There are four Societies that make up the Pontifical Mission Societies. These are: The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which funds the needs of the missionary Church; the Holy Childhood Association, which helps needy children throughout the world; the Society of St. Peter Apostle, which helps to educate priests, brothers and sisters in mission countries; and the Missionary Union of Clergy and Religious, which supports missions with prayer and solidarity.

The Diocese of Oakland Propagation of the Faith Office also oversees and promotes the annual Catholic Home Missions Appeal and Retirement Fund for Religious Appeal.

Through the offerings of Catholics worldwide, the Propagation of the Faith provides ongoing support for the pastoral and evangelizing programs of the Catholic Church in Africa, Asia, the Islands of the Pacific and remote regions of Latin America and developing countries. This includes aid for the education and support of seminarians, Religious novices and lay catechists; for the work of religious Communities in education, health care and social services; for communication and transportation needs; for building churches, chapels, and rural health clinics; and for disaster and emergency relief when necessary.

Catholic Home Missions Appeal provides funding for priests to travel to celebrate Mass in remote parishes as regularly as possible. It supports Religious Education programs so that our faith can be handed down to the next generation and adults can grow in their faith. It helps the smallest parishes of our country keep their doors open. Annually, the Catholic Home Missions Appeal is celebrated on the last Sunday in April.

The Catholic Home Missions Appeal is sponsored by the Committee on the Home Missions, 3211 Fourth Street NE, Washington, DC.

The Holy Childhood Association (HCA) has a dual mandate of educating children about their part in the Church's mission work and challenging them to share what they have with children growing up in developing countries. HCA is an international organization dedicated to mission awareness among children in Catholic elementary schools and parish Religious Education programs.

After learning about the needs of the world's poorest children, our young people are invited to pray for the children and to offer financial help so children in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and Latin America may know Christ and experience his love and care.

The Diocesan Mission Office has a variety of HCA materials on hand for Religious Education programs and Catholic elementary schools. We have a lending library of mission videos geared to both the lower grades and Junior High. Contact our office for more information.

Note: You can visit the National Holy Childhood Association website at www.holychildhoodusa.org.

The Retirement Fund for Religious distributes grants to eligible religious institutes for their retirement needs. The office also supports services to religious institutes to assist them in planning and managing their retirement needs and programs.

It also supports services to religious institutes to assist them in planning and managing their retirement needs and programs. The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection takes place in parishes on the second weekend in December. The Diocesan mission office is responsible for the promotion of the appeal, including ordering pew envelopes and materials for parishes; however, contributions from parishes should be sent to the Diocese of Oakland Finance Department.

The Retirement Fund for Religious is sponsored by the National Religious Retirement Office in Washington, DC.

The Society of St. Peter Apostle invites individuals to support the education of candidates for the Catholic priesthood in the Developing World and to support the formation of men and women candidates for the religious life in the Missions. An annual appeal takes place in the summer months.

The Society of St. Peter the Apostle helped some 2700 in the first year of its foundation. Today, approximately 28,000 seminarians, largely in Asia and Africa, receive an average subsidy of $700 per student. The Society of St. Peter the Apostle also provides assistance for women and men Religious novices.