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.