Mission Cooperative Appeal Plan

Mission Cooperative Appeal Plan 2025

2025 MCP Appeal Mission Groups  |  Resources  |  Mission Profile  |  Past Groups

The Mission Cooperative Appeal Plan is an archdiocesan cooperative program that plays a vital role in sharing with the faithful of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington about the worldwide evangelistic mission of the Church and how they can support the missions.

In 2025, 15 mission groups were selected to make appeals in 47 archdiocesan parishes.

The Mission Cooperative Appeal Plan 2025 Application is now closed. Please contact Maeve Gilheney-Gallagher at [email protected] for further information.

Mission Groups

(Arch)Diocesan | Lay Organizations | Men’s Religious Orders | Women’s Religious Orders

(Arch)Diocesan

1. Archdiocese of Mwanza, Tanzania: With a mission, “To build a family of God where every member feels at home spiritually and physically,” this archdiocese has plans to use proceeds from mission appeals for three projects. They currently have 120 seminarians studying theology and 600 lay catechists in formation at Bukumbi Catechetical Training Centre. They are raising funds to cover their tuition, accommodation, transportation, and health insurance. Another area of focus is the education of local girls. “In our community, education is disproportionately given to boys at the expense of girls. Extreme poverty drives many families to prioritize marrying off their daughters in exchange for dowry, reducing these young women to mere commodities for financial gain. This practice not only undermines their rights but also perpetuates a cycle of inequality. As a Church, we are unwavering in our stance against this injustice. We firmly believe in the right of every girl to receive an education equal to that of her male counterparts. To combat this issue, we are actively constructing primary and secondary schools specifically for girls, empowering them through education.” Finally, the archdiocese is combatting unequal access to potable water by drilling at least three deep wells and boreholes in the Kwimba District— the most impoverished area in the region.

   Fr. Yohana Shija Masalu from the Archdiocese of Mwanza will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

2. Diocese of Butare, Rwanda: The mission of this diocese focuses on Catholic education to teach the youth unconditional love, peace, and reconciliation. Following the horrific 1994 genocide, the diocese has put significant effort into healing and reconciliation. Donations collected in the appeal will help fund new classrooms, dormitories, a clean water project, and school supplies for their new Catholic high school that enrolls 500 students. Most importantly, the funds will enable the diocese to carry on their mission of making the love of Christ present to the people of Rwanda.

   Fr. Denis Kiyenje from the Diocese of Butare will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

3. Diocese of Konongo-Mampong, Ghana: This young diocese was established in 1995 and faces unique challenges presented by their location in an impoverished region of the country. They strive to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone. The vision of the Diocese of Konongo-Mampong is working to build “a new society where the poor and the marginalized have discovered that within themselves and their environment there is great potentials to make sustainable progress in their living conditions towards self-reliance and holistic development in the light of the Gospel and the Church’s Social Teaching.” Currently, the communities the diocese serve lack many necessities like clean water, schools, and health clinics. Donations will go toward several projects: drilling mechanized boreholes to access safe water and funding the construction and staffing of schools and clinics to help meet the needs of the people in their diocese.

   Fr. Patrick Owusu Aboagye from the Diocese of Konongo-Mampong will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

4. Prelatura Santiago Apostol de Huancané, Peru: Situated in the highlands and jungles of the Department of Puno, this prelature was erected by Pope Francis in 2019 and serves 22 parishes in 22 districts. The prelature is unique in that as it is made up of faithful who speak Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. They will use mission appeal funds to address the needs of clergy and religious who serve parishes that do not have parish housing and lack necessities. Additionally, they want to enhance and build parish centers and facilities that will enable catechists and parish groups in their formation and evangelization. The prelature is also in the process of building the first primary school close to their cathedral to serve the local community, helping to fulfill their mission “to be a beacon of hope and help for those around us.”

   Fr. David O’Connor from the Prelatura Santiago Apostol de Huancané will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

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Lay Organizations

1. Dalit Solidarity: Dalit Solidarity works for the empowerment of Dalits, an Indian community that are victims of the caste system. Historically, Dalits have been socially discriminated against and neglected for centuries. Today, members of this community are kept far from the benefits of equal education, career advancement, and political opportunity. These inequalities lead many children into child labor, becoming victims of human trafficking, and forced migration. Dalit Solidarity runs St. Patrick’s Academy, an affordable school for more than 750 children who are from 30 villages. They also support vocational training through St. Patrick’s Community College and the Open University of Madras for 30 students who are studying nursing and lab-tech. Donations from mission appeals will benefit their various ministries like supporting widows, tuition for children traditionally forced to take up the family job of washing the dirty clothes in villages known as “dhobies,” providing basic health care to rural communities, and support for people suffering from leprosy.

   Fr. Ben Chinnappan from Dalit Solidarity will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

2. Franciscan Mission Service: Franciscan Mission Service prepares and supports lay Catholics for two-year international, one-year domestic and 1–2-week short-term mission service opportunities in solidarity with impoverished and marginalized communities across the globe. Missioners engage in a variety of ministries including hospice, prison ministry, campus ministry, primary and secondary Catholic education, support for abused children, and accompaniment of elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities. Funds from the mission appeals will be used to cover the basic needs of missionaries serving in Bolivia, Jamaica, and along the U.S.-Mexico border. Donations will provide housing, meals, and health insurance for lay missioners during their time serving on mission.

   Rose Hardwick from Franciscan Mission Service will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

3. Friends in Solidarity: Friends in Solidarity is a collaborative ministry established by the Institutes of Women and Men Religious in the United States and was founded to create capacity building initiatives that include the training of teachers, health care professionals and pastoral teams. This organization supports solidarity with South Sudan’s unique model of ministry—one of collaboration between congregations of women and men with different charisms who come from a variety of countries. They serve some of the most vulnerable populations impacted by war and conflict. The mission appeal collection will support training of primary school teachers through the Solidarity Teachers’ Training College, formation of nurses and midwives at the Catholic Health Training Institute, help to enhance food security by teaching sustainable farming practices to local farmers, and fund trauma healing programs and pastoral formation for clergy, religious, and lay leaders.

   Sr. Mumbi Kigutha, CPPS, from Friends in Solidarity will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

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Men’s Religious Orders

1. Divine Word Missionaries: Divine Word Missionaries preach the Gospel and share the Word of God by living, working, teaching, and sharing with others in many areas of global ministry. They are the largest international missionary congregation in the Catholic Church. They serve the poor around the world through pastoral care and material aid. In an Ecuadorian parish, Maria Madre de la Iglesia, a program serving food to migrants crossing the nearby border with Peru was established by parishioners and the Divine Word Missionaries. Fleeing political unrest and dire economic conditions in countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, and Chile, these people are tired and hungry by the time they reach Ecuador. The welcoming parishioners at Maria Madre de la Iglesia offer them a hot meal, as well as limited medical care, and a place to rest. This ministry helps the migrants as they continue on their journeys to a better life. Mission appeal funds will go to support this migrant feeding program in Ecuador.

   Fr. George Kintiba, from the Divine Word Missionaries will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

2. The Passionist Congregation-Vice Province of Mary Mother of Africa: Passionists see their vocation as a call to be alive to Christ in the embrace of love that is his Passion, and to draw others into that embrace. The Vice Province of Mary Mother of Africa is an entity of the Passionist congregation working in Southern Africa. This Vice Province facilitates many ministries including vocational and artisan training for women to financially support their families, youth programs, elderly homes, and funding children’s school tuition fees to help students remain in school, which helps break the cycle of children dropping out of school and marrying early. Mission appeal donations will go toward these ministries as well as funding seminarian education and supporting mission work in war-torn areas of Mozambique.

   Fr. Deusdedit Patrick Kumbani from The Passionist Congregation-Vice Province of Mary Mother of Africa will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

3. Piarist Fathers Province of the United States and Puerto Rico: The mission of this province “is to follow Christ and to serve the Church in the modern world by promoting our unique way of life and by ministering effectively to the educational needs of children and youth, especially the poor.” These men’s congregation has six mission sites in Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba. Each mission site focuses on evangelization, food insecurity programs, youth education, occupational skills training, construction of schools, churches, and latrines, teacher training, providing toiletries and medicine to those in need, youth ministry, providing scholarships and tuition assistance, promotion of vocations, and sacramental ministry. Funds from appeal visits will support the work of the Piarists in their mission sites.

   Fr. John Callan, from the Piarist Fathers will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

4. Society of African Missions: With over 1,000 members from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe, their “missionaries joyfully witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Africa, and to people of African descent wherever they are.” This order currently serves the Church in more than 16 countries on the African continent. They focus on establishing local parishes and clergy, supporting and facilitating parish ministry, prison ministry, education, justice and peace ministries, and social agencies. Appeal donations will go to support their many ministries and vocational work.

   Fr. Dermot S. Roache, from the Society of African Missions will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

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Women’s Religious Orders

1. Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Usambara: This religious community, located in Tanzania, focuses on helping the marginalized through a variety of ministries. Their health centers serve those suffering from malaria, typhoid fever, HIV and AIDS, and other serious illnesses. In their lay and religious formation programs, they provide a two-year catechetical and theological training to prepare young, professed sisters, and laity to serve God’s people in various settings throughout Tanzania. These Sisters are also working on a clean water project to reduced water-borne diseases, constructing a library and maternity ward at a hospital, and providing food, clothing, and shelter to those in need. Additionally, they fund student education from kindergarten through high school and provide workshops and seminars for seniors and mothers. The mission appeal collection will support their numerous ministries.

   Sr. Servatrix Joseph Shemaghembe, Sr. Lucy Peter Mshami, and Sr. Chrisanta Vincent Mnyongo from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Usambara will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

2. Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu: This order, located in Uganda, Kenya, Italy, and the US, ministers through Catholic education, healthcare, pastoral and social services to the poor and vulnerable with a special emphasis on women, children, and the elderly. The funds from the appeal will support social and pastoral outreach efforts in Uganda. The sisters are focusing on providing education of mothers and their children at a vocational school, providing medical supplies against malaria and other diseases for 517 children, funding Catholic youth outreach programs in refugee camps in Bweyale, and organizing a feeding program and support for refugee children and their parents.

   Sr. Mary Cecilia Draru and Sr. Scovia Apiyo Okello, from the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

3. Sisters of St. Francis Xavier: The Sisters of St. Francis Xavier is a 126 year old congregation founded in Myanmar with more than 400 sisters in 112 communities. Myanmar has been ravaged by a civil war, spanning 70 years of conflict, insecurity, and displacement. Appeal funds will be used to support a range of crucial initiatives aimed at providing relief and assistance to the children and communities affected by political turmoil and humanitarian crises. The funds will go toward supporting children who have lost their parents in civil wars and natural disasters by providing them with shelter, care, and educational opportunities. Other ministries benefiting from appeal funds include a home for elderly women in Manila, Philippines, the sisters’ care for elderly priests, and formational opportunities.

   Sr. Leonie Marie from the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

4. Sisters of the Imitation of Christ (Bethany Sisters): Founded in 1925, they now have 800 sisters who are engaged in empowering Indian and Ethiopian woman. This order runs orphanages, centers for women living with intellectually disabilities, and centers for children living with disabilities. They have also founded several mission centers in remote areas of India where they provide physical, social, financial, educational, and spiritual support to the local population. In Ethiopia, they created a mission center where children who are being exploited can have their spiritual, developmental, health, and other needs met. Donations will be used for the care of these mission centers as well as support the needs of the orphans, women living with intellectual disabilities, and children living with disabilities.

   Sr. Anice Sandra and Sr. Kanchana from the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ will visit parishes in the archdiocese this summer.

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