Let’s step inside the Missions Etrangères de Paris, tucked away on the Rue du Bac. The Missions Etrangères de Paris, founded in 1658, is a Catholic missionary organization, not a religious institute, but a group of secular priests dedicated to spreading the Gospel in foreign lands. They have sent over 4,200 priests to Asia and North America, translating the Bible into local languages and working to develop native clergy, all while keeping in close contact with Rome. From its beginnings, the society had a strong and unique aim: to adapt to the local customs of the places they worked in, instead of trying to impose a French way of life.
The first missionaries were sent to Asia under Pope Alexander VII, who granted them authority as Apostolic vicars, independent of any colonial power. They left France in 1660 to evangelize, traveling on foot across Persia and India, as Portugal refused to carry them by ship due to their independence from the Padroado system. It was in Siam that they first gained a foothold, with the agreement of the Siamese king, Narai, to establish a seminary in Ayutthaya, the capitol, where priests could be trained from various parts of Southeast Asia. The missionary work in Siam was a powerful force for change – it brought a wider network of trade between Indo-China, the Indies, and France, spurred the establishment of embassies, and led to the signing of treaties.
Today, the Missions Etrangères de Paris remains an active organization, with over 180 priests working in Asia and the Indian Ocean, with 15 seminarians in training and over 150 volunteers sent to various missions each year. Their work continues their founders’ goal of adaptation, respect, and commitment to promoting the Gospel abroad.