Aims and Objectives

The Association for the Propagation of the Faith (APF) assists each and every one of the Catholic Church's 1059 mission dioceses and territories to provide pastoral care and preach the Gospel effectively. Founded in Lyons, France, in 1822 by a young French women, Pauline Jaricot, who began by persuading local working people to support the missions by giving a farthing a week. A century later Pope Plus XI made the organisation the official mission-funding society for the whole Catholic Church.

The APF works in England and Wales with the Mill Hill Missionary Society, the only major missionary society to have been formed in England. Mill Hill was one of the first societies to introduce lay missionaries, and its priests, lay brothers and associates work in 27 countries and every continent.

The aims of the APF are educational; solidarity through prayer and funding in parts of the world where the Church is young, poor or both.

Who to Contact

Ann Lienard

Where and When

In England and Wales funds for the Missions are collected through the famous red collection boxes. These con be found in 170,000 homes and they have helped raise millions of pounds for the missions.

Other Information

APF supporters are invited to a mass and picnic, held annually in Mill Hill to meet other supporters. Volunteer promoters distribute ‘Mission Today’ to Red Box holders and collect and count funds. This provides a social opportunity through meeting fellow supporters, many of whom may live alone or who are housebound and may particularly welcome a brief visit.