One in Christ, United in Mission: Celebrating 100 Years of World Mission Sunday

Blessed Fulton Sheen

This October, Catholics have a special opportunity to reflect on our shared mission of bringing Christ’s love to the world. Three meaningful focuses come together: October as the Month of the Rosary, the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday on October 18, and the recent beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

Blessed Fulton Sheen had a deep love for the Church’s worldwide mission. As National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1950 to 1966, he encouraged Catholics to recognize that our responsibility to share the Gospel extends far beyond our own parishes and communities.

In his autobiography, Treasure in Clay, Sheen reflected on two kinds of hunger in the world: the hunger of the spirit and the hunger for bread. He understood that evangelization and caring for those in need were inseparable expressions of Christ’s love.

Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen

In 1951, Sheen introduced the World Mission Rosary, with five differently colored decades representing the continents. Through this simple devotion, he invited Catholics to embrace the whole world in prayer.

This year, Pope Leo XIV has chosen “One in Christ, United in Mission” as the theme for World Mission Sunday. It reminds us that we are one universal Church, united in faith, prayer, and service.

Our prayers and financial support help sustain priests, religious sisters, catechists, seminaries, schools, and essential ministries in communities where the Church faces significant challenges.

As we celebrate this historic anniversary, may Blessed Fulton Sheen inspire us to pray the Rosary for the global Church and generously support World Mission Sunday.

A World Mission Rosary laid over a map

World Mission Rosary: Each decade of that World Mission Rosary calls to mind an area where the Church continues her evangelizing mission: GREEN for the forests and grasslands of AFRICA; RED calling to mind the fire of faith that brought missionaries to the AMERICAS; WHITE symbolizing EUROPE, the seat of the Holy Father, shepherd of the world; BLUE for the ocean surrounding the ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC;, and YELLOW, the morning light of the East, for ASIA.

While praying for the rosary, you can make the intention to offer each mystery for the evangelization of that continent.

More information: www.celebratesheen.com/world-mission-rosary