These four pontifical societies have been given the responsibility by the Pope (hence the name 'Pontifical') to support the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of charity and social improvement around the world. They promote awareness, prayer, sacrifice and fundraising to support worldwide Catholic mission.In the Philippines, the National Director of the PMS is Msgr Gilbert A. Garcera who is also Executive Secretary of CBCP-ECM, the Episcopal Commission on Missions.

The PMS will be involved in the Asian Mission Congress in Changmai, Thailand, from 17 to 22 October. You can learn more about this at http://www.fabc.org/offices/oe/oe_congress.html

Society for the Propagation of the Faith (SPOF)

The Society was founded in Lyons, France, in 1822 by the Venerable Pauline Jaricot to promote missionary cooperation in every Christian community. Besides collecting funds, the Society promotes missionary vocations, education in missionary spirit, particularly during October, the Church’s ‘Mission Month.’

There’s an interesting article by Father Richard Leary CP, a missionary in Jamaica, online athttp://www.cptryon.org/compassion/sum97/leary.html on what inspired Pauline Jaricot to start the society.

Holy Childhood Association (HCA)

Based on the motto ‘Children Helping Children,’ the Society encourages a concern for children worldwide by prayer, learning activities and fund-raising. Over 150 years ago, Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson of Nancy, France, the founder, asked children to say a short prayer each day and give a penny a month for suffering children.

Society of St Peter the Apostle (SPA)

Stephanie Bigard and her daughter Jeanne founded the Society in 1889 in Caen,France, to make it possible for the Church in mission territories to develop a local clergy through financial aid and prayer. The Society later extended its support to candidates, men and women, for the religious life.

Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU)

Blessed Paolo Manna (http://www.catholicmission.org/Blessed_Paolo_Manna.html) founded the Union in Italy in 1916. It aims to increase missionary awareness among priests, religious and lay people and to unite in spirit and prayer all persons called and committed to ministry in the Church.

You can learn more about these societies online athttp://www.missionsocieties.org.uk/, a website of the Church in England and Wales, where the HCA is sometimes called ‘Mission Together.’ The site has links to many in-depth articles on mission.