World Mission Sunday

Priest talking with children who are holding Rosary beads

"One in Christ, United in Mission"

"The evangelizing mission that Christ entrusted to his disciples requires, above all, hearts that are reconciled and eager for communion." - Pope Leo XIV

World Mission Sunday, which is celebrated this year on October 18, 2026, is a day dedicated to the support of the missionary work of the Church. It is an opportunity for every Catholic church community around the world to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters living in mission territories. Through prayer and sacrificial giving, the day offers each of us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,100 mission dioceses.

World Mission Sunday was established by Pope XI in 1926. For this centennial year, the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV is "One in Christ, United in Mission." In his message for the day, he wrote, "Being a Christian is not primarily about practices or ideas; it is a life in union with Christ, in which we share in his filial relationship with the Father in the Holy Spirit. It means abiding in Christ, like branches on the vine (cf. Jn 15:4), immersed in the life of the Trinity. This union gives rise to mutual communion among believers and is the source of all missionary fruitfulness." – Pope Leo XVI World Mission Sunday Message.

A Missionary Pope

Pope Leo XIV is well familiar with importance of mission work. As an Augustinian priest, he served in Chulucanas, Peru, and later in the mission in Trujillo, Peru. He then served as a missionary bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.

"There are many missionary men and women, but also believers and people of good will, who work in the service of migrants, and promote a new culture of fraternity on the theme of migration, beyond stereotypes and prejudices. But this precious service involves each one of us, within the limits of our own means," Pope Leo said in celebrating the Jubilee of the Missionary World and the Jubilee of Migrants.

"Mission is not so much about 'departing,' but instead 'remaining' in order to proclaim Christ through hospitality and welcome, compassion and solidarity. We are to remain, without fleeing to the comforts of our individualism; to remain so as to look upon those who arrive from lands that are distant and violent; to remain and open our arms and hearts to them, welcoming them as brothers and sisters, and being for them a presence of consolation and hope."

World Mission Sunday Collection

On World Mission Sunday, a collection is held in churches in support of mission work. The collection helps to build up local churches in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands.

Every year, the needs of the Catholic Church in the missions grow, as new dioceses are formed, new seminaries are opened, and as war, natural disasters, or illnesses ravage communities. For new, young or poor dioceses, the collection from World Mission Sunday is essential on their journey to becoming self-sufficient.

The Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States work through local bishops, churches, and missionary congregations to ensure that resources are distributed equitably and justly.