The Mission Cooperative Program (MCP) is a program of the Diocese of Dallas, which connects the faithful of the diocese in prayer and action with the universal Church. Each year the diocese receives requests for financial assistance from missionary groups, religious congregations, and dioceses from around the world.
The Ministries Office reviews these applications and selects a select amount of qualifying groups to participate in the MCP. Delegates from the selected organizations are invited to speak at partner parishes in Dallas, giving local parishioners an opportunity to deepen their connection with Catholic communities worldwide and to strengthen their participation in missionary activity.
Forms neccessary for applying to the Mission Cooperative Program
Information needed to prepare for the appeal or request a missionary
Only approved missionary groups that send a delegate are eligible to receive funds from the diocese. The MCP does not send money for any other requests.
The Diocese of Dallas is now accepting applications for 2020 through January 10, 2020. Requests made after that time will not be considered for 2020. The application process along with updated application forms for 2020 will not begin until September 2020 and will close by December 31, 2020.
Because the MCP currently only allows a small number of missionaries per year, the policy of the Diocese of Dallas is that a missionary or the organization represented is only allowed to make an appeal once every three years, so that other worthy causes can have an opportunity. Please be advised that this is not a guarantee that an authorized missionary will be able to make an appeal again in three years; each former missionary will be subject to the same application requirements as all other applicants.
If accepted into the MCP, your organization would only be assigned to ONE parish but could make an appeal at all masses during that weekend, starting with the Saturday evening vigil mass, if one is available.
Any priest visiting the Diocese of Dallas who wants to perform any priestly function is required to submit a Letter of Suitability. For parish presentations and Lenten missions, the individual parishes are required to ensure all diocesan guidelines are met (Please review the following policies: Visiting Priests Functioning in a Parish and/or International Priests Vacationing in the Diocese).
The MCP only handles those groups that are being scheduled to come and make an appeal in the parishes for their missionary organizations--even if this appeal solely consists in leaving behind promotional information. If the priest is only visiting and concelebrating, however, these requests should be processed through the Chancellor's Office. Please contact Gwen Boudreaux for additional information: (214) 379-2819 or .
Non-Parish Based Organizations are handled by a different office. Please review the diocesan policy for NPBOs. For any additional questions regarding NPBOs, please contact Rita Gracia, Associate Director of Safe Environment / Liaison for Statistical Data: (214) 379-2853 or .
The Diocese of Dallas and the MCP do not have a Mass Stipend Program. Only authorized missionary groups that send delegates are eligible for receiving funds.
As with a normal Second or Special Collection, funds should be processed by the parish business office according to diocesan policy and then forwarded to the Diocesan Business Office for remittal to the mission group or diocese. The missionary MAY NOT collect any funds directly from parishioners or the parish, and the parish should not send any funds directly to the missionary or the mission group. This is to ensure that we are in compliance with federal regulations and to guarantee transparency and accountability to our parishioners that the funds are being collected and sent to the mission group.
Bishop’s Delegate for the Religious