Pope’s World Mission Sunday video, plus a reflection on missions

Ahead of World Mission Sunday, which will be celebrated on October 19, 2025, Pope Leo is making a historic and heartfelt appeal to Catholics around the world. You may watch the video below:

Jersey Catholic asked Monsignor Robert J. Fuhrman, Director of Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of Newark, to share his thoughts on the importance of missions:

A reflection on the Missions for World Mission Sunday 2025

Prayer and sacrifice for the missions are central ingredients of the Catholic Faith. Mission Dioceses are in many parts of the world, and most of them are far away. The most numerous are found in the African continent, India, southeast Asia, and the thousands of islands of Oceania. There are more than 1,100 mission dioceses and territories in the world.

I think we Americans can well appreciate the needs of the missions, since we deal with some similar issues. We struggle for lack of vocations, fewer resources, the need for evangelization, the loss of Catholic schools… these issues challenge authentic Catholicism. In the missions, there are often vocations in abundance. But there may also be persecution, poverty, and civil war. I read reports every week of the killings or kidnapping of local priests in parts of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and more. There are acts of terrorism and intolerance.

Since the day Jesus said that we are to go into the world and make disciples for him, we became missionaries! While each of us has a parish that is our spiritual home, we are also part of the worldwide parish that we call the missions. This opens our heart and mind. Personally, this work has been one of the very greatest blessings of my priestly life.

Msgr. Robert J. Fuhrman has directed the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of Newark since 1993, except for a four-year term (2010-14) as assistant national director of the Societies in New York City. He has been the pastor of Saint Philomena Parish, Livingston, since 2014.

About World Mission Sunday

World Mission Sunday is the only collection mandated by Canon Law (Can. 791) to be held in every parish, in every country. Overseen by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, the yearly collection supports:

1. The formation of 82,498 seminarians
2. The missionary work of 258,540 religious sisters
3. The training of 844,000 catechists
4. The care provided by 12,000 health clinics
5. The outreach of 8,750 orphanages and homes for the elderly
6. And the building of 570 new churches

This year’s theme—“Missionaries of Hope Among the Peoples”—was chosen by Pope Francis before his death and now takes on new meaning under the leadership of his missionary successor.

For more information about World Mission Sunday, visit the websites of The Pontifical Mission Societies or The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Featured image: Pope Leo XIV is seen in a screen grab from his video appeal Oct. 13, 2025, asking Catholic parishes around the world to observe World Mission Sunday Oct. 19 and to support the missions with their prayers and financial contributions. (CNS photo/screen grab, Vatican Media)