In 1818 a young French lay woman, Pauline Marie Jaricot, founded the Association for the Propagation of the Faith, officially recognized on 3 May 1822. Pauline is “the foundress of the largest aid agency for the missions in the entire history of the Catholic Church,” which later became the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and was conferred the title “Pontifical” by Pius XI in 1922. — Vatican website