SCRANTON – Since 2020, the Diocese of Scranton has raised $1,016,918.19 to support mission territories around the world! This impressive total comes from participation in three programs of the Pontifical Mission Societies: World Mission Sunday, the Missionary Cooperative Plan, and the Missionary Childhood Association. Each of these offers us a unique way to live out our faith by supporting those who serve in some of the poorest and most remote areas of the world.
World Mission Sunday, celebrated each October, unites Catholics worldwide in prayer and solidarity for the Church’s mission efforts. Contributions support over 1,100 mission dioceses in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and remote regions of Latin America. These funds help build churches, train seminarians, support religious sisters, and provide education, healthcare, and pastoral outreach.
The Missionary Cooperative Plan invites missionaries from around the world to visit parishes in our Diocese each summer. Through personal stories and firsthand witness, the parishioners gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced in mission territories. Special collections taken during these visits go directly to the missionaries’ home dioceses or religious communities, supporting essential work in evangelization and humanitarian aid.
The Missionary Childhood Association helps form a missionary spirit in young Catholics through education, prayer, and sacrifice. With the motto of “children helping children,” many of our Catholic schools and parish religious education programs participate in the Missionary Childhood Association. Their support funds schools, orphanages, clinics, and catechetical programs for children in mission lands.
Crossing the million-dollar mark isn’t just a cause for celebration – it’s a reminder of who we are. We are a missionary Church, rooted in love and sent to serve. Thank you for saying “yes” to that call, and for being the hands and heart of Christ reaching out to the world.