THE SOCIETIES

The Society for
the Propagation
of the Faith

Our story begins in France in the early 19th century. Pauline Marie Jaricot, inspired by letters from her brother Phileas about the missions, starts to gather small groups —mostly workers from her family’s silk mill. She asked each member of the group to offer daily prayer and a weekly sacrifice of a sou (the equivalent of a penny at that time) for the Church’s worldwide missionary work. Pauline insisted that her efforts were meant to be directed at all the missions of the Universal Church.

Out of Pauline’s vision, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was born. The very first collection of the Propagation of the Faith in 1822 supported the vast diocese of Louisiana, which then extended from the Florida Keys to Canada, as well as the missions of Kentucky and China.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith continues to revive the missionary ardor of Christian communities and individual faithful through missions around the world, now present in 1,100 dioceses across Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and in remote regions of Latin America.

Blessed Pauline Jaricot - TPMS

Their goal is to offer and provide support for pastoral and evangelistic programmes, catechists and catechetical work, the building of new churches, health care, education, communication and transport needs.

The Society
of St. Peter
the Apostle

The family of help for the Missions grew as the 19th century was drawing to a close. Jeanne Bigard, and her mother, Stephanie, received a letter from a French bishop serving in Japan. He shared the news that more than 50 young men were preparing for the priesthood and also mentioned the obstacles and difficulties he was enduring in providing for them and trying to accommodate the growing number of young men applying for admission to the seminary. Stephanie and Jeanne began gathering funds to support those seminarians. In 1889, they established the Society of St. Peter Apostle to support mission vocations, both priestly and Religious.

In the first year of its foundation, the Society of St. Peter Apostle aided approx. 2,700 seminarians.

Jeanne Bigard - Illustration - TPMS

Today, near 28,000 major seminarians, mostly in Asia and Africa, receive an average annual subsidy of $700 per student. The assistance enhances all men and women Religious novices.

The Missionary
Childhood
Association (MCA)

More than a decade before Pauline Jaricot envisioned the idea for the Propagation of the Faith, a young French nobleman – Charles de Forbin-Janson – was ordained a priest. His goal was to work with the poorest of the world’s children in the Missions.

One day in 1843, now Bishop Forbin-Janson had a talk with Pauline Jaricot about his long-time ago dream. In the course of the conversation, she suggested that he appeal to the children of France to help children around the world. As a consequence of this meeting, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) was born. Today, MCA continues to follow the vision of Bishop Forbin-Janson – “children helping children” – as children pray and sacrifice for their brothers and sisters in need around the world.

Charles de Forbin-Janson_V2 (1)

Each year, support from MCA provides for more than 2 million children who are enrolled in catechesis and Christian formation programs, as well as more than 600,000 children from nursery school to secondary school. Additional help has been sent for more than 700,000 children benefiting from programs for “protection of life.” This aid includes health care (basic, rehabilitation, children with disabilities and special needs), advocacy (orphaned children, street children, child soldiers, human trafficking), and outreach (food, water).

The Missionary
Union

Our story takes us now to Italy and a new century. Father Paolo Manna, a PIME missionary, establishes the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious in 1916. Known today simply as the Missionary Union, this spiritual apostolate supports those engaged in catechesis and religious educations to help Catholics to better understand their baptismal responsibility for the Church’s missionary work.

Three of these four societies received the official title of “Pontifical” in 1922, and their central administration was transferred to Rome to assist the Pope in his outreach to the Missions. The Missionary Union was declared Pontifical in 1956.

Paolo Manna_V2 (1)

Missio.org

Missio is TPMS’s crowd funding platform that digitally connects donors with current and emerging projects in the Pope’s missions. This platform, officially launched by Pope Francis, allows donors to pool their resources for greater impact.

Once a project is funded, the donations are directly sent to the beneficiaries through the Nunciature when one is available, and partner organizations working on the ground if the project is to benefit a population afflicted by war or a natural disaster.