Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP)

What Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) does

Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP) is a Catholic missionary society (Société des Missions Étrangères de Paris) founded in 1658 and headquartered at 128 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris. For over 360 years, MEP has sent more than 4,000 French priests on mission to Asia and the Indian Ocean, currently operating across 15-19 countries including Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, India, Madagascar, and Bangladesh. The society is governed by a Superior General under its own constitution and operates as a non-profit religious congregation.

MEP's portfolio is organized around five internal divisions: Mission 128 (the Paris cultural and pastoral center including the Salle des Martyrs museum and Dumoulin-Borie exhibition hall), AD EXTRA (a participatory digital platform for missionary reflection and news, now incorporating the former Eglises d'Asie news agency), the monthly Revue MEP publication covering churches in Asia and the Indian Ocean, IRFA — Institut de Recherche France-Asie (an archival and research institute housing four centuries of cultural exchange documentation), and Volontariat MEP (an international volunteer program placing approximately 130 volunteers annually in 19 countries and supporting roughly 80 ground projects in teaching, healthcare, disability support, and sustainable development). Additional offerings include the Maison Saint-Théophane formation program for vocational discernment. The core technology stack consists of standard digital platforms for information sharing, content publishing, and missionary coordination — no proprietary AI, no app products, and no public API surface are present.

Revenue derives primarily from donations and contributions, supplemented by museum and exhibition admissions (€8 adult, €6 reduced, €5 child group rate), publication sales of Revue MEP, solidarity shop sales of artisanal products from partner associations, and foundation grants (e.g., Fondation Notre-Dame). Distribution is achieved through the Mission 128 physical center, direct volunteer deployment, the AD EXTRA self-serve platform, monthly print publication, email newsletter, Facebook, and an active events calendar including partnerships with cultural institutions such as Histoire en Briques, Centre Culturel de Taïwan à Paris, and Maison de la Culture du Japon en France.

Name

Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP)

Legal name

Missions Étrangères de Paris

Website

https://missionsetrangeres.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP) is a 1658-founded Catholic missionary society that sends priests, volunteers, and cultural programming to Catholic churches across 15-19 countries in Asia and the Indian Ocean, while operating the Mission 128 cultural center, IRFA research institute, Revue MEP publication, and AD EXTRA digital platform from its Paris headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and contributions: As a Catholic missionary society, MEP relies primarily on donations and contributions from supporters to fund its missionary activities and charitable projects across Asia and the Indian Ocean.
2. Museum and cultural admissions: Revenue generated from museum visits, exhibitions, and cultural events at Mission 128 in Paris, including the Salle des Martyrs and special exhibitions.
3. Publication sales: Revenue from the monthly magazine 'Revue MEP, Asie et océan Indien' and other publications covering Asian churches and missionary activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MEP is a Catholic missionary society that recruits, forms, and dispatches French priests to serve local Catholic communities across Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, India, and other countries). Alongside this core missionary deployment activity, the society publishes the monthly Revue MEP magazine, runs a volunteer program for young adults (Volontariat MEP), operates the Mission 128 cultural center and the Musée MEP in Paris, hosts priestly formation at Maison Saint-Théophane, conducts historical and missiological research through IRFA, and disseminates Catholic news from Asia via Eglises d'Asie and AD EXTRA.

Product overview

Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) is a Catholic missionary society founded in 1658, offering a portfolio of religious, cultural, educational, and humanitarian services across Asia and the Indian Ocean. The core offerings include the Revue MEP monthly publication, the AD EXTRA digital platform for missionary reflection, and the Eglises d'Asie news agency. In Paris, Mission 128 serves as a cultural and pastoral center hosting exhibitions and events, alongside the museum (Salle des Martyrs) and the IRFA research institute for France-Asia heritage. The organization operates an international volunteer program sending 130 volunteers annually to 19 countries, and provides vocational discernment through the Maison Saint-Théophane formation program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 4000+ priests sent to Asia over 360 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Histoire en Briques®coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition partner for the 'Destination Asie' Lego exhibition. Histoire en Briques brings extensive experience in museographic and scenographic design of Lego brick exhibitions, having attracted over 2 million visitors across their cultural exhibitions. They created 300,000 Lego brick models for the MEP exhibition.
• Avenir CambodgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation supporting development projects of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, particularly the 'Village of Peace' focusing on professional development, disability inclusion, and traditional crafts (silk/cotton weaving, recycled products). MEP exhibition showcases their artisanal products in the solidarity shop.
• Écoles de MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation founded in 2010 by former MEP volunteers and Father Bertrand de Bourran (MEP), funding construction of schools in northern Madagascar to provide education access for children.
• Howrah South Point (HSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation founded by Father François Laborade (Prado), now led by Father Laurent Bissara (MEP), promoting human dignity by assisting the poorest and people with disabilities in Bengal. Manages 9 social homes, 11 schools, health programs impacting 2,000+ families annually.
• Karuna CambodgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation supporting schools across Cambodia, providing children with education access, helping them defend their rights and break the cycle of poverty.
• Terres KarensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation founded by former MEP volunteers supporting Karen ethnic minority in northern Thailand (Maesot region), preserving traditional weaving techniques and supporting local economies through a yarn cooperative and sewing workshop.
• Opportunity for WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation helping Southeast Asian women achieve entrepreneurial dreams through traditional crafts, with environmental sustainability focus. Helps fund materials and find markets in France and Europe.
• Centre Culturel de Taïwan à ParisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural center founded in 1994, part of Taiwanese Ministry of Culture. Has two main missions: showcasing Taiwanese cultural achievements in France and Europe, and facilitating cultural exchanges.
• Institut de Recherche France-Asile (IRFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated to preserving, enriching, and promoting the heritage of MEP. Preserves four centuries of cultural exchanges and scientific research, available to the research community in Paris.
• GCPS ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent UK firm mandated by MEP to carry out an audit on all cases of sexual violence committed by some of its members between 1950 and 2024, and how sexual violence is treated and prevented within MEP.
• ARILIM AssurancesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily-owned insurance brokerage firm with offices in Lyon, Paris, and Toulon. Specializing in property and business risk insurance, supporting MEP as a partner.
• Fondation Notre-DameminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic-interest foundation since 1992, channels generosity toward those most in need. In 2023, allocated €32 million across 670 projects. Supports MEP activities through funding.
• Centre France-AsiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization of MEP dedicated to France-Asia cultural and religious exchanges, located at the MEP headquarters.
• Maison de la Culture du Japon en FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural institution presenting Japanese traditional and contemporary culture since 1997. Offers exhibitions, performances, cinema, conferences, and library services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Société des Missions Africaines (SMA): Catholic missionary society founded in 1856, headquartered in Lyon, France. Directly comparable to MEP as a France-based Catholic missionary congregation deploying priests internationally, with a similar donations-funded model, governance structure, and field-of-mission focus.
• Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers): Catholic missionary society founded in 1868, headquartered in Rome. Comparable to MEP as a Catholic missionary congregation of priests and brothers, with parallel cross-cultural formation programs, donation-funded operations, and long-standing international mission presence.
• Society of the Divine Word (SVD): Catholic missionary religious congregation founded in 1875, headquartered in Steyl, Netherlands. Directly comparable to MEP as the largest Catholic missionary congregation serving Asia, with parallel priest-deployment, volunteer programs, and cultural/research institutions.
• Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus: Catholic male religious institute founded in 1872, headquartered in Italy, focused on missionary work in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Directly comparable to MEP as a Catholic missionary congregation with multi-country field operations, priest deployment, and donation-based funding.
• Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers: Catholic missionary society founded in 1911, headquartered in Ossining, NY. Comparable to MEP as a Catholic missionary congregation sending priests internationally (notably to Asia and Latin America), with parallel publications, volunteer programs, and cultural/educational mission activities.
• Société des Missions Étrangères du Québec (MEQ): Catholic missionary society founded in 1653 — a direct historical peer to MEP, sharing the French Catholic missionary-society model, priest-deployment to Asia, and donation-funded operations.
• Missions Étrangères de Paris (SME) — note: MEP itself: MEP itself is the anchor company; this entry is omitted to avoid duplication.

Broad incumbents

• Pontifical Mission Societies: Vatican-based network of four Catholic mission societies supporting global missionary work. Comparable to MEP as a parallel Catholic mission-funding and coordination structure with similar geographic focus on mission territories and donation-based funding.
• Aide à l'Église en Détresse (Aid to the Church in Need): Catholic pontifical foundation founded in 1947, headquartered in Germany. Comparable to MEP as a Catholic organization supporting persecuted Christians and churches in Asia, funded by donations, with parallel advocacy, reporting, and donor engagement operations.
• Société des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice (Sulpicians): Catholic society of apostolic life founded in 1641, headquartered in Paris. Comparable to MEP as a long-standing French Catholic society dedicated to priestly formation; though focused on seminary education rather than overseas missions, it shares MEP's French Catholic congregation governance model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/missionsetrangeresdeparis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missions-etrangeres-de-paris

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP)