Pontifical Mission Societies

Bishop de Forbin-Janson’s passion for missions ignited the spark of the Holy Childhood Association. A tireless preacher who traversed France, his heart resonated with the cries of starving and abandoned babies in far-off China. When he met with Pauline Jaricot, a kindred spirit in fundraising for missions, he received a transformative idea: children could best understand and address the needs of other children.

And so, in 1843, the call went out to the children of France to become Missionary Children, advocates of hope, and bearers of the Good News. With a simple yet profound motto, “Children helping Children,” this movement began. They pledged to say a daily Hail Mary and contribute a small coin each month to support their peers in distant lands.