Office of The Pontifical Mission Societies

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The Diocese of Little Rock participates and supports activities and programs of the national office of The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS), which include World Mission Sunday, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Missionary Cooperation Plan and the Missionary Childhood Association. TPMS are the pope’s official support organizations for international missionary work. TPMS are under the direct canonical jurisdiction of the pope, who reminds the faithful of their baptismal call to mission. | FAQ | Donate

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World Mission Sunday (WMS)

World Mission Sunday (WMS) is the only worldwide collection mandated by the Code of Canon Law for all dioceses throughout the world. It is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. The WMS celebration highlights the outreach of local churches through priests, religious and laity among the poor and marginalized half a world away.

WMS is celebrated annually on the next-to-the last Sunday every October. Your prayers and generous financial support directly benefit the mission church, and helps deepen your relationship with Jesus by helping so many missionaries around the world.

What happens to the WMS collection?

• After placing your envelope in the collection basket, your pastor sends your parish's offering to our office at the diocese.
• Our office then sends all Arkansas parish donations to TPMS’ national office in New York City.
• Each spring, TPMS’ national directors travel to Rome to meet other national directors from around the world. At this meeting, all directors report on the offerings made by the faithful of their countries.
• Your offerings bring with it the good news of Jesus Christ and his message of peace and hope. $25 supports a mission catechist for one month. $100 provides for the work of religious sisters or is a month’s help for a village mission. But your prayers are your most treasured gift to the missions.

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Society for the Propagation of the Faith (SPOF)

The diocese's Society for the Propagation of the Faith (SPOF) strives to inform the Catholic community in Arkansas of the life and needs of the Catholic Church in the missions through the Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP), and encourage prayer and financial assistance to mission countries. Through the offerings from our Catholic faithful, the SPOF provides support in pastoral programs, evangelistic efforts, assistance in education of the underserved, care of poor children and orphanages and aid in health care to those in most need in 1,100 foreign missions.

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Missionary Cooperative Plan (MCP)

Each year, our office considers applications for the Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP). Parishes are contacted about their interest in hosting a visiting missionary during the months of January to August for a weekend mission appeal. These missionaries share stories of their mission activities and ask for our prayers and financial support. They come from mission dioceses, mission societies and religious congregations from all over the world.

To Apply

A missionary group applying for the MCP must provide the following:

• A letter of inclusion to MCP must be received no later than Sept. 30 each year. An organization seeking to participate must be a recognized Roman Catholic missionary society in good standing with the U.S. Society for the Propagation of the Faith serving one or more foreign countries.
• The letter must be signed by the diocesan bishop, religious superior or official representative of the mission group on official letterhead with the diocesan/religious group’s official seal stating the needs of the organization and how monies will be used.
• The name of the designated contact person must be available in the United States, including address, telephone and email.
• Immigration status of missionary speakers
• A copy of the "Official Catholic Directory" or "Anuario Pontificio" ("Pontifical Yearbook") listing the diocese or religious order
• A formal letter of suitability for each priest/religious/speaker by the official representative of the diocese/order/religious superior

If Selected

If selected, the organization must provide the following:

• Current letters of suitability (letter of good standing) for each priest/religious participating in the MCP. Besides the standard information, these letters MUST STATE the purpose of the visit (MCP mission appeal), dates visiting, names of the parishes and their locations
• W9 for non-religious priests (eligible for stipend/if applicable)
• A bank letter is REQUIRED for international wires (if applicable)

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Missionary Childhood Association (MCA)

The Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) is one of the four pontifical mission societies with the mandate of educating children about their part in the Church’s missionary work (also known as “Children Helping Children").

The MCA focuses on the spread of the Gospel and the importance of prayer (including praying the World Mission Rosary) and helps to instill a desire to spread the healing message of Jesus to those who need it most in missionary lands. Catholic children worldwide are taught, as part of their faith formation, to heed the words of Jesus when he said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) MCA members are asked to walk in faithful solidarity with children in Africa, Asia, Latin and South America and the Pacific Islands.

Prayer

Children learn about their brothers and sisters around the world who cannot count on the things we take for granted such as healthy food, medicine and education, and the knowledge that God loves them.

Sacrifice

Each MCA member is asked to spend some time each year financially sacrificing to help make a difference in the lives of mission children. The MCA provides a “Mite Box” as a way for a child to save his/her donation for the missions. Contributions should come from child’s own sacrifice of time, talent and treasure (doing chores, saving on treats normally spent, etc.). The school/parish donations are then sent to the Diocese of Little Rock, with “MCA” written on the check memo line. Annually all donations collected are then sent to the national office of The Pontifical Mission Societies. To receive mite boxes, posters, prayer cards or world mission rosaries, Contact Us.

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Donate

To donate to The Pontifical Mission Societies in our diocese, please make your check to: "Diocese of Little Rock," and send to:

Deacon Matthew Glover, Chancellor
2500 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock, AR 72207

On your donation, please note one of the following:

• The Pontifical Mission Societies
• Society for the Propagation of the Faith
• World Mission Sunday
• Missionary Childhood Association

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Contact Us

2500 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock, AR 72207
Phone: (501) 664-0340

Located in Morris Hall at St. John Catholic Center

Staff

Director: Deacon Matthew A. Glover, Chancellor | General Counsel, ext. 361
Administrative Assistant: Debra Hook, ext. 313