Pastoral Aid

In 1995, Pope Saint John Paul II issued the papal encyclical Evangelium vitae, in which he outlined the sanctity of human life and how society must foster a “culture of life” to counter the growing “culture of death.” The Pope’s words are as relevant today as when they were written in the 1990s. In many parts of the world, the culture of death threatens the sanctity of human life. This is true in Chile, where there are attempts to advance ...

Through your love, you can give young Christians one of the most precious gifts a person can receive: deeper faith. The strengthening of young Christians’ faith is also the goal of the Youth Chaplaincy in Jordan, or JEC Jordan. Run by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, JEC Jordan focuses on developing young Catholics to become leaders and to educate them and deepen them in their faith. Christians are a small minority in Jordan but are accepted as part of wider ...

Almost 70 percent of the approximately 22 million people in Sri Lanka are Buddhist, while Catholics number somewhere around 1.45 million – and roughly half of them live in the Archdiocese of Colombo. This number includes about 150,000 young people.  Like young people everywhere in the world, these youngsters are also fascinated by social media and artificial intelligence. And so this is increasingly becoming a topic that the Church has to and wants to engage with, since it involves many ...

The Diocese of Gikongoro lies in southern Rwanda. It includes 20 parishes with about a quarter of a million Catholic faithful. Although the name of the diocese is not exactly familiar to most people abroad, nonetheless, many Catholics around the world have heard of the Marian shrine of Kibeho, which is located within the diocese. Our Lady is honored here under the title of “Nyina wa Jambo,” or “Mother of the Word.” The shrine was formally recognized by the Catholic ...

Ever since 2019, Lebanon has been going through one of the gravest economic crises in recent history. Such is the collapse that somewhere between half and three-quarters of the population is now living below the poverty line, with even the middle classes suffering extensive poverty. This situation is a result of a combination of factors – structural corruption, political paralysis, a massive financial crisis, successive military conflicts, and the permanently overhanging danger of war in the region. On top of ...

The Diocese of Juína lies in the heart of the Amazon region and covers a vast territory of nearly 48,000 square miles. Yet it has just 14 parishes, which include a total of 380 local communities. Sadly, experience has shown that many young people have drifted away from the Church. This fact has prompted Bishop Neri José Tondello to sit down together with the youth leaders in the diocese and consider how best to rekindle the enthusiasm of as many ...

Whereas in the early days of the war, the emphasis was on direct material support for refugee families, who desperately needed to be housed, fed, and given medical care, it is now increasingly shifting to the need for psychological and spiritual support for the many people who have suffered deep emotional trauma as a result of the frightful things they have experienced. About 80 percent of the Ukrainian people have suffered some form of trauma, according to Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.  Often, it is the priests who are the first and sometimes ...

For over five years now, Lebanon has been going through a profound crisis. Many people have become impoverished and are experiencing feelings of anger, helplessness, and despair. Many families are suffering great tensions, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has only brought them greater fears. People are leaving the country whenever they can, and sadly, the suicide rate has also increased. Mother Maguy Adabashy, the general superior of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Blessed Sacrament, has written ...

The Archdiocese of Dhaka in Bangladesh serves a population of just 85,000 Catholics. As in all the country, Catholics make up only a tiny minority, less than one percent. Over 90 percent of the country’s population is Muslim, and most of the Christians belong to ethnic minorities, who are already on the margins of society.   The faithful turn to the Church in all their needs. One problem is that the people in many regions have very little formal education. The ...

The parish of Our Lady of the Rosary is based in Manica, Mozambique, in the Diocese of Chimoio. It covers an extensive rural area, within a radius of 43 miles, and includes 74 villages and hamlets, 58 of which have their own chapel. In the remaining villages, the Catholic faithful gather under large trees, or they have to travel to the nearest village with a chapel.   The Franciscans have been working in this area for over a hundred years. At present, ...