The month of October 2026 will be particularly significant for the Church as it marks the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday. For the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Tanzania, the Centenary is an opportunity to give thanks for the missionary journey of the Church over the past century and to renew missionary awareness and commitment among the faithful.

To mark this historic occasion, the PMS National Office in Tanzania has prepared a number of activities for the Missionary Month. Among the preparations already undertaken include the awareness campaigns, mainly through sending of some official letters to bishops and other members of the Church in Tanzania as well as the publication of the official Mission Sunday poster, carrying the message of the Holy Father, "One in Christ, United in Mission." The Office has also prepared publications highlighting the missionary journey of the Church in Tanzania, with particular attention to achievements and contributions in evangelization and missionary activities.

The National Office in collaboration with some Diocesan Directors, is also using Catholic media to animate the faithful and prepare them for the celebration of Mission Sunday on 18 October 2026. To reach as many faithful as possible, the same topics will be presented through both Radio Maria and Radio Tumaini, recognizing that listeners may have their preferred Catholic media platform. This arrangement provides an opportunity for the missionary message to reach a wider audience while also allowing the Church to benefit from the different gifts, experiences and perspectives of PMS Diocesan Directors from the various Metropolitans of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC).

On 2 October, Fr. Alfred Kwene, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Tanzania, will present the topic The Missionary Month and the Pontifical Mission Societies through both Radio Maria and Radio Tumaini. On 7 October, the National Director will address the faithful through TV Tumaini on The Missionary Month, with particular emphasis on the Novena prior to the Mission Sunday and the message of the Holy Father for Mission Sunday 2026. The same television program will be rebroadcast on 8 October at a scheduled time, in order to reach a wider audience and give more faithful an opportunity to receive this important missionary message.

On 9 October, Fr. Exavery Mafwimbo will present Mission Sunday and Our Responsibility through Radio Maria, while Fr. Richard Haki Mbuya will address the same topic through Radio Tumaini. On 16 October, Fr. Alfred Kwene will present the Holy Father's Message for Mission Sunday 2026 through both Radio Maria and Radio Tumaini. On 23 October, Fr. Evarist Makoria will present Mission: The Place of Prayer and the Word of God through Radio Maria, while Fr. Lucas Mgaya will present the same topic through Radio Tumaini. Finally, on 30 October, Mission: The Vocation of Every Baptized Person will be presented by Fr. Filbert Mutalemwa through Radio Maria and by Fr. Isdori Makutu through Radio Tumaini.

With the exception of Fr. Alfred Kwene, who is the National Director of the PMS in Tanzania, all the priests participating in this program are PMS Diocesan Directors representing the different Metropolitan areas of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference. Their participation is intended to reflect the richness of the missionary charisms, experiences and pastoral realities found across the different parts of the Church in Tanzania. By engaging Directors from different Metropolitan areas, the program seeks to give the faithful an opportunity to encounter the diverse missionary experiences of the Church while strengthening a sense of shared responsibility for the mission of Christ.

As part of the spiritual preparation, every year, the PMS National Office organizes a Novena prior to the Mission Sunday. For this year, this Novena is scheduled from 9 to 17 October 2026. An October Missionary Booklet is also being prepared to present the history of the 100 years of Mission Sunday, its contribution to evangelization, and some of its missionary fruits. The booklet will also help prepare children for the designated day of praying the Holy Rosary for the Missionary Activities, encouraging them to pray for the missionary work of the Church throughout the world.

The Centenary is also being embraced by the Dioceses through their own missionary initiatives. In the Diocese of Bagamoyo, for example, a Mission Sunday workshop has been planned, while children have been encouraged to undertake acts of charity, including providing Holy Childhood uniforms to children in peripheral parishes whose families are unable to afford them. This will take place on 18 October in Mivumoni Parish.

Through these activities, the PMS National Office, in collaboration with the Dioceses, seeks to give meaningful expression to the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday. The Centenary is an opportunity to celebrate the missionary journey of the Church, give thanks for the fruits of evangelization, and renew the commitment of every baptized person to the mission of Christ. In this spirit, the Church in Tanzania joins the universal Church in celebrating this moment of grace inspired by the Pope's message with the theme: "One in Christ, United in Mission."