FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) are a worldwide network at the service of the Pope to support the missions and the young Churches with prayer and charity. These include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.
The four societies have been “pontifical” since 1922, which indicates their status as official instruments of the Pope and the Universal Catholic Church. In most countries, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies heads the four societies and oversees the World Missions Sunday Collection, which is taken up on the third Sunday of October each year in every Catholic parish around the globe.
Two women (Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot and Jeanne Bigard), a Bishop (Msgr. Charles de Forbin-Janson), and a priest (Fr. Paolo Manna) became the charismatic Founders of this great movement for missionary cooperation in the Church, which began in France in the early 19th century.
Throughout the year, the Pontifical Mission Societies support the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of the Church, and the work and witness of mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders. These missionaries reveal the compassionate heart of Jesus through their work, which often involves providing not only spiritual support but also food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions.
The Pope specifically asks the Pontifical Mission Societies to help bring the messages of Christ to the world, especially in countries where Christianity is new, young, or poor and those places where Jesus has been denied, forgotten, or shunned. The societies care for and support the younger churches until they can be self-sufficient.
Rev. Anthony D. Andreassi is the Ad Interim National Director.
Our board of directors:
- His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York
- His Eminence Seán Cardinal O’Malley, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Boston
- The Most Reverend Christophe Pierre (Ex officio), Apostolic Nuncio to the United States
- The Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
- The Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre, Archbishop of Louisville
- The Most Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski, Archbishop of Saint Louis
- The Most Reverend James S. Wall, Bishop of Gallup
- The Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski (Ex Officio), Archbishop of Miami
- The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
- Stephen Auth, CFA Executive V.P, .Chief Investment Officer, Federated Hermes, New York, NY
Our staff:
- Josephine Everly, Vice President for Advancement [email protected]
- Melanie McManus, Chief Financial Officer [email protected]
- Ines San Martin, VP of Marketing and Communications [email protected]
- Alixandra Holden, Director, Missionary Childhood Association [email protected]
- Paul Batterson, Director of Information Technology [email protected]
- Cindy Reyes, Executive Assistant [email protected]
Diocesan offices: Here you can find a list of Diocesan Offices.
The TPMS-USA is part of a global network known as The Pontifical Mission Societies, which includes similar organizations in 120 countries around the world, coordinated by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, and presided over by the Pope himself!
TPMS-USA collaborates with the Vatican, missionaries, local communities, and dioceses to identify and support projects that address the specific needs of mission territories, such as catechesis, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social development.
- Prayer: Pray for the success and safety of missionaries and the communities they serve.
- Donations: Your financial contributions make a tangible impact on the lives of people in mission territories. Every dollar counts!
- Spread Awareness: Share our mission with your friends, family, and community. Together, we can make a difference.
- Volunteer: Explore opportunities to actively engage in missionary activities and support projects for needy people.
Different modes of giving have been made available for your convenience:
Option 1: Outright gift of cash
- Credit card or cash: We offer convenient, secure ways to give:
- Online: Use our giving form
- Phone: Call us at 212-563-8700
- Check: Make your check payable to The Pontifical Mission Societies and mail to: The Pontifical Mission Societies. 70 W 36th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Gifts made via the United States Postal Service are credited on their postmarked date.
- Electronic transfer of funds or appreciated securities. Please email [email protected].
Option 2: Planned gifts
- WILLS, LIVING TRUSTS, AND BEQUESTS: The easiest and most common form of deferred gift is a charitable bequest in your will or living trust. For sample bequest language or more information, please email [email protected].
- INCOME GIFT: A lifetime income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust, can provide you with fixed payments for life. You can receive tax benefits and deductions as well.
- NONGRANTOR LEAD TRUST: Nongrantor lead trusts support The Pontifical Mission Societies and allow your family to receive the asset with a significantly reduced tax liability.
- RETAINED LIFE ESTATE: You can give a personal residence to The Pontifical Mission Societies but continue to live in it or rent it out during your lifetime. The property is removed from your taxable estate and you receive an immediate federal income tax deduction.
The Advancement Office can help you develop a gift plan that meets your financial and philanthropic goals. For any questions or concerns, please contact Josephine Everly at 212 563 8717 or [email protected].
Option 3: Give Online Now
You can donate through this page https://www.propfaith.net/PMSOnlineDonation/PageSource/orderinfo.aspx
Option 4: Choose Your Project
The Pontifical Mission Societies USA’s crowdfunding platform brings you projects that are close to the Pope’s heart. Choose one project here https://www.missio.org/explore.aspx?localization=EN
If you would like to help from outside the United States, you can do so through www.missio.org. Thank you so much for helping us help missionaries spread the Joy of the Gospel!
Your donations help to:
- Build churches.
- Guarantee the formation of priests and religious men and women during the various stages of their religious life.
- Sustain dioceses in places where the Church is too young or too poor to be self-sufficient.
- Finance schools and other facilities aimed at the catechesis of children.
The Pontifical Mission Societies work with the Holy Father to ensure those who need our support and Christian witness throughout the world are reached, serving not one particular mission but the whole Church, to guarantee that “Christian charity truly extends to all.”
TPMS supports the formation of seminarians and religious sisters and brothers, helps build parishes throughout the world, and provides material support for catechists to help them answer the call to make disciples of all nations.
As the crowdfunding platform of TPMS, MISSIO has an extensive list of ongoing projects just waiting for your support! Whether you’re looking to help survivors of a natural disaster, help fund the Catholic education of children in Africa, or religious vocations in the Pope’s missions, MISSIO gives you the opportunity to determine what project your gift support.
Missio is here to connect you to the charity projects and missionary outreach that you are most passionate about. Explore our growing list of projects here.
The Superior Council that leads The Pontifical Mission Societies meets every year with the purpose of considering the requests for support from all over the world on the different needs of the young Churches. The funds raised by the faithful of the five continents, particularly during World Mission Sunday (which takes place from the second to the last Sunday of October), are distributed to try and meet the evangelization needs of the Church in mission countries.
National Directors of The Pontifical Mission Societies from 130 countries examine and approve the projects presented annually by the Churches in mission territories, trying to make sure the funds are allocated promptly, transparently, and with the primary intention of answering the call to be Apostles of all nations.
For more information about how the sum of charitable donations raised globally is distributed, click here.
You can find the financial reports here.
Yes, you can! Here is the link for you to donate directly to TPMS: https://www.propfaith.net/PMSOnlineDonation/PageSource/orderinfo.aspx
These forms of giving allow tax benefits and deductions as well:
- INCOME GIFTS: A lifetime income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust, can provide you with fixed payments for life. You can receive tax benefits and deductions as well.
- NONGRANTOR LEAD TRUST: Nongrantor lead trusts support The Pontifical Mission Societies and allow your family to receive the asset with a significantly reduced tax liability.
- RETAINED LIFE ESTATE: You can give a personal residence to The Pontifical Mission Societies but continue to live in it or rent it out during your lifetime. The property is removed from your taxable estate and you receive an immediate federal income tax deduction.
You can follow us on our social media to stay updated. You can also visit our Website and subscribe to receive Pope Francis’ daily words!
Social Networks’ links: Facebook – Instagram – LinkedIn – Twitter – YouTube
This is our primary mandate, to help the Church in the over 1,100 territories around the world where the faith has yet to take root! However, we do have several mission animation projects in the United States, with invitations for prayer and activities for children so that they can grow in awareness of their brothers and sisters who are materially- and often spiritually, unable to regularly access the Sacraments- less fortunate.
Yes! You can reach out to your local Mission office to see what opportunities they have. There are missionaries all over the world who would welcome support from volunteers. But even if you are not ready for such an experience, you can be a volunteer of TPMS by helping spread the voice about the need for prayer and material support the Church in Mission territories has.
You can also follow in the steps of the founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Blessed Pauline Jaricoct, invite your friends to pray daily for the missions and donate regularly.
Last but not least, you can make sure your parish has the World Mission Sunday poster hung and that the priest- or deacon- preaches about it on the second to last Sunday of October.
Yes! You can start by contacting your local mission office. You can also send an email to [email protected]. To order Mite boxes for your school or parish, you can go here.
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” Jesus tells us. Starting a local mission group is easy: the key is prayer. Gathering people in prayer for the Pope’s Missions is the essence of what Blessed Pauline envisioned.
Yes, you can support children’s programs in the Pope’s missions with the Mite Boxes. As a part of the Pope’s Mission Societies, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) gives 100% of your tax-deductible donation to millions of impoverished children throughout the world who lack clean water, food to eat, education, a bed to sleep in, safety, healthcare, and hope.
You can order your Mite Box here.
If your questions are not listed here, please email us at [email protected].
