Reach Out on Mission Sunday

The people of Ireland are being urged to give recognition to the extraordinary work of Irish missionaries and give generously to the forthcoming Mission Sunday collection which will take place in Churches throughout Ireland on the 18th October 2009.

The annual collection, which takes place in Catholic Churches worldwide, provides financial assistance to Young Churches and missionaries allowing them to meet the spiritual and human needs of some of the world's poorest people. In 2008 the Irish people contributed over €2.5 million to the collection, helping greatly to sustain the work of the 1,976 Irish missionaries currently serving throughout the world.

Mission Sunday is organised each year by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and for 2009 the theme of 'Reach Out' has been chosen. The Society is promoting the message that we too can 'reach out' from home to help our missionaries; just as in their everyday work Irish missionaries are reaching out to help those among whom they live and work.

The Mission Sunday 2009 poster features five Irish missionaries currently reaching out in mission countries such as Kenya, Brazil and Zimbabwe. Each missionary has dedicated over thirty years to mission and is a true example of the extraordinary service and commitment of Irish missionaries down the decades.

Read the profile of the poster missionaries here.