Sunday, October 18, 2026

"One in Christ, United in Mission"

World Mission Day was first established by Pope Pius XI, beginning in October 1927. This year the Church celebrates the 100th World Mission Day on Sunday, October 18, 2026. As the Church prepares to celebrate this day, Pope Leo XIV calls us to unity in Christ, love, and renewed missionary commitment "with joy and zeal in the Holy Spirit" in his first World Mission Sunday Message: “One in Christ, united in mission."

Pope Leo reminds us that "being a Christian is not primarily about practices or ideas; it is a life in union with Christ, in which we share in his filial relationship with the Father in the Holy Spirit. It means abiding in Christ, like branches on the vine (cf. Jn 15:4), immersed in the life of the Trinity." Citing the words of St. Paul—"we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Cor 4:5)—Pope Leo explains, "This process of genuine evangelization begins in the heart of every Christian in order to reach all of humanity. Therefore, the more united we are in Christ, the better able we will be to carry out together the mission that he entrusts to us."

The Holy Father exhorts us, "Let us all commit to contributing to the great mission of evangelization — which is always a work of love —according to our own vocation and the gifts we have received."

Click here to read the entire message.

Learn more about World Mission Sunday 2026.

Resources for World Mission Month

Jesus the Missionary

Except from To the Ends of the Earth: A Pastoral Statement on World Mission.

Jesus was a missionary. As the Word of God, he is the light of all nations. As the Word made flesh, he brought God's own life into our midst. Before returning to the Father, he sent the Church to continue the mission given him by the Father and empowered her with his Spirit: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21).

The Missionary Church

Except from To the Ends of the Earth: A Pastoral Statement on World Mission.

The Church, therefore, is missionary by her very nature. She continues the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit by proclaiming to the ends of the earth the salvation Christ offers those who believe in him. We are faithful to the nature of the Church to the degree that we love and sincerely promote her missionary activity. As teachers and pastors we are responsible for keeping alive a vibrant Catholic missionary spirit in the United States.

Committee Mandate

The Church's mission is to proclaim the salvation of Christ to the ends of the earth. As teachers and pastors, bishops are responsible for promoting Catholic world missions in the United States. The Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis supports initiatives which focus on the Church's world mission by promoting mission education and working collaboratively with the Pontifical Mission Societies and other mission organizations.

Vatican Documents on Mission

Ad Gentes
Evangelii Gaudium
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Redemptoris Missio

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Documents on Mission

Teaching the Spirit of Mission Ad Gentes: Continuing Pentecost Today
Best Practices to Teach the Spirit of Mission

Learn more about mission organizations in the United States.