The Pontifical Mission Societies include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood Association, the Society of St. Peter Apostle, and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious. These Societies promote a prayerful missionary spirit among baptized Catholics and to gather a fund of support for the evangelizing and pastoral programs of more than 1,150 local churches of the Developing World.

Friday, December 19, 2014

MCA Christmas Art Contest Winners 2014

Every year, the national office of the Missionary Childhood association chooses one grand prize winner in its annual Christmas Artwork Contest. This artwork is reproduced as the official Christmas card of the national office of the Pontifical Mission societies. Twenty-three other drawings are selected as winners. All of the winning designs are featured here.



Adriana Zajac
Brooklyn, NY
grade 4

Alice Medina
Philadelphia, PA
grade 4

Allyson Brucato
Metuchen, NJ
grade 4

Brianna Flores
Los Angeles, CA
grade 8

Carlos Gomez
Miami, FL
grade 4

Danny Leonard
Harrisburg, PA
grade 4

Emily Kim
Arlington, Va
grade 6

Emily Selby
Springfield, IL
grade 8

Emma Bryan
Miami, FL
grade 8

Flora Sengupta
Brooklyn, NY
grade 7

India Wisniewski
Arlington, VA
grade 2

Isabela Rodicio
Miami, FL
grade 4

Janeth Santiago
Los Angeles, CA
grade 8

Khanh Nguyen
Wichita, KS
grade 8

Khianna Byrne
San Francisco, CA
grade 8

Kinga Aletto
Venice, FL
grade 8

Klaudia Bafia
Chicago, IL
grade 2

Levin Pallan
Brooklyn, NY
grade 7

Lucero Alvarez-Contreras
New York, NY
grade 2

Mary Strunak
Metuchen, NJ
grade 5

Meghan Elliott
Springfield, IL
grade 2

Rebecca Donnelly
Harrisburg, PA
grade 5

Ruby Pruitt
Springfield, IL
grade 3

Shane Samuelson
Metuchen, NJ
grade 4

Rev. Andrew Small, National Director with the 2014 MCA winners

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

35th Anniversary of the Death of Archbishop Fulton Sheen

December 9, 2014
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
35th Anniversary of the Death of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

We remember today the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen on the 35th anniversary of his death. He was the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1950 until 1966. However, his desire to communicate his faith and his concern for the Missions was a vital part of his entire priestly life. Archbishop Sheen was widely recognized for his radio and television series through which he shared his love for Christ and His Church. He was also a prolific writer. It seems only fitting that Saint Pope John Paul II told him, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church.” He was 84 at his death in 1979.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks us to understand the need to reach out to those in greatest need of His mercy. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not…go in search of the stray? And if he finds it … he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine” (Matthew 18:12-13). We must follow Christ and His saints by spreading the word of God – and always responding, in love and charity, to the lost sheep.