In the name of the Pope, the Catholic Church around the world prays for the poorest dioceses in the world on “World Missionary Sunday” and collects donations. The day is always celebrated on the third Sunday of October – this year it is October 22, 2023. It is for Missio Austria It is the “largest solidarity campaign on the planet”.
Here you will find the message that Pope Francis wrote for World Mission Day 2023, in full and in the official German version.
More than 100 national pontifical missionary societies on every continent support the Church’s social and pastoral work in the world’s 1,100 poorest dioceses. Donations will benefit, among other things, the pastors who work there. The focus country of the fundraising campaign for World Mission Day, which will be held in parishes or online in 2023, is India. The country is around 40 times larger than Austria and has around 1.42 billion inhabitants. Christians are only a small minority and represent about 2.3 percent.
Visit to the country in focus, India
National Director of the Mission, Father Karl Wallner Last March he visited the slums of Calcutta, where Missio works: “In this city of 9 million people in eastern India and the former place of work of Saint Mother Teresa, great progress has been made, but many families still live in deep poverty and poor conditions. unimaginable Sadness. But we can help in a sustainable way here: with local Caritas and the Salesians of Don Bosco, we are building simple, clean apartments and providing education for children,” says Wallner.
“With local Caritas and the Salesians of Don Bosco, we are building simple, clean apartments and providing education for children.”
Missio provides information about October World Mission Month through our own YouTube channel, parishes, schools and anyone interested in this year’s focus country, India. Short documentaries and reports provide insight into the lives of people in West Bengal and show how Missio Austria, together with project partners on the ground in India, helps the poorest of the poor.
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The Pontifical Mission Societies have existed since 1922. In 1926 Pope Pius XI. “Worldwide Missionary Sunday” The entire month of October is also celebrated in the Catholic Church as “Worldwide Missionary Month”.
(missio.at/kap – sst)