Our name comes from the Latin for “Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions” –
Pontificum Institutum pro Missionibus Exteris.

The PIME Missionaries have their roots in the Lombard Seminary for Foreign Missions and Pontifical Seminary of Sts. Peter and Paul for Foreign Missions (the Pontifical Seminary for Foreign Missions. The institute was founded by Pius XI in 1926 when he united the seminaries of Milan (1850) and Rome (1871) The two merged to become the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, Pontificum Institutum pro Missionibus Exteris (PIME.)

The PIME Missionaries work among the poorest people in the world in seventeen countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Ivory Coast, Myanmar, Mexico, The Philippines, Japan, Guinea-Bissau, India, Italy, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and the United States.

Our goals?
· Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ
· Promoting dialogue and understanding among religions and cultures
· Human development
· Promotion of justice and peace
· Pastoral care of newly founded Catholic communities

Founded in Italy in 1850 at the suggestion of Blessed Pope Pius IX by Bishop Angelo Ramazzotti, who later became Bishop of Pavia and Patriarch of Venice, the PIME Missionaries opened their North American Regional Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan in 1947.

Here we aim to:
· Promote mission awareness
· Foster vocations
· Provide financial assistance for missions and missionaries in developing countries
· Work with immigrant communities

We also maintain a presence in Wayne, New Jersey and in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Diocese of Lansing.

Are you willing to “go the distance?”

The PIME Missionaries make a life-long commitment to proclaim the Gospel, primarily among non-Christians in developing countries.

They are willing to go the distance. They are courageous men of faith, empowered by the Spirit, men who are willing to “lay down their nets” and follow Jesus wherever He leads them.

They have a zeal for the Catholic faith and a desire to proclaim it. Their spirit of adventure and passion for service might lead them to travel great distances – perhaps the distance from a comfortable American home to the banks of the Amazon or a remote African village.

Our missionaries go the distance to reach the isolated, ignored and impoverished.

They also travel what can be the greatest distance of all – the distance from one heart to another. In doing so they bring Christ to the world, and remind everyone with whom they come in contact that God wants no distance at all between his children and their loving Father.

Program of Formation

Young men who have a deep faith in Christ and a desire to bring that faith to people of other cultures and traditions are likely candidates. A desire to live the Gospel message of Christ in solidarity with the poor in other countries is equally important.Our formation and training program is flexible. We try to adapt our program to meet the needs of each individual as much as possible, according to one’s academic background and life experiences. College level seminarians and Post-College level applicants (i.e. those candidates who need to complete the required credits in Philosophy) will live in one of our communities for at least six months prior to going to Europe for the Period of Spirituality. The PIME Missionaries have two International Theology formation houses for Philosophy studies and Period of Spirituality (Italy, India, and Brazil.) The formation house for lay missionary candidates (brothers) is in Busto, Italy.

For more information about PIME in North America, contact Giovanni Vitale II at outreach@pimeusa.org or (313)342-4066.

Visit us online!
Website: pimeusa.org
Blog:  pimeusa.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/PIMEMissionaries
Twitter: twitter.com/PIMEusa