Building Bridges of Global Solidarity
Mission Survey and Statistics
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Contact Us
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Dr. Donald R. McCrabbdmccrabbuscatholicmission.orgExecutive Director
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Since 1950, USCMA has compiled statistics on the US Church’s missionary activity from data forms received from mission-sending groups and home dioceses. The Mission Survey is a biennial survey that looks at the International and cross-cultural mission activity of US missioners (citizens by birth or naturalization) and includes all those Catholics who are sponsored by Catholic mission-sending agencies, even if they work for projects not sponsored by the Catholic Church. This survey is critical to our work in promoting the US Church’s missionary activity and global relationships with (arch)dioceses and parish around the world.
The uses of Mission Survey Statistics are far-reaching and many individuals and organizations depend on the accuracy of this information. Here are just some of the examples of the uses of Mission Survey Statistics:- Diocesan mission offices often use the collected data for World Mission Sunday publications and other networking they may do with missioners from their dioceses;
- Bishops include missioners serving both within and outside the borders of the US in their quinquennial (5 year) reports in preparation for their official visit to meet with the Pope to discuss matters concerning the Church;
- USCMA uses the gathered statistics to respond to inquiries regarding mission activity and missionaries;
- Survey results are submitted to The Official Catholic Directory (The Kenedy Directory).
The missioner statistics reported to USCMA through the Mission Survey allow us to produce more complete and accurate overviews of the mission activities engaged in by missioners from US congregations and organizations. The US Catholic Mission Handbook and Executive Summary contain statistics in the following categories:
- Field Distribution of US Catholic Missioners
- US Catholic Missioners By Role
- Primary Ministry Work Activity
- US Missioners Serving in the US in Cross Cultural Mission