Message for Missionary Month

In his messages over the years, Pope Francis invited the faithful to dedicate the month of October to prayer and renewed commitment to the Church’s mission. Since October 2019, the universal Church has been called to use this time to rekindle the missionary spirit at the heart of our Christian vocation.

Missionary Month is also the time for the annual worldwide collection requested by the Holy Father, entrusted to the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith. As contributions to this collection have decreased in recent years, we appeal to your generosity and invite every diocese to take up the challenge of increasing their support. These funds provide vital assistance to local Churches in poorer regions that rely on our solidarity and help.

On Sunday, October 19, we will celebrate World Mission Sunday with hearts full of gratitude and missionary zeal. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of this celebration, making this year’s observance an especially fitting occasion to recall its significance.

Each year, the Pope issues a special message for World Mission Sunday, addressed to all the baptized, and chooses a theme to guide our reflection. The theme for 2025 is:

“Missionaries of Hope Among the Nations.”

This call from the late Pope Francis echoes the broader spirit of the Jubilee Year, marked by the motto “Pilgrims of Hope.” Throughout this year, the Church is offering a range of opportunities—pilgrimages, congresses, days of prayer, and moments of renewal—to help us live the Jubilee in joy and active faith, bringing a light of hope to the world in which we live.

Mission is, and always has been, the life and breath of the Church. We are invited to awaken our hearts and communities to live in a constant state of mission. We cannot remain indifferent while there are still men and women—near and far—who have not yet received the great gift of knowing the Good News.

Together with our Holy Father, let us enter this Missionary Month with joyful faith and a spirit of sharing.

Fr. Yoland Ouellet, O.M.I.
National Director, Pontifical Mission Societies (Propagation of the Faith)

Fr. Rodrigo Zuluaga
National Coordinator, Mission Faith

Resources for Missionary Month 2025

To help parishes, groups, and movements across Canada celebrate Missionary Month more deeply, Mission Faith offers a variety of free resources on its website — including daily reflections, inspiring videos, and parish animation tools — all designed to nourish the missionary life of Catholic communities throughout the month.

Visit: missionfoi.ca

Pope Francis’ Message for the 99th World Mission Sunday (2025)

For the 2025 Jubilee Year celebration of World Mission Sunday, whose central message is hope (cf. Bull Spes non confundit, n. 1), Pope Francis chose the theme: “Missionaries of Hope Among the Nations.” This theme is a reminder to every Christian — and to the Church as a community of the baptized — of our fundamental vocation: to follow Christ as messengers and builders of hope. “I wish everyone a time of grace with the faithful God who has given us new birth in the Risen Christ ‘to a living hope’ (1 Pt 1:3–4).”

Read the full message here: Vatican website

What Is Mission Foi? (Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith)

Present in more than 120 countries, this Pontifical Society is the Vatican’s principal organization supporting missionary activity in the poorest local Churches. It fosters global solidarity for the universal mission of evangelization through prayer and sharing. Mission Faith is responsible for coordinating the annual World Mission Sunday collection, a moment when the entire Church celebrates the missionary calling of all the baptized.