On February 5, Father Anthony Andreassi C.O., National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, visited St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, to address some 90 seminarians from 20 dioceses across the Midwest. His visit follows a similar engagement on January 29 at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he spoke to an audience of 80, including seminarians from Africa, China, and Vietnam who are preparing to serve either in American dioceses or in their home countries.
These visits are part of a broader initiative by The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) to reinvigorate missionary awareness among priests, deacons, and seminarians. With the approval of its Board of Directors, TPMS has made it a strategic priority to reach out to seminaries, ensuring that future pastors are well-versed in the critical role of the Church in the United States in supporting the missions, as well as the essential work of TPMS in sustaining the Church in mission territories.
Father Joseph Taphorn, rector of St. Paul Seminary, introduced Father Andreassi by highlighting the significance of the seminary’s connection to the missions, particularly through the legacy of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. “If I call him our most famous alumnus, it is because he was one of the greatest missionary voices of the Church in the United States. He inspired generations of Catholics to support the missions, and his legacy continues to shape missionary outreach today,” Father Taphorn noted.
Father Joseph Taphorn, rector of St. Paul Seminary, introduced Father Andreassi.
Father Andreassi’s talk at St. Paul Seminary not only provided a historical perspective on the Church’s evangelization efforts but also emphasized the contemporary realities of missionary work. A central theme of his address was the legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen—perhaps the seminary’s most famous alumnus—who once served as the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
“The Church in the United States has a long history of missionary generosity, and Archbishop Fulton Sheen was at the forefront of that movement. His vision and leadership inspired countless Catholics to support the missions, and that same spirit is what we seek to rekindle today,” Father Andreassi said. Under Sheen’s leadership, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith raised the equivalent of approximately $80 million annually in today’s dollars, significantly more than the $25 million currently collected.
Another key point Father Andreassi raised was the global reality of the Church’s mission. He shared an insight from Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, highlighting the immense challenge of evangelization in Asia, where Catholics make up only 4% of the continent’s 4.7 billion people. Half of those Catholics live in the Philippines, underscoring the urgent need for missionary outreach across Asia and other mission territories.
In addition to these historical and global perspectives, Father Andreassi spoke about the vital role of World Mission Sunday, a papally mandated collection held on the second-to-last Sunday of October. This global initiative supports the Universal Solidarity Fund, which aids dioceses in mission territories through funding for seminaries, catechesis programs, and pastoral projects.
“World Mission Sunday is a reminder that the Church’s missionary mandate is not optional—it is essential. Even the poorest Catholic communities, like those in Malawi, contribute to the universal solidarity fund because they know that the Gospel must be shared with all,” he noted.
The seminary outreach effort is being supported by the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, who has issued a formal letter of support to seminary rectors, encouraging them to invite TPMS to speak to their students. The next stop in this initiative will be a visit to St. Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland later this winter.
By engaging seminarians during their formation, The Pontifical Mission Societies aim to instill a lifelong commitment to the missionary work of the Church. “As future pastors, you will have the responsibility to cultivate a missionary heart in your parishes. The missions are not a distant concern; they are at the very core of our faith, and every parish has a role to play in supporting them,” Father Andreassi emphasized.
The words of Archbishop Fulton Sheen continue to resonate: “The spirit of the priesthood is the spirit of mission.” Through this renewed outreach, TPMS is ensuring that this spirit remains alive and active in the next generation of priests.
