World Mission Sunday: Answering the Call to Share the Gospel
World Mission Sunday, celebrated this year on October 20, 2024, unites Catholics worldwide in the mission to share the message of Christ with all people. Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, this special day highlights the Church’s global commitment to evangelization, encouraging the faithful to engage in prayer, solidarity, and financial support for missionary efforts in places where the Gospel is not yet well known or where the Church is still growing.
A Call to Action
The theme for World Mission Sunday 2024 is “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt. 22:9). This theme reflects the Church’s mission to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone, echoing Jesus’ invitation to His feast. The theme serves as a powerful reminder that the invitation to encounter Christ is intended for every person, regardless of nationality, culture, or social status. Each of us is called to be an instrument of this divine invitation.
The Purpose of World Mission Sunday
World Mission Sunday has several vital objectives:
1. Raising Awareness of Missionary Work: This day helps Catholics recognize the immense missionary activity taking place globally. Catholic missionaries dedicate themselves to sharing the Gospel while serving those suffering from poverty, conflict, and other hardships. The Church reminds the faithful of the importance of these efforts, which strengthen the Church and serve those in need.
2. Encouraging Prayer for Missionaries: A central focus of World Mission Sunday is to pray for the success of missionary work and the safety and perseverance of missionaries serving in challenging or even dangerous environments. Our prayers support their efforts and remind us of the spiritual connection we share with those carrying out the Church’s mission across the globe.
3. Supporting the Pontifical Mission Societies: Each year, World Mission Sunday includes a special collection that supports the Pontifical Mission Societies, which assist in the proclamation of the Gospel and provide crucial resources for mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders. Through their work, they offer food, education, and medical care to vulnerable communities, revealing the compassionate heart of Jesus. By contributing, Catholics directly support the Church’s global outreach.
Local Funds Support Global Initiatives
Monsignor Robert J. Fuhrman, Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of Newark and Pastor of Saint Philomena Church in Livingston, emphasizes the significance of World Mission Sunday in inspiring Catholics everywhere to support mission work.
“There is joy and a bond of peace when one supports the Mission Church,” Monsignor Fuhrman said. “The success of the World Mission Sunday Appeal largely depends on the pastor’s support and communication of this message to the parish family.”
Funds collected on World Mission Sunday significantly contribute to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith’s General Fund, providing subsidies for over 1,100 mission dioceses and territories worldwide. As described by Pope Saint John Paul II, it is a “central fund of solidarity,” where offerings are distributed in the Pope’s name to support missionaries and missions worldwide.
“When I started this work more than 30 years ago, my predecessor, Monsignor Robert Duffy, often stressed the importance of the General Fund. It is a fountain of life for the Church in many places,” Monsignor Fuhrman added.
Monsignor Fuhrman serves as a vital connection between the Archdiocese and mission territories. He helps to support missionaries like Father Martin Prado, IVE, in Papua New Guinea and Sister Anila Christy, D.M., in India.
Father Prado, who lives in a remote jungle hut, recently installed solar panels to light a small library in his village, which has no electricity, thanks to the financial support of parishioners of the Archdiocese of Newark. Sister Anila, a member of the Daughters of Mary, serves with her religious community to run three residences for homeless and mentally ill women in Tamil Nadu, India, restoring their dignity through their ministry.
On World Mission Sunday, Monsignor Fuhrman encourages all to give sacrificially and pray for the global Church, emphasizing the opportunity to express solidarity with those in need. “Catholics in the United States have much to offer the Mission Church,” he said. “Our regular prayers and solidarity with ‘young Churches’—those with a faith established less than a century ago—are invaluable.”
Testimonies from Missionaries
As a leader in mission work and former Assistant National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S. from 2010 to 2014, Monsignor Fuhrman has formed a deep bond with missionaries worldwide. Recently, when he reached out to several missionaries on behalf of Jersey Catholic, they provided compelling testimonies of their commitment to serving communities in need and the importance of World Mission Sunday:
Bishop Andrew J. Karnley of Cape Palmas, Liberia, highlighted the significance of World Mission Sunday for U.S. Catholics.
“The participation of the Church in the United States in this campaign is a great opportunity to be in prayerful and financial solidarity with Catholics in other parts of the world who are less privileged, especially those who are victims of war, health pandemics, underdevelopment, and climate change,” he said.
According to Bishop Dennis Kofi Agbenyadzi, SMA, of the Diocese of Berberati in the Central African Republic, “World Mission Sunday reminds all the baptized of our role in proclaiming and witnessing God’s Word, according to the graces we receive.” He noted that in regions torn by crises, “the local Church recognizes the need for human reconstruction as a pastoral approach, striving to be a healing presence for those dealing with trauma.” Bishop Agbenyadzi emphasized that this day encourages “generous support for Churches in need, especially in difficult mission areas.”
Sister Regina Mgbakor of Maranatha Caring Mission, a rural Nigerian medical mission that restores eyesight to the poor who are particularly vulnerable to river blindness, expressed profound gratitude for the support and generosity of the people of the Archdiocese of Newark.
“Our mission is an ongoing free medical hospital that restores sight to impoverished Nigerians, including children, suffering from various eye problems,” Sister Regina explained. “The people of God in the Archdiocese of Newark have supported Maranatha Caring Mission through their prayers and generous financial support. Their unwavering generosity over the years has enabled us to perform 670 free cataract and pterygium surgeries, provide medical care to 68,980 patients, and distribute 5,166 pairs of eyeglasses over the past seven years.”
“We are profoundly grateful to Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., and Monsignor Robert J. Fuhrman, Archdiocesan Director of the Propagation of the Faith Office, and the people of the Newark Archdiocese,” Sister Regina wrote. “Thank you from all of us at Maranatha Caring Mission. God bless you for all you do!”
Embracing Our Mission
Pope Francis frequently reminds us that the Church is “missionary by nature.” Every Christian, by virtue of their baptism, is called to participate in this mission.
This year, Pope Francis, in his message for World Mission Sunday 2024, invites the faithful to reflect on the theme “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt 22:9). This emphasizes the Church’s mission to be a welcoming, inclusive community, where all are invited to share in God’s love and grace. Whether serving directly in mission territories or supporting through prayer and giving, we all share in the call to “go and invite everyone to the banquet.”
Read: Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Faithful for World Mission Sunday 2024: World Mission Day Message (English), World Mission Day Message (Español)
On this special day, we are invited to respond to this call with renewed enthusiasm, and we are reminded that our contributions—whether through prayer, financial offerings, or acts of service—are vital in spreading the Gospel and supporting those who dedicate their lives to missionary work. Through our collective generosity, we participate in God’s mission of bringing hope, mercy, and faith to every corner of the world.
To learn more about the Archdiocese of Newark’s Pontifical Mission Societies: The Office for the Propagation of the Faith, Holy Childhood Association, The Society of St. Peter the Apostle, and Missionary Union of Priests and Religious, click here.
For more information about World Mission Sunday, visit the websites of The Pontifical Mission Societies or The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Photos courtesy of Monsignor Robert Fuhrman
Featured Image: Bishop Dennis Kofi Agbenyadzi, SMA, Diocese of Berberati, Central African Republic; Bishop Henry Aruna, Diocese of Kenema, Sierra Leone; Monsignor Robert Fuhrman, Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of Newark; Bishop Andrew J. Karnley, Diocese of Cape Palmas, Liberia
