worldwide on the second to last Sunday of October.
What do The Pontifical Mission Societies do?
At the direct request of the Pope, the Pontifical Mission Societies provide vital support to mission territories where the Church is too young, too poor, or too persecuted to sustain itself.
The Pontifical Mission Societies support the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of the Church, and the work and witness of mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders. These missionaries provide food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions. Through their work, they reveal the compassionate heart of Jesus.
The Societies care for young Churches until they can become self-sustaining—just as they once did for the Church in the United States, which was considered mission territory until 1908. Many Catholic churches across the U.S. were built thanks to the generosity of TPMS supporters worldwide.
- The Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States (TPMS)
The Pontifical Mission Societies in the US (TPMS) - Pontifical Mission Societies International Secretariats
Pontifical Mission Societies International Secretariats - Mission News from the World
Fides News (International Mission News) - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
The Official Site for the Cause for Canonization of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Q. How can I help the Missions of the world through the Pontifical Mission Societies?
A. All baptized Catholics have the opportunity to participate in the worldwide mission of the Church by offering their prayers, personal sacrifices, and/or financial contributions
Q. I would like to serve as a lay missionary. What should I do?
A. There are a number of local and national organizations that help connect lay Catholics to mission opportunities in the United States and abroad. Contact the Catholic Volunteer Network, a national membership organization of Christian volunteer and mission programs that fosters and promotes full-time national and international service opportunities for people of all backgrounds, ages, and skills: www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org/ or 1-800-543-5046. Catholic Volunteer Network member programs have volunteer positions available in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and in over 100 countries across the world, ranging from a week to a summer to a several-year commitment and everything in between.