Culture

Daria Braithwaite teaches students at Immaculate Conception in Lowell about the World Mission Rosary.

The Propagation of the Faith

MCA Boston Grows and Gratitude Flows

Friday, May 30, 2025Culture

First founded in 1843 by Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), a Pontifical Mission Society, continues to foster and inspire a missionary spirit among children. Through daily prayer and faithful commitment to filling their mission banks (Mite Boxes), children exercise their baptismal call to mission and uphold Missionary Childhood's motto: children helping children. Their prayers and sacrifices support missionaries across Africa, Oceania, Europe, the Americas, and Asia who serve children fourteen years old and younger. The missionaries provide nutritious meals, safe shelters, proper education, and most importantly, share the Good News of Jesus Christ with His lambs.
On behalf of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Boston, I extend my gratitude to Boston's MCA members. Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, Catholic students from twenty schools and parishes prayed, completed extra chores, and even ran hot-cocoa stands to help their brothers and sisters in Christ. During our mission visits, we brought mission stories to life, enlightening the students to the needs of children from places like Uganda, Cuba, Malawi, and Haiti. Many participated in #GivingTuesday, entered the MCA National Artwork Contest, organized dress-down days, and prayed the World Mission Rosary.
The prayerful and material support of Boston students continues to grow Pope Leo's General Fund. Recently, Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa, from Lilongwe, Malawi, shared an ongoing project in his diocese at Saint Francis of Assisi Primary School, founded by the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Enrollment has soared to 1,600 students in grades 1-8. In 2022, one student was finally accepted into secondary education - a momentous occasion for everyone. Currently, the administration faces challenges with soil conditions as they seek to build sturdy sanitation facilities (a major cause for dropouts), along with an increasing demand for textbooks. In the future, the school hopes to provide inclusive education to those with visual and hearing impairments, and those with other disabilities. Bishop Vincent is particularly grateful to MCA. The faithful contributions of MCA members when he grew up allowed him to attend school, grow in a relationship with Christ, and discern the priesthood. He would not be bishop today, shepherding his flock in Malawi.
Please join our One Family in Mission! Help us to continue forming the unique missionary spirit MCA brings to our Catholic students as they cradle the future of our Church. It is a joy to watch the movement of the Holy Spirit through Boston's students after they become witnesses. Imagine how many more children we could reach with your participation! Please call the office (617-779-3867) or email (dbraithwaite@propfaithboston.org) to invite us to your school or parish.

Daria Braithwaite is the Mission Education Coordinator for the Pontifical Mission Societies of Boston.