"We do a lot of pastoral work, but this doesn't get in the media."

Today a press conference was held to present World Mission Sunday (DOMUND), which will be celebrated on Sunday, October 19, all over the world. This year, the campaign is accompanied - for the first time - by a video of the Pope in Spanish, in which he invites all the faithful to become actively involved in sustaining the pastoral mission of the Church.

In his message, the Pope encourages us to "support pastoral and catechetical programs, to build new churches and to attend to the health and educational needs of our brothers and sisters in mission lands. And he concludes with a call to action: "This October 19, as we reflect together on our baptismal call to be missionaries of hope among peoples, let us renew our commitment to the sweet and joyful task of bringing Jesus Christ, our hope, to the far corners of the world."

PMO: prayer and commitment to missions

During the presentation, José María Calderón, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) Spain, underscored the decisive importance of the World Mission Sunday for evangelization. He stressed that this day is not just a collection, but an expression of communion and commitment to the mission of the Church.

Calderon also insisted on the need for prayer: "We ask the people of God to pray for the missionaries and the missions, because the mission is not only sustained by material resources, but also by the believing hearts of those who pray for it.

Testimony from Cambodia: Msgr. Enrique Figaredo

Among the mission territories that receive Domund aid each year is the prefecture of Battambang (Cambodia), where the Spanish missionary Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, known for his dedication to the victims of anti-personnel mines, works.

Over the years, Figaredo has built and distributed more than 60,000 wheelchairs and has promoted multiple projects of social and educational inclusion. One of my wishes," he said, "is to promote vocations, so that the prefect who replaces me at the head of the local Church will be a native Cambodian".

What is OMP?

The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) is the official organism of the Holy See in charge of the support of the Mission Territories. One of its four works, the Work for the Propagation of the Faith, organizes the annual World Mission Sunday. Its founder, Pauline Jaricot, was declared blessed in 2022.

Thanks to the proceeds of this World Youth Day, the Pope is able to send annual support for the upkeep of the 1,131 young churches that depend directly on the Dicastery for Evangelization, whose prefect is the Pope himself.

The Domund is not only a financial aid: it also collaborates through prayer or volunteering. In Spain, about 10,000 young people dedicate their summer vacation to the mission, and there are 1,791 volunteers working in delegations, parishes and archpriests.

Spain: world leader in the sending of missionaries

The Catholic Church in Spain has one of the largest missionary communities in the world: 9,648 missionaries, of whom 53% are women and 47% are men.

The country that receives the largest number of Spanish missionaries is Peru (524).

Profile of the missionaries:

54 % consecrated
25 % religious priests
12 % laypersons
8 % diocesan priests

Distribution by continent:

America: 66.27 %
Europe: 15.94 %
Africa: 10.74 %
Asia: 6.60 %
Oceania: 0.45 %

The impact of mission territories

The Catholic Church classifies approximately one-third (37%) of its global structure as Mission Territories, so that the data

Population served: 45,70% of humanity lives in these regions.
Sacramental life: one out of every three baptisms in the world is celebrated in them.
Social and educational work: 44% of the Church's social and educational works (schools, hospitals, orphanages...) are carried out in mission territories.
Pastoral load: a missionary priest serves more than twice as many faithful as the average in other dioceses, reflecting the enormous challenge and dedication of pastoral agents.

What does the money from the World Mission Fund go to?

In 2024, the Universal Solidarity Fund of the Work for the Propagation of the Faith (DOMUND) raised 64 million euros worldwide, of which more than 10 million came from Spanish dioceses.

Source of funds

43%: parish donations
30%: congregations and companies
19%: inheritances
7%: schools

Destination and projects financed

The funds financed 413 projects in 179 dioceses in 26 countries, distributed as follows:

174 regular projects for the daily maintenance of the missions.
107 catechetical projects.
132 extraordinary projects, including:
- Construction and repair: 108
- Christian formation: 10
- Media: 7
- Equipment: 7