Become a Missionary

Read about the history of Family Missions Company here.

Family Missions Company (FMC) is a Catholic missionary organization comprised of lay Catholic missionary disciples, both men and women, singles and families, who have answered a particular call to go to the foreign field and preach the Gospel, serve the poor and “make disciples of all nations.” (Mt. 28:19)

• Lay: Though we work closely with clergy throughout the world, FMC missionaries are strictly lay and are not priests, deacons, or other people consecrated to religious life.
• Catholic: We are recognized by the local Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette. Wherever we serve, we serve with the permission of the local Bishop and we work under the blessing of the local priest. Furthermore, we are excited about our Catholic faith and uphold the magisterial teachings of the Church.
• Missionary: As missionaries, we are sent. That is, sent by our local Bishop, sent by FMC, and ultimately, sent by God, who is the one who affirms the call for each missionary.
• Disciples: As we go forth to make disciples, we strive to stay close to Jesus, being in intimacy with and being taught by Him.

In order to be considered for acceptance as a full-time missionary with FMC, the following requirements are to be met:

• Practicing Catholic in good standing, fully initiated into the Catholic Church and seeking holiness
  • (Married couples) Both spouses must be Catholic
  • Children of families who are seeking acceptance may not be fully initiated
• Completed high school one year prior to the start date of missionary training
• (Married couples) Completed one year of marriage prior to the start date of missionary training
  • Married couples may begin discerning with FMC before they are married (e.g., when they are engaged). However, we recommend already being married when you enter the application process with FMC.
• Fulfilled all the stages of the application process

Two years. Newly accepted missionaries commit to serve for two years. As the initial two years comes to an end, missionaries discern whether or not they will continue with FMC for another two years or more. FMC will walk with you in this discernment. We are very excited and hopeful that God is calling missionaries for many years, even for life, but we encourage seeking God’s Will and following it, which may lead to missionaries leaving FMC after their first two years.

No. FMC prepares, trains and sends full-time missionaries to live and serve in the foreign field; that is, to live and serve in countries outside of the USA.

The leadership of FMC discerns where to send new missionaries for their initial two years. It is important to note: new missionaries spend the first two years in the same mission post.

Once the initial two years is completed and the missionary or missionary family has discerned to continue with FMC, then they may also discern a new mission post. This discernment is done in conjunction with the point person and leadership of FMC.

FMC leadership who, while seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, consider the dynamics of current mission teams, the openness to new missionaries by the local Bishop of that diocese, the needs of the presently established missions posts, the gifts and personalities of new missionaries, etc.

Missionary applicants must complete each stage of the application process, which are:

1. The Discernment Inquiry form (For spouses: each spouse must complete and submit a separate form)
2. Initial Phone Call (For spouses: both spouses must be on the phone call)
3. Missionary Application (For spouses: each spouse must complete and submit a separate application)
   1. Includes references and a background check
4. Come & See Interview Weekend
   1. For families: both spouses must be in attendance. All children are encouraged to attend the Come & See with their parents. This is as much a discernment for them as it is for their parents.
   2. Each applicant will have two in-person interviews. For spouses: the first interview is one on one; the second interview will be with both spouses.

Training will begin in January of each year with remote sessions. February through May will continue with remote training, while missionaries fundraise and prepare to come to the FMC mission base in Louisiana in June. From June until December, missionaries will live at the mission base in a way that will model the pace and schedule of mission life in the foreign field. In mid-December training is completed and new missionaries are commissioned to go to their mission post. The following January new missionaries leave for their mission post and language school.

During the in-person training, we will live in community, eating some meals together, studying and praying together and ministering together. We study Scripture, Papal Encyclicals, and other texts to understand the Church’s teaching about mission and incorporate this learning into our life of service.

There is significant time for prayer. Some of the sessions give ample time to go and be with the Lord and process what is being learned. We greatly stress the importance of seeking Much of the time is spent in hearing and practicing

FMC has teams of single women and single men. A family, of itself, is a team. There are at least two men or women on a singles team. During Intake, new missionaries are assigned by FMC leadership to their first two year assigned mission post, along with mission partner(s). New missionaries commit to living and serving at this post through their initial two year commitment. After these first two years, missionaries may discern with their FMC point person and other mission partners about moving to a new post.

No, currently we do not. However, healthcare in many of the countries where our missionaries currently serve are a fraction of the costs here in the States. Yet, as FMC continues to grow, we will find ourselves in countries where healthcare costs are higher. Even now, some missionaries have chosen to include health insurance in their budget for fundraising. There are several insurance options on the market specifically for missionaries who live a majority of their year in a foreign country.

FMC missionaries work hard to raise funds through meeting face to face with family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers and inviting them into “the greatest and holiest duty of the Church” (Mission of the Redeemer, 63). The invitation is to become a mission partner, one who will support the missionary financially and prayerfully. The funds that they raise will go to supporting their life in missions: daily living expenses, ministries, alms, travel, etc.

The mission of the FMC missionary begins at home while fundraising, inviting them into this great calling and sharing with them the wonderful things God is doing through their support and in the missionaries of FMC. FMC provides the tools and resources to get you started with fundraising. If God has called you to foreign mission, He will provide.

We are looking for people who are completely in love with Jesus, faithful to the teachings of the Church, and docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. There are no educational requirements. Singles must be at least 18 years old and one year out of high school. Married couples must have been married for at least one year. Of course, children 17 and under are always welcome with their parents. Take a look at our FMC Charisms to see what FMC missionaries are striving for.

Yes, yes, and yes! Family Missions Company loves and encourages families with any number of children to become full-time missionaries. Our programs and outreaches are designed to allow families to learn, grow, and serve together as mission teams.

Whether you are a lay Catholic single or family, Family Missions Company is excited to have the opportunity to discern with you about becoming a full-time missionary or missionary family. Take it to prayer and spend time discerning if God is calling you to this unique life of mission (see Discernment Resources). Then, contact the FMC Intake team at 337-893-6111 or intaketeam@familymissioncompany.com. You can also send us a message from the contact page, just select Becoming a Full-Time Missionary.