A golden cross has been a common symbol of missionary orders, signifying victory and royalty to Christ and the Church.

Roman Catholicism had great pioneers in world mission, but suffered setbacks with the Jesuit reductions, the French Revolution, and other upheavals. The Jesuit Order was reestablished in 1814; older Orders such as Franciscans and Benedictines sought to renew their missionary work. New Orders and Sisterhoods were organized specifically for missionary work, including the Oblates of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate (1816), the Marists (1817), and others. For those not belonging to an Order, groups such as St. Joseph's Society for Foreign Missions were formed. Catholic leaders encouraged lay involvement in world mission. The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith sought to train indigenous clergy to serve in their native lands. The Protestant missionary societies were a counterpart to these efforts.