This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mission Sunday, a special milestone for Catholics around the world. On Sunday 18 October, we will come together to celebrate the Church’s mission and remember those who share the Gospel and bring hope to communities around the world.

This year’s theme, chosen by Pope Leo XIV, is “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples.” It reminds us that mission is not simply about going to distant places — it is about being people of hope, compassion and service wherever we are.

New Zealand has a proud missionary heritage, with priests, religious and lay people having served communities throughout the world. Today, missionaries continue this work by bringing education, healthcare, dignity and the love of Christ to communities experiencing poverty, hardship or persecution.

For generations of Catholic school students, the familiar mission box was a simple way to support the Pope’s missionary work. While the mission boxes may no longer be a fixture in our classrooms, the call to support the Church’s mission remains as important as ever.

This Mission Sunday, we are encouraged to pray for missionaries, support their work through generosity where we can, and embrace our own call to be missionaries of hope in our families, school and wider community.

Every contribution, large or small, can help support the building of churches, the formation of local priests and catechists, and access to education and healthcare for children and communities around the world.

Let us be One in Christ, United in Mission.