October becomes Mission Month across Syro Malabar Church 

KOCHI, Kerala (Indian Catholic News) —The Syro Malabar Church has established October as Mission Month from 2026, building on Mission Sunday’s call to deepen missionary awareness and support. 

Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil of Ernakulam-Angamaly, head of the Syro Malabar Church announced the decision in a Sept. 10 circular to archbishops, bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the Syro Malabar Church. The circular was read during Mass on Sept. 20. 

October replaces January Mission Week 

The circular recalls that Pope Pius XI designated the penultimate Sunday of October as Mission Sunday in 1926, with the aim of “deepening the faithful’s awareness of the missionary mandate of the Church and encouraging them to support missionary activity through prayer and financial contributions.” 

The Syro Malabar Church has celebrated Mission Week since 2016, from the Feast of Denha—the Syro Malabar Catholic Church’s celebration of the Epiphany and the baptism of Jesus Christ—until Jan. 12. 

However, the Synod of Bishops, following a recommendation from the Major Archiepiscopal Assembly held at Pala in 2024, decided to replace the January observance with a monthlong celebration. 

“Accordingly, from 2026 onwards, the month of October is hereby established as Mission Month in the Syro Malabar Church,” Archbishop Thattil said. 

The circular says the Second Vatican Council reminded the Church that it is “missionary by her very nature” and that “every baptized believer is called to participate in the missionary mandate of the Church.” 

Four weeks, four levels of mission 

The month will focus on missionary activity at four levels, with each week addressing a different dimension. 

The first week will focus on the missionary activities of the universal Church. The second will examine the missionary work of the Syro Malabar Church and ways to participate in it. 

The third week will focus on missionary activities undertaken by individual eparchies, while the fourth will highlight the missionary responsibility of every parish and believer and encourage coordination of parish initiatives. 

The circular also calls for special prayers for missions in parishes, family units and families. During the rosary and Mass, the faithful are asked to pray especially for missionaries serving around the world and those who “endure persecution and even death for witnessing the faith.” 

It also encourages Sunday homilies, faith-formation classes, missionary experiences, the Mission Quest quiz competition, missionary skits and short films to foster missionary zeal among children, young people and adults. 

Lay missionaries to receive greater support 

Archbishop Thattil also highlighted the role of lay Catholics in missionary activity and called for greater recognition of their contribution. 

“It is also worthy of special mention that members of the Syro Malabar Church are actively involved in lay movements dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel,” the circular says. 

The Church’s official lay missionary movement, Jeevan Jyothi, should be introduced and made active in all eparchies and, according to local circumstances, in parishes. 

The circular calls for lay missionaries involved in evangelization to be brought together during Mission Month and for the activities of Jeevan Jyothi to be inaugurated. 

“It is our hope that, by strengthening this lay movement, a renewed missionary orientation will grow and flourish throughout the Syro Malabar Church,” Archbishop Thattil said. 

The Major Archbishop urged the faithful to participate actively in the month and stressed that “missionary service is our duty, not merely an act of charity from our side.” 

He concluded by calling on every baptized believer to recognize and embrace his or her “missionary identity” and to share time, talents and resources in support of the Church’s evangelizing mission. 

The observance, Archbishop Thattil said, should help prepare the Church for “the Great Jubilee of Redemption in 2033.” 

Read the pastoral message.