The Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith
In 1818 a young French lay woman, Pauline Marie Jaricot, begins the Association for the Propagation of the Faith, officially recognized on 3 May 1822. Pauline is "the foundress of the largest aid agency for the missions in the entire history of the Catholic Church," which later became the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and was conferred the title "Pontifical" by Pius XI in 1922.
The aims are:
To maintain in the Church the Spirit of Pentecost, which opened the Apostles to the far ends of the earth and made them “missionaries” (envoys): it is the “catholic” or the universal spirit that belongs to the very nature of the Church.
To live the universal mission of redemption in union with Christ in his Church as the foundation of a common apostolic responsibility: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21).
To participate in the proclamation of the Gospel with the example of one’s own life and with the contribution of one’s own professional and productive human potentialities, also presented in monetary offerings.
Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle
Miss Jeanne Bigard, with the encouragement and under the guidance of her mother Stephanie, makes preparation for the priestly ministry of young men in missions lands the purpose of her life. In 1894 she launches the first manifesto of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, which begins its activity in 1886, is officially established in Caen in 1889 and recognized as "Pontifical" by Pius XI in 1922.
The aims are:
Insistent recommendation on the Formation and Education of local Priests and Religious.
Contribution with prayer and economic aid to the growth of the local Clergy and of local religious Communities.
Particular concern for the missionary formation of young people, with a view to increasing the number of vocations to priestly and religious life particularly in the Missions.
Greater involvement of the Catholic Laity, not only with the contribution of aid, but also through their personal commitment of missionary activity.
Pontifical Missionary Union
Fr. Paolo Manna, a missionary in Burma, observing the vast extent of missionary work, is saddened by the Clergy's indifference and is worried about the small number of missionaries. He therefore founds the Missionary Union of the Clergy to animate priests for the Opera Maxima - the evangelization of the world - and to promote knowledge of the Missions and encourage prayer for them. On 23 October 1916 Benedict XV approves the Union, which after a rapid and fruitful spread in the world, in 1956 is declared "Pontifical" by Pius XII. The Beatification Cause of Fr. Manna began in Naples in 1971 and concluded in Rome on April 24, 2001 with a Papal Decree on a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Servant of God.
The aims are:
To promote missionary consciousness among seminarians, priests and religious.
To animate all animators of the People of God for the Mission (RM 84) by spreading and promoting the other PMS.
To foster Christian unity so that “they may be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me…” (Jn 17: 23).
To put all the Church “in a state of mission”.
Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood
To give a missionary approach to devotion to the Child Jesus, the Bishop of Nancy (France), Msgr. Charles Auguste Marie de Forbin-Janson, develops a movement of Christian children to help pagan children and bring them salvation. Thus on 19 May 1843 is born the Society of the Holy Childhood, which Pius XI will declare "Pontifical" in 1922.
The PSHC addresses itself to children and adolescents in order to awaken their missionary awareness and to support, with a qualified and and explicit pedagogy, their openness to charity and Christian solidarity. “I bless you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children” (Lk 10:21).
Knowing and experiencing in “Jesus’ school” evidence of a joyful life with Jesus their Brother, they pray for all children throughout the world and try to help them to know and love him. “Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them (…) Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mk 10:14-15). – Children love children – .
Through a pedagogical-catechetical programme, parishes, schools and families are involved in the formation of their children who work as active subjects of their education. They are gradually led to open their minds to the world’s dimensions and to open their hearts to giving what they have in excess for needy children. – Children help children – .
The PSHC proposes that, for love of Jesus and in order to imitate him, children should make   the ideal of their life the call to Mission that saves children by making them children of God, in order to become complete persons. – Children become missionaries and make other children missionaries –  .
Catholic Vicariate of Francistown - Botswana
WHAT IS PMS