Propagation of the Faith

Mission Statement

We believe that our mandate to bring the Good News of Jesus to all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church. The universal missionary effort of the Catholic Church is supported by the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) wrote: “Evangelization takes place in obedience to the missionary mandate of Jesus: “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). In these verses we see how the risen Christ sent his followers to preach the Gospel in every time and place, so that the faith in him might spread to every corner of the earth” (#9).

In light of Christ’s mandate, the Diocesan Mission Office supports missionaries in their work of proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Mission Office motivates the Church of Rochester to support the worldwide work of the Missionary Church through prayer and sacrificial giving. Material support is provided through various diocesan appeals and through the four (4) Pontifical Mission Societies:

The Society of the Propagation of the Faith: Founded in 1822 by Pauline Marie Jaricot a young woman from France who inspired by letters from her brother Phileas developed a plan for supporting the missions worldwide. She gathered small groups of ten workers from her family’s silk mill to pray daily and give the equivalent of one penny a week. They in turn were to recruit ten more friends and so on. Today the money raised supports pastoral and evangelizing programs in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Latin America.
Missionary Childhood Association: Founded in 1843 by French Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson this society teaches children to have a missionary heart. Devastated by the news of abandoned infants in China, Bishop Forbin-Janson sought a plan to help children in mission territories. Inspired by a conversation with Pauline Marie Jaricot he asked children in France to pray one Hail Mary daily and give a small coin each month. The motto “Children helping children” continues today. Young people from 130 countries in Catholic schools and parish faith formation programs learn how to become missionary disciples as they pray, sacrifice and give for children in 1,150 mission territories throughout the world.
St. Peter the Apostle: Founded in 1889 by two French women, Jeanne Bigard and her mother, Stephanie who received a letter from a French bishop serving in Japan. He shared the news that more than fifty young men were preparing for the priesthood but had financial difficulties. Today money is raised to fund the formation of seminarians and women religious in missions.
Pontifical Missionary Union: Established in 1916 by an Italian missionary Fr.Paolo Manna whose goal was to educate people on the work of the missions and missionaries. Today this society provides resources to increase and support the missionary spirit of spreading the faith and Gospel.

Diocesan Mission Sunday is celebrated on the third Sunday in May. The faithful pray and raise money to support our missionary Sisters of St. Joseph in Brazil and Sisters of Mercy in Chile.

The Missionary Cooperation Plan:

In the summer months we welcome missionaries from mission dioceses, missionary societies of religious men and women, and lay mission groups to make an appeal in our parishes. Letters of request for participation in the Missionary Cooperation Plan should be sent to the Propagation of the Faith Director during the prior year. They are best sent between the months of June and October to provide enough time for processing and evaluation.

World Mission Sunday is celebrated the second from the last Sunday in October and is a worldwide effort to support the Pope’s missionary efforts throughout the world.

Mass Stipends:

The office is happy to receive Mass intentions which we then send to priests in our diocese and other countries. We encourage parishes, and individuals who would like to have a Mass said for a loved one, to send stipends to the Propagation of the Faith Office.

Additional Gifts:

The mission office strives to raise awareness of the real needs in mission territories and our Baptismal call to make Christ known in word and deed. In this light we are happy to accept additional monetary gifts in the form of general donations and bequests from wills if your heart is so moved.

For more details on the National and internation Pontifical Mission Societies, please visit https://onefamilyinmission.org

The Pontifical Mission Societies

Mission Statement