On World Mission Sunday, October 20, 2024, Pope Francis will recognize several remarkable individuals as saints, including Father Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries. This day is especially significant, as it was Blessed Allamano himself who played a key role in initiating World Mission Sunday nearly a century ago.
The canonization Mass will celebrate the holiness of Canada-born Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis, founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family; eight Franciscan friars and three Maronite laymen martyred in Syria in 1860 and Blessed Elena Guerra, founder of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit.
The Vision Behind World Mission Sunday
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, a Consolata missionary serving in Mongolia, reflected on Father Allamano’s pivotal role in shaping what we now recognize as World Mission Sunday. “In 1925, the year before his death, Father Allamano wrote to the superiors of other Italian missionary institutes, asking what they thought about proposing to the Holy Father a day dedicated to raising awareness for the missions,” Cardinal Marengo shared. The idea was enthusiastically received, but Allamano did not live to see it come to fruition, passing away in 1926. “Just a few years after his death, the Holy Father established the first World Mission Sunday,” Cardinal Marengo explained.
The first World Mission Sunday was held in 1927 under Pope Pius XI. It was established as a day to inspire all Catholics to support the Church’s global mission work, particularly through prayer and financial contributions. Pope Pius XI chose the penultimate Sunday of October for this celebration to emphasize the Church’s missionary efforts during a time of year traditionally associated with harvest and thanksgiving in many parts of the world. This connection reinforces the idea of “harvesting” souls for Christ, linking the temporal and spiritual missions of the Church.
World Mission Sunday also has deeper roots that trace back to Blessed Pauline Jaricot, foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. Established in 1822, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith has overseen the global collection that takes place on this day. Jaricot, herself a laywoman with a deep missionary spirit despite never visiting the missions, understood the importance of mobilizing ordinary Catholics to support missionary work, both spiritually and financially. Her vision laid the groundwork for a day when every parish around the world would unite in support of the missions.
Today, World Mission Sunday continues to serve as a reminder of the universal call to mission. Catholics in every parish worldwide are invited to contribute to the missionary activities of the Church through this collection, which funds vital work in over 1,100 mission territories. It is a day that links the local Church with the global Church in a profound way, echoing Jaricot’s and Allamano’s shared vision of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, is seen in this undated photo. Pope Francis recognized the miracle needed for his canonization May 23, 2024. (CNS photo/courtesy of the Consolata Missionaries)
A Celebration of Mission in Mongolia
For Cardinal Marengo, who serves in one of the world’s youngest mission territories, with a Catholic community of some 1,500 people in the country, the significance of World Mission Sunday is deeply personal. “Here in Mongolia, we celebrate it as an important moment to remind ourselves of the missionary dimension of baptism. Each of us, by virtue of our baptism, is called to be a missionary disciple,” he said. In a country where the Church is still taking root, World Mission Sunday serves as a powerful reminder of the universal call to mission.
Giuseppe Allamano: A Saint for Our Time
But what does Giuseppe Allamano have to say to us today? According to Cardinal Marengo, Allamano’s life offers a profound message for the modern world. “He was a saint in the ordinary, a man who lived in deep union with God, which opened him up to the world,” Marengo reflected. “He always acted discreetly, one of his mottos being to ‘do good well, without making noise.'”
In an age when public recognition and loud voices often dominate the stage, Allamano’s quiet yet impactful approach stands in stark contrast. “I think in a world that is always searching for personalities who speak loudly and make bold statements, a saint like Allamano has much to teach us,” Marengo said.
Allamano’s canonization is a reminder of the profound connection between holiness and mission. As St. John Paul II said, “The true missionary is the saint.” “For us, having our founder canonized and presented to the universal Church as a model of holiness reminds us that mission needs saints—people who allow themselves to be fully transformed by the light of Christ, becoming His witnesses in the world,” Marengo concluded.
As we celebrate World Mission Sunday this year, let us be inspired by the example of St. Giuseppe Allamano. His life reminds us that the call to mission begins with holiness and that each of us, in our own way, is called to participate in the Church’s great mission to bring the Gospel to every corner of the earth.
