How can I help the missions?

The Propagation of the Faith seeks prayer, sacrifice and financial support for the Church's missionary work, and provides ongoing help for the pastoral and evangelizing programs of the Church in Africa, Asia, the islands of the Pacific and remote regions of Latin America. This includes aid for the education and support of seminarians, Religious novices and lay catechists; for the work of Religious Communities in education, health care and social services; for communication and transportation needs, and for disaster and emergency relief, when necessary.

The Propagation of the Faith worldwide gathers a General Fund of support during the year; this general fund is distributed each year in its entirety. In the United States, this fund is collected in various ways. World Mission Sunday is the primary opportunity through which the Propagation of the Faith encourages prayer and generous financial help from all Catholics for the Missions. Also in the United States, funds are requested through direct-mail appeals, parish appeals, MISSION magazine, planned giving programs and Wills.

To Help The Missions You Can:

• Pray Daily For The Church's Missionary Work - Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, St. Francis Xavier, pray for us, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us.
  
• Offer Your Personal Sacrifice - your pain, your loneliness, your anxiety, your sickness or sadness - in union with the sufferings of the crucified Christ for the redemption of the world.
  
• Give generously on World Mission Sunday - annually, the next-to-last Sunday of October.
  
• Remember the Propagation of the Faith when writing or changing your Will.
  
• Offer regular help through MISSION magazine or through mail or parish appeals to your Propagation of the Faith (Arch)Diocesan Director.
  
• Be a part of the Propagation of the Faith Charitable Gift Annuity. This is an especially attractive way to make a charitable gift and secure a relatively high, lifelong income. Current rates range from 5.7% to 11%, depending on your age. The tax benefits of the charitable contribution on your current year's income tax return and the tax-free portion of the annual return make the effective yield even higher. Most importantly, through this program, you will be helping the Church's worldwide missionary efforts well into the future.
  
• Consider the Pooled Income Fund. This program enables you to make a generous irrevocable gift to the Missions and to provide yourself with an income for life. Our Pooled Income Fund is similar to a money market fund. Your gift is invested together with the gifts of other donors, and each donor receives his or her share of the fund's earnings each year. You can claim a charitable contribution on your itemized income tax return for the year in which you make the gift. However, for Federal income tax purposes, payments which you receive each year are fully taxable. The minimum age requirement for this program is 50.

For more information regarding “How Can I Help the Missions,” please contact:

Rev. Charlie Collins, Dir or
Judith M. Herdina, Sec
Society for the Propagation of Faith
Diocese of Winona
PO Box 588
Winona, Minnesota 55987
Phone: 507-454-4643
Email: jherdina@dow.org