Catholic Mission’s Socktober campaign which uses the world game of soccer to encourage students in Catholic schools across Australia to kick goals for good, launched Thursday, with 133 schools from across Australia.

They make up less than two per cent of the population but run more than 430 schools, most of them in poor, regional areas: the head of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, says it is support from Catholics in places such as Australia that makes a brighter future possible.

This year Catholic Mission is thrilled to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, and the beatification of its founder, Pauline Jaricot who, as a young, faith-filled woman that desired to support missionaries around the world, founded the Society in 1822.

Aid to the Church in Need Head of Press Maria Lozano has last week interviewed Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas about the situation in Kiev, the humanitarian crisis, solidarity among the population and the drama of war.

Catholic Mission are this year celebrating 200 years of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, and the beatification of its founder, Pauline Jaricot in 2022 with a launch of a new monthly newsletter, Mission Today Digital.

Foundress of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, known in Australia as Catholic Mission, Pauline Jaricot was declared Venerable on 25 February 1963, by Saint John XXIII. Her beatification will occur during year marking the 200th anniversary of the foundation of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

The 2021 World Mission Month was launched with a digital campaign, connecting mission partners from around the world. The campaign sheds light on the dedication of missionaries to serving people in places where poverty and disadvantage compound the devastating impact of COVID-19.