What is the Extraordinary Month of Mission?

Missio Ad Gentes

It’s been 100 years since Pope Benedict XV’s encyclical Maximum Illud called on Catholics to bring the Good News to all peoples (Missio Ad Gentes). So to commemorate this anniversary, Pope Francis declared October 2019 to be an Extraordinary Month of Mission (EMM). This special month of prayer and action called us all to renew our missionary commitment – because we’re all called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all peoples.

The four themes of EMM

For the four weeks of October in 2019, the Holy Father approved four themes:

  1. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ living in his Church.
  2. The witness of missionary saints and martyrs.
  3. Missionary charity as a commitment to support the Church’s missionary activity and communities too poor to support themselves, through Missio.
  4. Biblical, catechetical, spiritual and theological formation for mission.

Through these dimensions the Holy Father invited us to renew and reawaken our commitment to mission.

Access some materials and find ways to get involved with mission on our main EMM page, or find the official EMM guide here.

Here to help

The EMM was an opportunity for reflection, prayer and support for the whole Church. And in the lead-up to EMM in 2019, Missio helped the Church in England and Wales in providing expertise, materials and support to dioceses.

As the Pope’s official charity for world mission, Missio continues to enable Catholics in England and Wales to live out the call received at Baptism: to share in the Church’s universal mission.

The Holy Father expresses his care for all Churches through the prayer and solidarity Missio encourages. Thanks to your support, Missio can help Churches in mission dioceses reach out to their own communities with the love and compassion of Christ.

Into the future

The EMM is not an end in itself, but a means to revitalise, renew, and reawaken ongoing commitment to Missio Ad Gentes. Missio will continue to play its part in encouraging and channelling this commitment to developing Church communities abroad.

Donate to Missio today>>