Celebrating 100 Years of World Mission Sunday
Thanks to the annual World Mission Sunday (WMS) collections, held on the next-to-last Sunday in October each year (this year, October 18, 2026), approximately 1,030 dioceses in remote and resource-limited areas around the world receive vital support.
Thanks to the annual World Mission Sunday (WMS) collections, held on the next-to-last Sunday in October each year (this year, October 18, 2026), approximately 1,030 dioceses in remote and resource-limited areas around the world receive vital support.
These funds help to support the building of churches and schools, provide tuition assistance for Catholic school students and seminarians, and support communities of women religious in their ongoing formation and mission work.
During the November 2025 meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cardinal Timothy Dolan spoke to all bishops present and urged them to surpass the all-time WMS collection in the coming year. Across the U.S., this goal would require an increase of 300 percent, based on recent collections.
In the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, we have witnessed growing generosity towards the missions, with increased WMS and Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP) collections in recent years.
The theme for the 100th Anniversary of World Mission Sunday is “One in Christ, united in mission.” Please prayerfully consider how you will support this year’s World Mission Sunday collection this fall.
To read the message from Pope Leo XIV for this year’s celebration, click here.
