Missio Archive

Minute books, accounts, correspondence, posters, and other promotional literature of the Association for the Propagation of the Faith, Society of St Peter the Apostle, Mission Together (Holy Childhood) and the Pontifical Missionary Union which, from 1922, rebranded as Missio.

The Pontifical Mission Societies, known in some countries as Missio, is the name of a group of Catholic missionary societies that are under the jurisdiction of the Pope. They continue to raise funds in England to contribute to the papal pot for worldwide distribution. They began in 1822 with Sister Pauline in France, collecting money for supporting churches and training elsewhere. The Association for the Propagation of the Faith, Society of St Peter the Apostle, Mission Together (Holy Childhood) and the Pontifical Missionary Union came together in 1922, rebranded as Missio in 2009 as the Catholic Church's official support organisation for overseas missions. The societies provide assistance for local missionaries to work alongside global communities that are poor, regardless of their background or belief, until they can become self-sufficient. Missio raises awareness and fosters prayer and cooperation in the whole Catholic Church, with 120 offices worldwide supporting the 1,200 mission dioceses of the world. Each branch of Missio is headed by a National Director, appointed by the Pope.

On 26 June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Protase Rugambwa, who until then had been serving as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kigoma, Tanzania, as the Deputy Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and as President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, naming him an archbishop. Rugambwa ceased to be president after being appointed as Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on 9 November 2017, with Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso replacing him.

The collection retains its original arrangement with box listing:1-21, A-Z, 100.

The collection has not yet been sorted or catalogued. For this reason, it is not normally possible to consult the collection.

Donated by Mary Rafat and Nicky Pisa, September 2021, Misc.2021/22:19

Word-processed box list with detailed descriptions provided by Mary Rafat

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

The contents of the collection have not yet been fully appraised.

Further accruals are expected.

Missio Printed Volumes Collection