Missio Nordica is part of the global network of the Pontifical Mission Societies, that have been active in 150 countries around the world since 1922.
Led by Pope Francis, Missio provides help for our sisters and brothers in the poorest countries, regardless of their background or belief, through prayer and donation. Focusing on the spiritual and physical needs of the people, we support pastoral and social projects such as construction of churches, health centers and community centers as well as numerous educational initiatives.
Missio Nordica is also a part of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference, with its President +Czeslaw Kozon, Bishop of the Diocese of Copenhagen, responsible for Missio. This is also putting us in a unique position of being the only Missio office that is uniting 5 countries together:
Denmark
Finland
Iceland
Norway
Sweden
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Missio Nordica?
Missio Nordica is part of a global network of The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), active in the 5 Nordic countries. We are at the service of the Pope, that supports the
missions and the young churches with prayer and charity.
What is the global network of PMS?
In every country where the Catholic Church is present, there is a Missio. Usually there is one Missio office per country, but the Nordic countries are united into one office due to the geographical position and number of the faithful. Each Missio is headed by a National Director, who is appointed by the Holy Father.
What are the 4 Pontifical Mission Societies?
To provide for the different needs of the Church we have 4 societies, each responsible for a specific task:
1. The Society of the Propagation of the Faith – aims to open the heart of every believer to the vastness of the missionary horizon, through spiritual and material support for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
2. The Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood – has put down roots in more than 130 countries and the motto has been enriched: children praying for the children, children evangelizing children, children helping children worldwide. The Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood proposes today to help the children in developing a spirit and a
missionary leadership, it drives them to share the faith and material benefits, especially with children who are most in need.
3. The Society of St. Peter the Apostle – promotes, in Christian communities, the awareness of the need to develop local clergy and consecrated life in recently founded missionary Churches. It animates and coordinates missionary collaboration in all the local Churches, through the offering of prayer, sacrifices and alms, to support the formation of future priests and men and women religious of young Churches, and the necessary preparation of their formators.
4. Pontifical Missionary Union – In the light of the only mission of Jesus Christ, delivered to the Church through the Holy Spirit, the formation commitments of the mission are called to a creative involvement of the faith, prayer, testimony and charity of every Christian.
Who founded The Pontifical Mission Societies?
Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot, inspired by letters about the Missions from her brother, Phileas, starts gathering together small groups – mostly workers in her family’s silk factory. She asked each member of the group to offer daily prayer and a weekly sacrifice of a sous (the equivalent of a penny at that time) for the Church’s worldwide missionary work. Pauline insisted that her efforts were meant to address all the Universal Church’s missions.
What do The Pontifical Mission Societies do?
The Pontifical Mission Societies support the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of churches, together with the work and witness of mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay pastoral leaders. These missionaries reveal the compassionate heart of Jesus through their work that often entails providing not only spiritual support but also food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions. The Pope specifically requested from The Pontifical Mission Societies their help to spread the message of Christ to the world, mainly in those countries where Christianity is too recent, or too poor to sustain
itself, and in any place where He has been denied, forgotten, persecuted, or shunned. PMS supports new churches until they can be self-sufficient.
Any dioceses which are too young or poor to sustain themselves.
You can pray, donate and volunteer.
If you would like to learn even more visit the official Vatican site at www.ppoomm.va