History

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. Under the direction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Rome, Italy) and the bishops, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith seek to foster an ever-deeper spirit of universal mission, to inform Catholics of the life and the needs of the Catholic Church in the Missions, and to encourage prayer and financial help for those mission churches.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith was founded by a young French girl named Pauline Jaricot who wished to support the missions. Her plan was to form groups of ten persons into “circles”, each of which would organize another group of ten. These groups would be formed into units of one hundred and the hundreds into thousands, each with its own leader. Every member was expected to make a weekly offering and pray daily for the missions.

This became known as the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The first collection, in 1822 was sent to the missions in China, Kentucky, and the Diocese of Louisiana - which at the time included all of the territory from the Florida Keys to Canada. 

Today, more than 120 countries around the world have a National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which includes the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. 

The central administrative offices of these Societies are located in Rome, Italy, under the direction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Every diocese in the United States has a diocesan director, appointed by the local ordinary (bishop) of the diocese.

In 1827 the Diocese of New York - which at the time included New York State and the northern half of New Jersey - received its first grant of $1,776.00. For the next 40 years the Diocese and then later the Archdiocese of New York received $112,160.00 from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.  

In 1842, the Church of St. Vincent de Paul on Canal Street was built with money received from the Society. Although the church was very poor and still supported by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, its pastor, Father Lafont, believed that the parishioners could show their gratitude by contributing back to the Society. He formed a chapter of the Society in the parish, and the collection for the first year was $42.72. Other parishes started forming their “circles”. 

Father LaFont was named the first director of the Archdiocesan Office of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1853. By the time of his death in 1874, the Archdiocese of New York had raised over $50,000.00 for the mission Churches.

The United States continued to receive funds from the Pontifical Mission Societies until 1908, when we became mission independent.

In 1967 Cardinal Spellman formed a Committee of Catholic laity called the Committee for Mission Responsibility to contribute to mission activity on a personal level, inspired by the original concept for the Propagation of the Faith as a group of friends gathering to pray daily for the missions and to make a regularly weekly sacrifice. 

Since that time, group of some thirty men and women, most of whose business activities center in the metropolitan area of New York, have met once a year to raise funds on behalf of the Archbishop so that the Archdiocese may provide financial assistance for the missionary activity of the Catholic Church. 

These funds are used for the support of mission projects to help build up a local church, and to provide medical, educational and other basic necessities to millions of people throughout the world. They are directed to those most in need, and never to be used for promotional purposes.

Since 1967 the Committee has contributed over $6,600,000.00 to the missions.