Missions served by the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Missions Office Missions served by the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown

Missionary Activities We Serve Pontifical Mission Societies Catholic Relief Services Catholic Home Missions Twin Diocese in Mandeville, Jamaica

Pontifical Mission Societies Society for the Propagation of the Faith St. Peter the Apostle Missionary Childhood Association – Holy Childhood Association Pontifical Missionary Union – Missionary Union of Priests and Religious

Society for the Propagation of the Faith The Society for the Propagation of the Faith provides financial support to mission bishops for day-to-day expenses and special projects. It supports pastoral and evangelizing programs, catechists and catechetical work, the building churches and chapels, the work of Religious communities in health care and education, and for communication and transportation needs. Missionary Cooperative Program (Mission Co-op) Learn what the Church is doing in the Missions all over the world Begun every Spring, Missionaries usually come to parishes in the summer World Mission Sunday A recognition that the Church is Missionary. We recommit ourselves to the missionary work of the Church in our own lives, and in our giving.

St. Peter the Apostle The Catholic Church’s official fundraising body for the training of clergy and religious in mission countries. It was founded in 1889 by Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard at the request of Jules-Alphonse Cousin, then bishop of Nagasaki. In 1922, the Society obtained papal patronage from Pope Pius XI and received the task of supporting every existing Catholic seminary in the world. Today the SPA is established in 157 countries. It supports 1,069 mission dioceses and funds the training of 31,000 major seminarians and 10,000 novices.

Missionary Childhood Association Children helping Children Prayer and Giving In the United States, membership is largely made up of students in Catholic elementary schools and religious education programs, and those homeschooled. In 2013 the Holy Childhood Association in the United States changed its name to the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), although the previous name is still used is some dioceses for the time being. Many dioceses in the United States have an MCA office that works in cooperation with the diocesan mission office. The Association distributes educational and fund- raising programs to school and religious education programs. The proceeds support programs for underprivileged in Third World situations. The National office is in New York City.

Pontifical Missionary Union The Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU) promotes awareness of mission and the spirit of unity among priests, religious and laity. In 1916 Fr Paolo Manna, a missionary serving in Myanmar, formed the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious. He wanted to share the spiritual graces he had received through his work, and to encourage lay and religious to unite in bringing the Good News of Christ to others. His mission was to encourage those already engaged in the work of the Church at home to support the work of the overseas Church, and perhaps to become missionaries themselves. Pope Pius XII bestowed the title of ‘Pontifical’ on the organization in 1956. The PMU works to develop and nurture the missionary spirit of prayer and generous sacrifice. It promotes the baptismal mandate, to ‘go to all nations and proclaim the Good News’. This is what inspires so many men and women, religious and lay, to witness and share their faith with so many others. In many countries, the success of Missio’s three other missionary societies depends on the vitality of the Missionary Union. Taken from www.missio.org.uk

Catholic Relief Services A member of Caritas International CRS is the arm of Caritas International in the United States “Catholic Relief Services is a manifestation of love for our brothers and sisters around the globe by the Catholic community of the United States. We protect, defend and advance human life around the world by directly meeting basic needs and advocating solutions to injustice. CRS is a pro-life organization dedicated to preserving the sacredness and dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Every aspect of our work is to help life flourish. We are resolute in our commitment to the Church and its teaching. From the CRS website: www.crs.org

Catholic Relief Services “Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, it has expanded in size to reach more than 130 million people in more than 100 countries on five continents. From the CRS website: www.crs.org

Catholic Relief Services “For over 75 years, our mission has been to assist impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Although our mission is rooted in the Catholic faith, our operations serve people based solely on need, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. Within the United States, CRS engages Catholics to live their faith in solidarity with the poor and suffering people of the world.” From the CRS website: www.crs.org

Catholic Relief Services

CRS – Operation Rice Bowl Rice Bowl is a combination of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving Perfect for the Season of Lent 75% of Rice Bowl Donations help the work of Catholic Relief Services Oversees 25% helps the charitable endeavors in your local community

Catholic Home Missions “Home Missions” is the name for dioceses and parishes in the United States, including its territories and former territories, which cannot provide basic pastoral services to Catholics without outside help. Basic pastoral services include Mass and sacraments, religious education, and ministry training for priests, deacons, religious sisters and lay people. For many decades, the Church in the United States has sent missionaries overseas to serve the people of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The home missions are dioceses and parishes here in the United States that need the same kind of support.  From http://www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/catholic-home-missions-appeal/what-are-home-missions.cfm

Twin Diocese in Mandeville, Jamaica We aid the Diocese of Mandeville and those who are in need there Giving to help education, food security needs, priestly living expenses and more Ash Wednesday Collections go to the support of the Mandeville Diocese Some parishes have twinned with parishes in Mandeville May provide monthly, quarterly or biannual support