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PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith was founded in 1822 on the initiative of a young French laywomen, Pauline Marie Jaricot. Pauline was committed to increasing awareness of the formation of missionaries in remote areas of the world.
Pauline Jaricot was born into a wealthy family in Lyon, France in 1799. She could have lived a life of privilege but instead committed herself to raising funds and awareness for the world missions. Pauline appealed to girls who were working in her brother-in-law’s factory to make a contribution of one penny a week to help support abandoned children in China. Others soon joined to help support the missions and in 1822, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith began which grew to become the universal fundraising organisation for all Catholic missions.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by Propagation of the Faith.
MISSIONARY CHILDREN
The Society of the Holy Childhood - known in Scotland as Missionary Children - was founded in France in 1843 by Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson who had always
had a keen interest in the missions. He received letters from missionaries in China requesting help to save abandoned babies. Bishop Charles met with Pauline Jaricot for advice on how to raise funds. Pauline gave him the idea to start a children’s charity and so, in 1843, he called upon the children of France to help save the children of China.
Bishop Charles asked the children of France to become Missionary Children by saying a Hail Mary every day and giving a small coin every month to help feed children of China. Their motto of 'Children helping Children,' which is still used to this day and their work has spread across 120 countries. Funds raised by school children are directed towards self-help programs involving the building of schools, the provision of health
and nutrition programs and supplying teaching and learning resources.
Children in communities, orphanages, homes for the disabled, refugees, and those living on the streets are assisted by the generosity of children who wish to carry on the work of Bishop Charles.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by Missionary Children.
ST PETER THE APOSTLE
The Society of St Peter the Apostle was founded in France in 1889 by two laywomen - Jeanne Bigard and her mother Stephanie Mother and daughter overcame personal tragedies and dedicated themselves working for the missions. In 1888, the Bigards were approached by a French missionary working in Japan who asked for their assistance to build a Church. They sold some of their possessions and raised enough funds to complete the building of the Church. A year later, the Bishop of Nagasaki turned to them for assistance for support of his seminarians. The St Peter the Apostle Society was born, a society that supports and promotes the formation of local clergy in the missions.
The Bigards travelled throughout France promoting the work of the society raising funds to support seminaries in mission dioceses where the church was young.
The Society of St Peter the Apostle trains young men and women in their own countries and cultures to serve their people as religious sisters, brothers, or priests. It also assists in the formation and training of catechists.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by St Peter the Apostle.
MISSIONARY UNION
The Pontifical Missionary Union, the most recent of the Pontifical Mission Societies, was founded by by Fr Paolo Manna in Italy in 1917. Fr Paolo encouraged those already
engaged in the work of the Church to support the work of the missions and
to consider becoming missionaries themselves.
He founded the Missionary Union of Clergy to raise awareness of the missions among priests and to encourage prayer for them. Fr Paulo hoped that leaders within the Church would inspire lay people to pray for the success of missionaries.
Today the Union has spread all over the world and its members include both religious and laity.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by Pontifical Missionary Union.
Missionary Societies, which in time became a network spread throughout the world, mirror in their own structure the variety of accents, situations, problems, and gifts that characterise the life of the Church in the various parts of the world.
In 2022, three of the four Pontifical Mission Societies will mark important anniversaries.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith will be 200 years old. Additionally, along with the Society of The Holy Childhood and the Society for St Peter the Apostle, all three societies will be celebrating 100 years of being designated as Pontifical.
In this short video, the Most Rev Giampetro Dal Toso - President of the PMS, talks of the impact the societies have on growing the universal church.
GRATEFUL FOR THE PAST
The Pontifical Mission Societies are a worldwide network of prayer and charity at the service of the Holy Father, in his support of missionary activity and young churches in mission lands.
There are four Pontifical Mission Societies. The Society of the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of the Holy Childhood and the Society of St. Peter the Apostle were born in the 19th century, two from the initiatives of women who were passionate about mission. The fourth Society, the Pontifical Missionary Union, was born in the early 1900s.
COMMITTED IN THE PRESENT
The PMS are at the service of the Church and offer every person the opportunity to live their faith by sharing it with others and experiencing its universality.
HEADING TOWARD A FUTURE OF HOPE
Prayer, faith and charity are the means by which the PMS offer to live a missionary and universal faith.
Wherever the Church is present, we are there, meaning we can reach out across five continents to support over 1,100 mission dioceses.
OUR FOUR PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
GRATEFUL FOR THE PAST
The Pontifical Mission Societies are a worldwide network of prayer and charity at the service of the Holy Father, in his support of missionary activity and young churches in mission lands.
COMITTED TO THE FUTURE
There are four Pontifical Mission Societies. The Society of the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of the Holy Childhood and the Society of St. Peter the Apostle were born in the 19th century, two from the initiatives of women who were passionate about mission. The fourth Society, the Pontifical Missionary Union, was born in the early 1900s.
GRATEFUL FOR THE PAST
The Pontifical Mission Societies are a worldwide network of prayer and charity at the service of the Holy Father, in his support of missionary activity and young churches in mission lands.
There are four Pontifical Mission Societies. The Society of the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of the Holy Childhood and the Society of St. Peter the Apostle were born in the 19th century, two from the initiatives of women who were passionate about mission. The fourth Society, the Pontifical Missionary Union, was born in the early 1900s.
COMMITTED IN THE PRESENT
The PMS are at the service of the Church and offer every person the opportunity to live their faith by sharing it with others and experiencing its universality.
PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith was founded in 1822 on the initiative of a young French laywomen, Pauline Marie Jaricot. Pauline was committed to increasing awareness of the formation of missionaries in remote areas of the world.
Pauline Jaricot was born into a wealthy family in Lyon, France in 1799. She could have lived a life of privilege but instead committed herself to raising funds and awareness for the world missions. Pauline appealed to girls who were working in her brother-in-law’s factory to make a contribution of one penny a week to help support abandoned children in China. Others soon joined to help support the missions and in 1822, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith began which grew to become the universal fundraising organisation for all Catholic missions.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by Propagation of the Faith.
MISSIONARY CHILDREN
The Society of the Holy Childhood - known in Scotland as Missionary Children - was founded in France in 1843 by Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson who had always
had a keen interest in the missions. He received letters from missionaries in China requesting help to save abandoned babies. Bishop Charles met with Pauline Jaricot for advice on how to raise funds. Pauline gave him the idea to start a children’s charity and so, in 1843, he called upon the children of France to help save the children of China.
Bishop Charles asked the children of France to become Missionary Children by saying a Hail Mary every day and giving a small coin every month to help feed children of China. Their motto of 'Children helping Children,' which is still used to this day and their work has spread across 120 countries. Funds raised by school children are directed towards self-help programs involving the building of schools, the provision of health
and nutrition programs and supplying teaching and learning resources.
Children in communities, orphanages, homes for the disabled, refugees, and those living on the streets are assisted by the generosity of children who wish to carry on the work of Bishop Charles.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by Missionary Children.
ST PETER THE APOSTLE
The Society of St Peter the Apostle was founded in France in 1889 by two laywomen - Jeanne Bigard and her mother Stephanie Mother and daughter overcame personal tragedies and dedicated themselves working for the missions. In 1888, the Bigards were approached by a French missionary working in Japan who asked for their assistance to build a Church. They sold some of their possessions and raised enough funds to complete the building of the Church. A year later, the Bishop of Nagasaki turned to them for assistance for support of his seminarians. The St Peter the Apostle Society was born, a society that supports and promotes the formation of local clergy in the missions.
The Bigards travelled throughout France promoting the work of the society raising funds to support seminaries in mission dioceses where the church was young.
The Society of St Peter the Apostle trains young men and women in their own countries and cultures to serve their people as religious sisters, brothers, or priests. It also assists in the formation and training of catechists.
Learn more about the Missio projects funded by St Peter the Apostle.
Missionary Societies, which in time became a network spread throughout the world, mirror in their own structure the variety of accents, situations, problems, and gifts that characterise the life of the Church in the various parts of the world.
In 2022, three of the four Pontifical Mission Societies will mark important anniversaries.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith will be 200 years old. Additionally, along with the Society of The Holy Childhood and the Society for St Peter the Apostle, all three societies will be celebrating 100 years of being designated as Pontifical.
In this short video, the Most Rev Giampetro Dal Toso - President of the PMS, talks of the impact the societies have on growing the universal church.
OUR FOUR PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
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