Celebrating World Mission Sunday in the Jubilee of Hope
By Allison Mosier10/20/2025
The Diocese of Erie gathered at Saint Peter Cathedral on October 19 for the annual celebration of World Mission Sunday, joining Catholics around the world in prayer and solidarity with the church’s missionary efforts. The Mass, celebrated by Bishop Lawrence Persico, reminded the faithful that the call to mission is not limited to distant lands—it begins in every heart touched by baptism.
“By our baptism,” Bishop Persico reflected, “we are all called to be missionaries at home and abroad. We have the responsibility to support missionary work by our prayers, actions and financial support.” Quoting Pope Leo XIV, he emphasized that this support helps spread the Gospel, build new churches and care for the educational and pastoral needs of communities in mission territories.
World Mission Sunday, instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, is observed by the global church each October. It serves as a tangible reminder that the church is missionary by nature—its very identity flows from Christ’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations.” In his homily, Bishop Persico drew on the writings of Saint Paul and modern popes to highlight that the Gospel is not merely a message or moral code, but a living encounter with the risen Christ.
“The Gospel is Good News filled with contagious joy,” he said. “It offers new life—the life of the Risen Christ—who becomes for us the Way, the Truth and the Life. That life sets us free from selfishness and becomes a source of creativity in love.”
This year’s celebration carries even greater meaning as it falls within the Jubilee of Hope, a Holy Year proclaimed by Pope Francis to invite renewal, mercy and missionary zeal across the world. Bishop Persico encouraged the faithful to let the Holy Spirit awaken in them a renewed sense of evangelization: to share Christ’s love not only through words but through daily witness, compassion and service.
He urged that the church must never become self-satisfied or closed in on itself. “A self-referential church,” he cautioned, “is not the Church of Christ. We should prefer a church that is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than one unhealthy from clinging to its own security.”
The celebration was sponsored by the Office for Diocesan and International Missions, led by Indira Suarez, a parishioner of St. Stephen of Hungary Parish (San Esteban), Erie’s vibrant Hispanic community. Suarez, who coordinates mission efforts from local parish partnerships to international outreach in places like the Yucatán, reflected on the day’s significance:
“World Mission Sunday reminds us that the Holy Spirit is alive in every culture and language,” Suarez said. “In this Jubilee of Hope, we are invited to open our hearts and cross borders—of fear, indifference or distance—so that Christ’s love can reach everyone. Every prayer, every small act of generosity, becomes part of God’s mission to renew the world.”
As the parishioners joined in song and prayer, it was clear that the spirit of mission remains strong in the Diocese of Erie—rooted in faith, united in hope and alive with the joy of the Gospel. To learn more about the Mission of Friendship in Mérida Yucatán, contact Indira Suarez at isuarez@eriercd.org.
View photos from the celebration here.
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