World Mission Ministries

10/19/2026

A century of mission, celebrated together!

In 1926, Pope Pius XI established World Mission Sunday, a day each year when every Catholic parish worldwide prays for the missions and gives to support them.

The idea grew from the work of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, a young French laywoman who founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1822 and asked ordinary people to give just a penny a week. One hundred years later, that collection still supports the younger, growing churches of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific.

On Sunday, October 18, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee marked the 100th World Mission Sunday with Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, celebrated by Archbishop Jeffrey Grob.

Students and families from across the Archdiocese filled the Cathedral, and we honored our Mission Art Contest winners afterward!

The celebration continued with a reception that felt like the global Church was alive in one room: live music from Caña Brava, dishes from around the world, and tables hosted by our mission partners, including the Uganda sister-parish ministry of Three Holy Women Parish, religious sisters serving at home and abroad, Thrive for Life, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Thank you to Archbishop Grob and the clergy who celebrated with us; to every ministry, religious community, and mission partner who hosted a table; to the volunteers and support staff who set up, served, and cleaned up; and to the families, students, and parishioners who filled the Cathedral and the hall. Photos by Steve Sweeney Photography. Find yourself and tag a friend!

Tomorrow, our pilgrims leave for La Sagrada Familia in Sabana Yegua, Dominican Republic, to mark 45 years of friendship between our two churches. Follow along all week, and join our nine-day novena starting tomorrow.

¡Gracias a todos por celebrar con nosotros 100 años de misión!

10/16/2026

In October 2013, Dr. Antoinette Mensah became director of World Mission Ministries, following Sr. Frances Cunningham, SSSF. She brought with her a lesson from her father, Deacon Anthony J. Mensah: mission is a relationship, never a handout.

Her family came to Milwaukee from Ghana when she was five months old, and soon their home became a first stop for the Ghanaian and other African families who followed. That instinct to open the door has shaped her approach in thirteen years of service in her role.

It shows in the Sankofa pilgrimages to Ghana she and her father began in 2000. It shows in our sister-parish relationship with La Sagrada Familia. And it shows in her service as president of the United States Catholic Mission Association, which brought its first national summit on mission and evangelization to the Archdiocese in 2025.

This month the Church celebrates 100 years of World Mission Sunday. We’re grateful to mark it alongside someone who has spent thirteen of those years showing us that mission is something we do with one another.

Happy anniversary, Dr. Mensah! You’re an example of bringing God’s purpose to life every day!

10/13/2026

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, World Mission Ministries is highlighting Deacon Manuel Maldonado-Villalobos, one of the Hispanic leaders whose faith reaches across borders.

Deacon Manuel was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2021 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. He served as associate director of Diaconate Formation for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, helping prepare future deacons, and ministers at the Basilica of St. Josaphat on Milwaukee's South Side.

His mission work reaches our sister parish directly. During the pilgrimage marking 40 years of partnership with La Sagrada Familia in the Dominican Republic, Deacon Manuel baptized three children of the parish, linking those families to the Church here in Milwaukee.

In our conversation, he describes mission as encounter and solidarity, as walking alongside people. He talks about helping build houses, health centers, and schools, and about the sewing and barbering centers and cooking lessons that help people keep studying and moving forward.

"It's not just about giving. It's about showing them they have a future, that they can rise up, and that new opportunities can come through the mission."

And in every encounter, he says, "we meet Christ, who is there with them."

Watch the full interview below. Gracias, Deacon Manuel, for sharing your witness with us.

10/08/2026

For 100 years, Catholics worldwide have come together on World Mission Sunday to pray for missionaries and support the young, growing Churches they serve.

This year, Pope Leo XIV is inviting us to carry that legacy forward!

In a new video for the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday, the Holy Father reflects on his connection to this extraordinary day, from celebrating it in his youth in the United States to experiencing the prayers and generosity of Catholics around the world during his missionary ministry in Peru.

And what a difference a century has made.

In 1925, mission territories included 296 jurisdictions and about 9.6 million Catholics. Today there are 1,131 mission territories serving more than 346 million Catholics through more than 41,000 parishes. They also include 124,309 Catholic schools and 26,318 social institutions.

Behind those numbers are generations of Catholics who prayed, sacrificed, and gave often for brothers and sisters they would never meet.

Now it is our turn.

Watch Pope Leo XIV's message and join Catholics everywhere on October 18 as we celebrate 100 years of World Mission Sunday.

One in Christ, united in mission.

10/07/2026

https://lnkd.in/p/gf5RS4-y

Teachers are our lifeline to the future…

Happy World Teachers' Day to every teacher across Africa. This year's theme, "Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures," marks 60 years since the International Labour Organization/UNESCO Recommendation set the first international sta...

10/01/2026

Forty-five years of sisterhood between La Sagrada Familia in Sabana Yegua and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Times change, and people change, but our faith and God's call to love one another endure.

What began as a response to an invitation has grown into a demonstration of love in action. Through the Office for World Mission and the generosity of the people of our Archdiocese, we have walked alongside our brothers and sisters in Sabana Yegua: new pews for their church, meal programs, education, and the formation of local leaders. But the gifts have flowed both ways. They have taught us about faith, resilience, and joy, and reminded us that every person carries a dignity no circumstance can take away.

This is what solidarity looks like: not charity from a distance, but a promise kept faithfully, year after year, between people who belong to one another in Christ. We're proud and grateful to be part of this story.

We hope your October has started well and leaves you open to the joy God keeps asking us to share.

Join us in Milwaukee for World Mission Sunday on October 18, then follow along as we travel to La Sagrada Familia on the 20th to celebrate 45 years together!

09/24/2026

Today's the day! For those who can't be there in person, please join us as we celebrate via live stream.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen Beatification Pre-Show from the Dome at Ame...

09/23/2026

"Toda persona es única y tiene dignidad. Y Dios la ama."

Every person is unique and has dignity. And God loves them.

Gabriela Cabrera directs Hispanic ministry formation for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Her work involves preparing others to lead, and she found her calling in the parishes, running Christian formation at Cristo Rey and St. Patrick in Racine before helping prepare our own archdiocesan synod.

Last fall, she spent a week in Racine and Milwaukee parishes with missionaries, sitting in people's living rooms and learning about others' needs.

Most people picture mission as leaving Milwaukee or Racine, but sometimes the people who need us most are right down the road.

This week we're happy to honor Gabriela for her contributions to the faith and God's work as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Who in your community needs someone to listen? Tell us below.

09/17/2026

Next Thursday, in St. Louis, the Church will declare Fulton Sheen blessed.

He is remembered for the wit and conviction he often showcased in his Emmy-winning television program, "Life Is Worth Living." His fame helped fund the missions, raising about $200 million over sixteen years as national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Additionally, he gave away more than $10 million of his own money.

Beyond raising money, he wanted people who had less to give to be part of the missionary call. So in 1951, he created the World Mission Rosary: five colors for five parts of the world.

So why does his beatification matter to an office like ours? Because he took the largest audience in America and turned it toward places nobody was watching, then gave everyone else a way to do the same from home.

More than 70,000 World Mission Rosaries were made by hand for next Thursday. Will you pray one with us that day?

09/15/2026

"I want to serve, but I don't want to be a priest."

That is basically what Fr. Juan Manuel Camacho told the Community of St. Paul as a young man discerning his vocation. But after the community told him he could join and serve without being ordained, he took a leap of faith.

To his surprise, the work changed how he saw himself and his place in the church. "I felt like I cannot go back and be the same person that was back in Colombia,"
he says.

He later served as associate pastor at La Sagrada Familia, our sister parish in
the Dominican Republic, after his ordination in 2012. He was named Vicar General of the Archdiocese in August, and he continues to serve as Episcopal Vicar for
Hispanic ministry.

"We Hispanics, and our culture, and the things that we have in our faith — it has a lot to offer to this country. It has a lot to offer to this church. [It's] not to be afraid
of who we are, but to embrace who we are and share who we are with others."

Hispanic Heritage Month is for everyone! And you don't have to leave home to be a missionary. You just have to be like Fr. Juan and follow where your faith is calling you.

Where is your faith calling you to serve? Is there someone in your community we should spotlight? Let us know below!