We share the Good News of the Gospel.

Missio funds the Church of the future in mission dioceses overseas. We build Church infrastructure and support those in need, regardless of background or belief, in 157 countries.

In 157 countries.

Our work is mainly focused on areas of the greatest need. Currently these include Africa, the Indian sub-continent and Asia.

To provide for the different needs of the overseas Church.

The Church in the developing world is often too young and poor to support itself. We therefore focus on four main areas of provision:

– Sustaining faith communities and missionaries (Red Box; APF)

– Training future Priests and Sisters overseas (SPA)

– Children’s faith and development projects (MT)

– Nurturing a worldwide missionary spirit (PMU)

Love: proclaiming and sharing the Gospel message of God’s unconditional love for all

Generosity: responding generously to the needs of all, regardless of background or belief

Mission: offering every Christian, whether at home or abroad, the opportunity to be a missionary

Respect: spiritual and practical support for Catholic faith communities, enabling them to become self-sufficient and flourish according to their own needs and traditions

Any dioceses which are too young or poor to sustain themselves.

Parishioners in developing countries are often unable to donate enough to the parish collection to keep the church running. Missio is responsible for supporting these faith communities until they are strong enough to become self-sufficient. This means we provide a stipend for every missionary bishop so he can run his parishes.

There are currently 1,069 mission dioceses worldwide. 

To overseas mission.

Money collected annually by Missio England and Wales, is sent through trusted Church channels to mission parishes overseas. Missio money goes towards the running of every mission parish overseas, as well as the training of future Church leaders and the Church’s health, education and faith projects for children in developing countries.

Where it is most needed.

It costs a lot to keep a mission diocese running. As well as the day-to-day costs of the churches and chapels – gas, electricity and water – there are also catechetical programs, seminaries, work of religious communities, communication and transportation needs, and the building of new churches. All of these need support. The number of extra projects we fund each year depends entirely on the total donations we receive. In 2011 we funded 6 extra projects per diocese but in 2012 we were only able to fund 4. We rely 100% on the generosity of Catholics in England and Wales and receive no government funding for our work.

We are part of an international Church.

Missio Worldwide is the Catholic Church’s official support agency for overseas mission.  In order to channel all of the donations from Catholics to missionary dioceses effectively, Missio Worldwide has offices in 120 countries to collect the funds and distribute them directly to bishops in dioceses in need. This website is for Missio England and Wales.

You can pray, donate and volunteer.

Jesus has called all Christians to make his message known throughout the world. For some of us this means leaving home and family to travel to foreign countries and preach the Gospel. For others it might not mean physically going to work in mission dioceses, but that doesn’t exclude us from the Church’s divine calling to spread the Good News. Missionary work at home is just as vital and it has three components – praying, volunteering and donating. By doing these three things, you are investing in the future of the Church and playing your part in missionary activity.

Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 you give to Missio without costing you a penny! You can Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer – this could be income tax, tax on a pension or capital gains tax – you simply have to have paid an amount of tax equal to the amount Missio will claim back on your gift. If you would like to Gift Aid your donations, please contact us via telephone on 020 7821 9755 or email us at info@missio.org.uk so that we can send you a Gift Aid Declaration form to sign. If you’re not sure if you are eligible and would like to talk to someone about Gift Aid, please call 020 7821 9755.

Contact the LMVN.

There are a number of local and national organisations that help connect lay Catholics to mission opportunities abroad. You may contact religious congregations directly or the Lay Missionary & Volunteer Network (LMVN). The LMVN promotes opportunities for men and women of all backgrounds and skills to respond to the Gospel through international volunteer services for people in need.

Yes, you can now donate to the Red Box via your mobile phone.

Text REDBOX 5 to 70085 to donate £5

Text REDBOX 10to 70085 to donate £10

Text REDBOX 20 to 70085 to donate £20

This costs either £5 / £10 / £20 plus your standard rate message

You will receive a confirmation text message. It includes a link that you can click if you wish to Gift Aid your donation. You will not receive further text messages from Missio.

How does Missio get the donation?

The amount you choose to donate will be charged with your mobile phone bill and will appear on your next mobile phone statement. If you have a pay as you go contract, the money will come out of your mobile phone’s credit.

Can I give more than £20?

You can give a maximum of £20 in a text message. However, you can give up to £30 in a day by texting a combination of amounts up to £30. For more than £30 please donate on our website, or contact us for more options.

Missio uses the company Donr for people to give via text messages. Donr caps the amount you can give to £30 per day. You can then give again the next day if you so wish.

UK mobile networks have limits on how much can be spent via a person’s mobile bill per day. UK mobile network operators can provide more information on these limits.

Some operators impose monthly caps to try and stop users running up big mobile bills. Your mobile network operator should be able to tell you if there is a cap on your mobile contract.

Can I Gift Aid my donation?

Yes, you can Gift Aid your donation. When you text your donation, you will receive a ‘thank you’ text message. This includes a link to fill in your details so that we know that we can claim the 25p in every £1 you give from HMRC.

I already have a Gift Aid form with Missio, do I need to fill in another form?

Yes. Donr, the company who run the text giving service, claim the Gift Aid on behalf of Missio, so you need to fill in your details. They will not be shared with any other organisation, and you will not receive communications as a result of filling in your details.

Will my donation be credited to my parish’s Red Box total?

If you have previously told us your mobile phone number, or if you Gift Aid your donation and we already have you on our database and know which parish you attend, we will credit your donation to your parish’s Red Box total. If we do not have your details on our database and you want to make sure your donation is credited to your parish, please call us on 020 7821 9755 to let us know your details, or email us at redbox@missio.org.uk with your name, address and mobile phone number.

Can I give to another part of Missio’s work, other than the Red Box?

All money sent via REDBOX to 70085 will go to the Red Box. This money goes to support the whole of Missio’s work caring for communities around the world. All Red Box donations are shared with the Mill Hill Missionaries, Missio’s partner.

If you specifically want the money to go to projects supporting children (Mission Together), or the training of seminarians (Society of St Peter the Apostle), it is best to give in another way. Please visit our donate page to give online or to see other ways to give.

Can I give regularly to the Red Box via text message?

You can. You can text whenever you would like to give towards the Red Box. If you use the same phone number to do this, the system will recognise you and know if you have previously Gift Aided your donation, so you will not need to fill in your details for Gift Aid every time.