Missions in upheaval: World Mission Sunday during the years of war

Archbishop Celso Costantini used radio messages to support missionaries and Catholic communities during the Second World War. As Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Costantini addressed the faithful on the eve of World Mission Sunday to describe the challenges faced by those in mission territories.

Between 1939 and 1944, these messages highlighted the difficulties of missionaries and religious women who lacked resources, isolated communities, and populations facing violence. The bulletins from the Fides News Agency indicate that the messages sought donations and prayers to help mission sites maintain places of worship, education, and care as communication and freedom of movement decreased. Costantini emphasized the need for solidarity that transcended political divisions and focused on the future of local Churches rather than national interests.