100 years of mission, 55 years of friendship, one enduring call
By Allison Mosier09/07/2026
For 55 years, Catholics in the Diocese of Erie and the Archdiocese of Yucatán have demonstrated that the Church’s missionary call is not simply about reaching across borders. It is about building relationships that endure.
Established in 1971 by Bishop Alfred M. Watson of Erie and Archbishop Manuel Ruiz Castro of Yucatán, Mexico, the Mission of Friendship — Misión de Amistad — created a cooperative relationship between the two dioceses centered on Christ, faith, friendship and service.
More than five decades later, that relationship continues through sister parishes, service opportunities and programs supporting children and families in Yucatán. The Los Amiguitos Day Care Center provides care, meals and educational activities for young children whose mothers work to support their families, while Nueva Vida Child Development Center offers elementary-age children meals, academic tutoring and enrichment activities. The Amigos Family Sponsorship Program connects sponsors with children and families, helping provide education, food and clothing.
This year, the Mission of Friendship’s 55th anniversary comes as the Church marks another significant missionary milestone: the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday.
Celebrated Oct. 18 this year, World Mission Sunday unites Catholics in prayer and support for the Church’s missionary work around the world. The anniversary also brings renewed attention to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, whose legacy is closely connected to the missions and to the Diocese of Erie.
In 1950, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen became national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. During his leadership, he brought extraordinary attention to the Church’s global missionary work and created the World Mission Rosary, assigning a different color to each of its five decades to represent the continents of the world. By 1953, more than 250,000 World Mission Rosaries had been distributed.
Sheen once described the missions as his “greatest love.” His vision — that Catholics everywhere share responsibility for carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth — can be seen in a particularly local way through the Diocese of Erie’s Mission of Friendship.
“For 55 years, the Mission of Friendship has shown us that mission is ultimately about relationship — walking with one another, learning from one another and recognizing Christ in people beyond our own communities,” said Indira J. Suarez, director of the Diocese of Erie’s Office of Diocesan and International Missions. “As we celebrate this anniversary alongside 100 years of World Mission Sunday and Archbishop Sheen’s missionary legacy, we are reminded that the call to mission is still ours. The people of the Diocese of Erie have been living that call through their friendship with our brothers and sisters of Yucatán, México for more than half a century.”
The Diocese of Erie’s commitment extends beyond the Mission of Friendship. Its Office of Diocesan and International Missions also coordinates mission education, the Pontifical Mission Societies, World Mission Sunday and the Missionary Cooperative Plan, which brings missionaries from around the world into diocesan parishes and invites Catholics to support their work through prayer and financial assistance.
From a rosary envisioned by Archbishop Sheen to a friendship begun between two bishops in 1971, the message remains remarkably consistent: mission connects the universal Church one prayer, one relationship and one act of love at a time.
Learn more
Learn more about the Diocese of Erie’s 55-year Mission of Friendship with the Archdiocese of Yucatán, including its programs, volunteer opportunities and ways to support the mission: Mission of Friendship.
To learn more about the Mission of Friendship or how to get involved, contact Indira J. Suarez, director of the Office of Diocesan and International Missions, at 814-824-1231 or isuarez@eriercd.org.
Learn more about Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, his connection to the Diocese of Erie and resources surrounding his beatification: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
World Mission Sunday is Oct. 18, 2026, marking its 100th anniversary. Learn more about the centennial, Archbishop Sheen’s missionary legacy, the World Mission Rosary and ways to participate: World Mission Sunday 2026.
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