It’s World Mission Sunday  

A call to play a role in the great work of mission.

World Mission Sunday is celebrated on 22 October 2023 when all Churches throughout the world come together to support mission.

This annual observance was instituted in 1926 by Pope Pius XI’s Papal decree. Every year since then, the universal Church has dedicated the month of October to reflect and pray on the importance of mission work. On World Mission Sunday, Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist and to contribute to a collection for the work of evangelisation around the world. It reminds us that we are one with the Church around the world and that we are all committed to carrying on the mission of Christ, however different our situations may be.

This year, Pope Francis calls us to reflect on the theme for 2023: “Hearts on Fire, Feet on the move” inspired by the Emmaus story in Luke’s Gospel. In his World Mission Message, Pope Francis highlights the story of the hearts of the disciples being downcast on their way to Emmaus to proclaim that the Lord had truly risen. He says, “The Lord is greater than all our problems, above all if we encounter them in our mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. For in the end, this mission is his and we are nothing more than his humble co-workers, “useless servants” (cf. Lk 17:10).

Pope Francis has asked, all of us in Australia to support the work of Catholic Mission – the Pope’s International mission agency, which this month is supporting the missionary work of  the Salesian Sisters in Venilale in north-east of Timor-Leste.

Please give generously now.

Read His Holiness’ message for World Mission Sunday here