Stories

By Alixandra Holden

Each year, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) invites young people across the United States to celebrate Mission Month in October—a special time of prayer, awareness, and action for the Church’s missionary work around the world. This past October, MCA communities from Boston to Los Angeles found creative ways to pray, connect, and share their faith through service and mission.

In Boston, students came together for the Ribbon Project, a colorful display of prayer and solidarity. Using ribbons in the colors of the World Mission Rosary, children wrote intentions for people in need around the globe. Each ribbon represented a prayer, a hope, or a small act of love, reminding all who saw the display that faith in action often begins with the youngest among us.

On the West Coast, MCA members in California gathered on October 9 for their annual World Mission Rosary Prayer Service, uniting schools and parishes across the state in reflection and intercession for missionary children. Together, students prayed for young people in mission territories who benefit from MCA’s global support.

In New Orleans, the joy of mission came to life during Children’s Mission Day, now in its 32nd year. Schools and parishes gathered for a four-hour event that began with Mass and included a Haitian storyteller, mission-education games, and speaker and missionary Sara Garcia, who shared her experiences with children in Uganda. The celebration continued on World Mission Sunday, when Mission Coordinators, advisory boards, Missionaries of St. Thérèse, and others were commissioned by the Archbishop during a televised Mass at St. Louis Cathedral, honoring their dedication to bringing the Gospel to the world.

In the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend, children made more than 1,000 rosaries for the missions, many learning about MCA for the first time. Through this hands-on project, students discovered how their prayers can reach far beyond their classrooms, touching the lives of children around the world. Inspired by this experience, the young missionaries are continuing their efforts during Advent with a special collection to support mission projects.

Throughout the month, schools in Austin, St. Louis, Harrisburg, Arlington, and beyond put faith into action by taking up collections for MCA. Through prayer and generous giving, they helped bring hope to children in mission countries. Using monthly mission education resources available through the National Office, their local diocesan mission offices, and at pontificalmissions.org, students learned about projects supported by MCA and how even small sacrifices can make a big difference.

The celebrations culminated in Los Angeles with the annual MCA Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Led by Archbishop José Gomez and concelebrated by Rev. Rudy Valenzuela, this special liturgy gathered thousands of students to celebrate their role as young missionaries. The joyful event highlighted the generosity and prayerful commitment of children who support hundreds of mission projects each year.

Nationally, the spirit of unity continued with the World Mission Rosary Virtual Prayer Service on October 16, connecting classrooms and families from coast to coast. Praying the World Mission Rosary reminded participants that each decade and color represents a different region of the world. Together, children lifted up prayers for the Church’s mission work in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Asia—fulfilling Venerable Fulton Sheen’s vision of “embracing the world in prayer.”

Adding to the October festivities, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee hosted a World Mission Soup Festival at the School Sisters of St. Francis. The festival featured soups from around the world, a Mission Mass, and live cultural performances that showcased the beauty of the Church’s diversity. Families enjoyed fellowship, faith, and food while supporting missionary efforts, and could even purchase a World Mission T-shirt as a keepsake of the day. This family-friendly celebration was a flavorful reminder that the mission of the Church truly belongs to everyone, everywhere.

As the Church moves forward into November, families and classrooms are encouraged to keep the mission spirit alive year-round. MCA resources, available at pontificalmissions.org, help guide mission education and prayer. Children can also join the annual MCA Artwork Contest, creating pieces that reflect the joy of Jesus’ birth and the call to share God’s love. Through prayer, learning, and giving, young people live out their missionary vocation so that every child, everywhere, may know God’s love.

Even though Mission Month has concluded, the witness of October remains a reminder that missionary discipleship starts in small, prayerful acts. Whether through a ribbon tied in Boston, a prayer whispered in California, a handmade rosary in Indiana, a mission day in New Orleans, a classroom collection in Texas, or a Mass in Los Angeles, the Missionary Childhood Association continues forming young hearts in the United States for a world in need of hope, peace, and faith.