Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
World Mission Sunday 2026, celebrated on Oct. 17-18, marks the 100th anniversary of its establishment by Pope Pius XI in 1926. This centenary offers a special opportunity to renew our missionary zeal and unite in prayer and solidarity to support the Church’s mission throughout the world.
This year is especially significant for Catholics in the United States because of the Sept. 24 beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Though widely known for his television ministry, writings and eloquence, he often said, “My greatest love has always been for the missions of the Church.” As national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States for 16 years, he championed World Mission Sunday and directed its proceeds to mission territories. We can confidently rely on his intercession for World Mission Sunday 2026.
The theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV, “One in Christ, United in Mission,” invites us to rediscover our unity in Christ through baptism and to live our shared call to bring others into communion with God and one another. In his message, Pope Leo teaches that “the mystery of union with Christ lies at the heart of mission.” He explains that “being a Christian is not primarily about practices or ideas; it is a life in union with Christ, in which we share in his filial relationship with the Father in the Holy Spirit … This union gives rise to mutual communion among believers and is the source of all missionary fruitfulness.”
The Holy Father further reminds us that, “Unity in mission means safeguarding and nurturing the spirituality of communion and missionary cooperation. By daily fostering this attitude, divine grace gradually teaches us to see our brothers and sisters through the eyes of faith.”
All of us are called to participate in this mission. Through World Mission Sunday, Catholics worldwide support the Church where it is young, poor, persecuted or barely present. As Pope Leo appeals, “Every gift, no matter how small, becomes a meaningful act of missionary communion. I renew my heartfelt gratitude ‘for everything you will do to help me help missionaries throughout the world.’”
On World Mission Sunday, we stand in solidarity with missionaries, priests, religious sisters and brothers, and lay leaders serving in the 1,130 mission dioceses across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Oceania and the Middle East. Our prayers and financial support help them proclaim Christ and build his Church.
Each time we support the missions, we affirm that we are one Church, one family in Christ, united in bringing hope and love to all people. Thank you for your continued generosity, which makes a real difference in the lives of those who might otherwise never hear the Gospel.
Let this World Mission Sunday be a blessing for our diocese and foster greater missionary zeal in all of us. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit renew in us the fire of the early Church, so that we may truly be “One in Christ, United in Mission,” growing in missionary awareness, solidarity and responsibility.
With every blessing in gratitude for your generosity to the missions,
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Michael Pham
Bishop of San Diego
