FAQs

The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) are a worldwide network at the service of the Pope to support the missions and the young Churches with prayer and charity. These include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.

The four societies have been “pontifical” since 1922, which indicates their status as official instruments of the Pope and the Universal Catholic Church. In most countries, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies heads the four societies and oversees the World Missions Sunday Collection, which is taken up on the second to last Sunday of October each year in every Catholic parish around the globe.

Throughout the year, the Pontifical Mission Societies support the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of the Church, and the work and witness of mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders. These missionaries reveal the compassionate heart of Jesus through their work, which often involves providing not only spiritual support but also food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions. 

The Pope specifically asks the Pontifical Mission Societies to help bring the messages of Christ to the world, especially in countries where Christianity is new, young, or poor and those places where Jesus has been denied, forgotten, or shunned. The societies care for and support the younger churches until they can be self-sufficient.

The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) are a worldwide network at the service of the Pope to support the missions and the young Churches with prayer and charity. These include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.

The four societies have been “pontifical” since 1922, which indicates their status as official instruments of the Pope and the Universal Catholic Church. In most countries, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies heads the four societies and oversees the World Missions Sunday Collection, which is taken up on the second to last Sunday of October each year in every Catholic parish around the globe.

Two women (Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot and Jeanne Bigard), a Bishop (Msgr. Charles de Forbin-Janson), and a priest (Fr. Paolo Manna) became the charismatic Founders of this great movement for missionary cooperation in the Church, which began in France in the early 19th century.

The TPMS-USA is part of a global network known as The Pontifical Mission Societies, which includes similar organizations in 120 countries around the world, coordinated by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, and presided over by the Pope himself!

TPMS-USA collaborates with the Vatican, missionaries, local communities, and dioceses to identify and support projects that address the specific needs of mission territories, such as catechesis, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social development.

1. Prayer: Pray for the success and safety of missionaries and the communities they serve.
2. Donations: Your financial contributions make a tangible impact on the lives of people in mission territories. Every dollar counts!
3. Spread Awareness: Share our mission with your friends, family, and community. Together, we can make a difference.
4. Volunteer: Explore opportunities to actively engage in missionary activities and support projects for needy people.

TPMS supports the formation of seminarians and religious sisters and brothers, helps build parishes throughout the world, and provides material support for catechists to help them answer the call to make disciples of all nations.

This is our primary mandate, to help the Church in 1,124 territories and dioceses around the world where the faith has yet to take root! However, we do have several mission animation projects in the United States, with invitations for prayer and activities for children so that they can grow in awareness of their brothers and sisters who are materially- and often spiritually, unable to regularly access the Sacraments- less fortunate.

The Superior Council that leads The Pontifical Mission Societies meets every year with the purpose of considering the requests for support from all over the world on the different needs of the young Churches. The funds raised by the faithful of the five continents, particularly during World Mission Sunday (which takes place from the second to the last Sunday of October), are distributed to try and meet the evangelization needs of the Church in mission countries.

National Directors of The Pontifical Mission Societies from 130 countries examine and approve the projects presented annually by the Churches in mission territories, trying to make sure the funds are allocated promptly, transparently, and with the primary intention of answering the call to be Apostles of all nations.

For more information about how the sum of charitable donations raised globally is distributed, click  here.

Yes, you can! Here is the link for you to donate directly to TPMS: https://give.pontificalmissions.org//donate/give?utm_campaign=25-evergreen&utm_medium=web&utm_source=tpms

Your donations help to:

• Build churches. 
• Guarantee the formation of priests and religious men and women during the various stages of their religious life. 
• Sustain dioceses in places where the Church is too young or too poor to be self-sufficient. 
• Finance schools and other facilities aimed at the catechesis of children.

The Pontifical Mission Societies work with the Holy Father to ensure those who need our support and Christian witness throughout the world are reached, serving not one particular mission but the whole Church, to guarantee that “Christian charity truly extends to all.”

EIN/tax ID number: 13-1624191

If you would like to help from outside the United States, you can do so through https://pontificalmissions.org/ways-to-give/choose-your-project. Thank you so much for helping us help missionaries spread the Joy of the Gospel!

Different modes of giving have been made available for your convenience:

Option 1: Outright gift of cash

• Credit card or cash: We offer convenient, secure ways to give:
• Online:  Use our giving form
• Phone: Call us at 212-563-8700
• Check: Make your check payable to The Pontifical Mission Societies and mail to: The Pontifical Mission Societies. 70 W 36th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Gifts made via the United States Postal Service are credited on their postmarked date.
• Electronic transfer of funds or appreciated securities. Please email [email protected].

Option 2: Planned gifts

• WILLS, LIVING TRUSTS, AND BEQUESTS: The easiest and most common form of deferred gift is a charitable bequest in your will or living trust. For sample bequest language or more information, please email [email protected].
• INCOME GIFT: A lifetime income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust, can provide you with fixed payments for life. You can receive tax benefits and deductions as well.
• NONGRANTOR LEAD TRUST: Nongrantor lead trusts support The Pontifical Mission Societies and allow your family to receive the asset with a significantly reduced tax liability.
• RETAINED LIFE ESTATE: You can give a personal residence to The Pontifical Mission Societies but continue to live in it or rent it out during your lifetime. The property is removed from your taxable estate and you receive an immediate federal income tax deduction.

The Advancement Office can help you develop a gift plan that meets your financial and philanthropic goals. For any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].

You can donate through this page. 

Option 4: Choose Your Project

The Pontifical Mission Societies USA’s crowdfunding platform brings you projects that are close to Pope Leo's heart. Visit the Choose my Project page.

You can follow us on our social media to stay updated. You can also visit our Website and subscribe to receive Pope’ daily words!

Social Networks’ links: Facebook –  Instagram – LinkedIn – X (Twitter) – YouTube

You can also follow our weekly Frontiers of Faith podcast and read our quarterly publication, MISSION Magazine.

You can find the financial reports here.

Yes! You can start by contacting your local mission office. You can also send an email to [email protected].

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” Jesus tells us. Starting a local mission group is easy: the key is prayer. Gathering people in prayer for the Pope’s Missions is the essence of what Blessed Pauline envisioned.

Yes! You can reach out to your local Mission office to see what opportunities they have. There are missionaries all over the world who would welcome support from volunteers. But even if you are not ready for such an experience, you can be a volunteer of TPMS by helping spread the word about the need for prayer and the need for material support that the Church in Mission territories has. To find out more about this, please reach out to your Diocesan mission office.

You can also follow in the steps of the founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Blessed Pauline Jaricot, invite your friends to pray daily for the missions and donate regularly.

Last but not least, ensure that your parish has the World Mission Sunday poster displayed and that the priest or deacon preaches about it on the second-to-last Sunday of October.