In 19th-century France, the Church was emerging from the intense persecution of the French Revolution. During the Napoleonic period (1804-1815), the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP) could send only two missionaries to the Far East due to restrictions. Amid this challenging time, the Holy Spirit inspired a young woman from Lyon, Pauline Marie Jaricot. Once accustomed to a life of comfort, she experienced a deep conversion and dedicated herself entirely to Christ. In 1816, she took a vow of chastity and found her spiritual calling in devotion to the Eucharist and in making reparation for offenses against the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Pauline gathered a group of young women from the local factories, forming a spiritual association called the "Reparatrices." This movement grew into a simple but powerful initiative: a group of ten people, each committed to finding ten others who would pray and contribute one penny a week for the missions. The idea spread rapidly, and on May 3, 1822, this grassroots effort was formally established as the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Pauline was only 23 years old when she founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Five years earlier, in prayer, she had seen a vision of two lamps: One of the lamps was empty, representing faith in post-revolutionary France. The other was overflowing with oil, symbolizing the vibrant faith in mission territories. At the time, for her, this meant the United States and China. In her vision, she saw the oil flowing from the full lamp into the empty lamp, which she interpreted as an indication that the way post-revolutionary France would be re-evangelized would be from the oil of faith, hope and love overflowing from the United States and other missionary territories.
Pauline believed that every Catholic, through her or his prayer and daily work, could participate in the Church's missionary mandate. Her prayer circles began as a way to help her beloved France rediscover its faith and transform the world.
Recognizing its vital role in the universal mission of the Church, Pope Pius XI declared it a Pontifical Society on May 3, 1922, through the Motu Proprio Romanorum Pontificum.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith exists to awaken the missionary spirit in every believer by fostering both spiritual and material support for spreading the Kingdom of God.
Through mission formation and animation, the Society promotes:
encouraging prayer and sacrifice to rekindle the missionary zeal of individuals and Christian communities. This includes meditating on the Word of God, engaging in Eucharistic Adoration, and praying the Missionary Rosary.
Supporting the Universal Solidarity Fund for Evangelization, which aids mission churches worldwide. A key moment of participation is World Mission Sunday, observed on the second-to-last Sunday of October, where Catholics worldwide contribute to the missionary work of the Church.
The International Secretariat of the Society plays a crucial role in urging local churches to embrace global missionary cooperation. It is also responsible for distributing the funds collected on World Mission Sunday, held on the second to last Sunday of October. This day of prayer and generous giving is a tangible expression of the Second Vatican Council's call for all believers to actively participate in the missionary work of the Church.
By joining this effort, Catholics everywhere become part of a global movement to bring Christ to the world's most remote and impoverished communities.
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