Catholic World Mission: Our Work Throughout the World

Alleviating Material and Spiritual Poverty in Over 30 Countries

Help Catholic Missionary Work Abroad

At Catholic World Mission, we partner with several Catholic church-centered organizations that help disadvantaged people across the globe. When we partner with a community that needs help, we continue to form relationships in the area for as long as we can to make sure they have everything they need for ongoing self-sufficiency.

We make it a requirement in providing aid to the community that we are allowed to also share our faith. That way, we can invest each dollar you donate to our Catholic charity work in both the physical needs and spiritual growth of people who might otherwise never hear the good news of Jesus Christ. At Catholic World Mission, we take our missionary work seriously so the less fortunate can receive the help and resources they need from compassionate, faithful and committed followers of Jesus.

We believe our missionary work truly helps less fortunate communities achieve better lives and shows how the love of Jesus Christ can provide. Our dedication to serving others and spreading the Gospel helps us provide resources for people worldwide. Missionaries, priests and lay people who are faithful and compassionate followers of Christ can use their missionary spirit to serve others and teach Catholic ministry.

Where We Work

We serve wherever there is a need, regardless of a peoples’ religious beliefs. The work we support spans continents, languages and people groups to reach as many communities as we can with the love of our Lord. These include the following five regions.

1. Africa

The needs of African communities are as diverse as the people within them. For some, the lack of quality education prevents children from reaching their full God-given potential. In others, extreme poverty plagues many hard-working people who struggle to afford food, water and medical care. In fact, some of the African countries we serve have a population in which more than half live below the poverty line.

Our goal is to help Catholics end world hunger in poor African nations through ongoing physical support and spiritual mentorship. We work with teams throughout the following countries to guide people from poverty to self-sufficiency and give them a life-changing encounter with Jesus:

As we continue to rebuild schools, fund orphanages, build churches, provide food services and offer medical care, we ask for you to prayerfully consider donating to our Catholic charity work in Africa.

2. Asia

Many of the countries we help in Asia and nearby Oceania suffer from spiritual unfulfillment. Only 0.9% of people in Bangladesh identify as Christians, for example, and young people in Fiji are quickly falling away from the faith. Our ministries seek to bring hope to those who have not yet responded to the Gospel with a variety of evangelization projects.

After years of civil wars, widespread poverty and devastating earthquakes, the people in these countries are also in need of many basic material necessities. From providing food to eat to structurally sound homes to live in, we have the opportunity to help with physical restoration as we spread a message of hope in countries like:

When you donate to our projects in these nations, you’re helping us provide ongoing education, feed the hungry and — above all — share the message of Christ.

Bangladesh - Deacon Rick Medina, CWM Executive Director, pictured with Sister Hima, SMRA, and residents of Bottomley Home Girls' Orphanage
Stella Maris Year 8 School
bus to help transport children in India
Lonoy Students in Capiz - Philippines

3. Europe

Many people throughout Europe are already blessed with material goods like food, clothes, water and structurally sound homes. In fact, in the European countries we work in, fewer than 20% of the populations live below the poverty line. So, we focus many of our efforts in Europe on spiritual growth and emotional healing. The countries we serve include:

While many people in these nations are Catholic, young people are leaving the church at a rapid rate. Our goal in Hungary and Poland is to spread the message of Christ to people throughout Eastern Europe and inspire them to return to the Catholic Church. We hope to stir the hearts of young people to spread the word of God as we encourage them to meet the physical needs of those in poverty throughout their communities.

In Russia, we’re proud to meet the material and spiritual needs of expectant mothers through a unique pro-life ministry. Your donations to our Russian mission program will be used to provide hope to women across the country with physical resources for the birth of their child and emotional healing from the trauma of past abortion.

Kids photographed in grocery store buying food and supplies

4. North America

The living conditions in several parts of North America can be described as tragic. From imposing rulers and endless cycles of violence to devastating earthquakes and hurricanes, the need for a message of hope is rampant throughout the continent. Unfortunately, many people have never heard the Gospel or have begun to turn away from the Catholic Church.

In the U.S. — where 75% of people already consider themselves Christians — more than 70% of Catholic teenagers leave the church and never return. It’s clear that spiritual ministry is needed to bring people hope in such often-hopeless circumstances. That’s why we support services throughout North American countries like:

Along with spiritual fulfillment, many people in North America lack the basic physical materials they need for life — such as food, clothes and education. We strive to fight poverty by teaming with Catholic charities and individuals to feed the hungry, build schools and provide other types of ongoing support.

RC Mission Corps

5. Central and South America

The needs in countries across Central America and South America are plentiful. In many of the areas we serve, more than a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line and lacks resources like adequate health care and education. Our focus in this region is to eliminate the extreme poverty found in many of these countries and guide communities toward ongoing self-sufficiency. This focus extends to nations like:

One of the main ways we use the gifts God has given us to reach the people in South America is through education. We partner with Mano Amiga schools and other educational institutions in the following countries to educate children, provide hope, and guide them out of poverty:

How Our Catholic Ministry Helps Fight Poverty and World Hunger

Catholic World Mission is dedicated to helping people around the world by alleviating suffering, illuminating the mind and igniting the Spirit. We do so through several main pillars, which provide both physical and spiritual healing:

  • Dignified Living: As Americans, it’s easy to take everyday necessities like food, water, housing and medical care for granted. However, millions of people around the world lack these basic human needs. We strive to act as Christ’s hands and feet to those in need by reaching out to these communities. Our Dignified Living projects include providing food for people in poverty, supporting the creation of safe structures and providing medical support to the poor.
  • Education: When children are able to earn their education and achieve their dreams, communities can break free from the chains of poverty. However, millions of families around the world lack the funds to give their children a proper education. Our Education services like the Mano Amiga school system bring this urgent need to thousands of families. These schools teach children how to help themselves and share their skills with others throughout the community.
  • Evangelization: As believers in Christ, our work must go beyond meeting the physical needs of the poor. Without recognizing the love of Christ in your life, it’s difficult to understand your purpose and God-given potential. By spreading the word of God and partnering with communities in need, we hope to remove the obstruction of spiritual despair so people can experience spiritual and emotional growth.

We support the work of priests, lay people and missionaries who help make a difference in the world and the lives of others while proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. The organizations we work with and those we send on missions travel to the communities and stay there to complete projects and build fellowship with the community members.

Catholic World Mission Support

Supporting Catholic World Mission means you contribute directly to helping the poor learn about the unconditional love of Jesus and receive essential needs. We are the bridge between generous donors and the poor of the world. When you donate to Catholic missionary organizations or churches in missions, you help make a difference in hundreds of lives. We value building strong relationships with the people and communities we partner with.

Any time there is a need, we ensure we talk to the community to understand their specific needs. When we know what they require, we can develop solutions and become a source for long-term sufficiency. Once our missions are complete, we continue providing aid and maintaining community relations for as long as possible. We genuinely love professing the love of Christ to those in need and helping them in any way we can. Our values for being a dependable missionary organization include being:

  • Trustworthy: Accountability is vital in missionary work. When we receive donations, we hold ourselves, our partners and the community accountable for using the donations. We have a strict policy for documenting the use of funds and providing proof of accomplishment by specific deadlines upon project completion. That way, our supporters know exactly how their donations are helping those in need.
  • Reliable: We are responsible for ensuring our donors’ donations are put to the best use and spent as intended. Helping the disadvantaged and spreading the word of Christ are our main priorities in everything we do.
  • Collaborative: Catholic World Mission works with partners, donors and the community to provide aid and fellowship. We value building and maintaining relationships, so connecting with others plays a significant role in our work.
  • Empowering: We empower the communities we work with because they deserve to have access to resources and spiritual guidance. When we work with community members, we encourage them to take ownership of the projects since they are directly involved and help complete them. We don’t finish all the work for people or give handouts. Communities earn their results through hard work, commitment and faith.

We continue the work started by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the first chief fundraising and distribution agency to support Catholic missions worldwide. When you give to Catholic World Mission, your money supports ongoing spiritual and physical healing that will last for generations.

Our principles for empowering the poor and spreading the word of Jesus lead us in our missions around the globe. By following Scripture and teachings from Pope Francis, we can focus on working in courageous and faithful ways for the people of God. Our Catholic ministry helps spread mission awareness so followers of Christ can continue serving the disadvantaged and expressing their devotion to God.

How Our Donations Work

Donating to Catholic World Mission helps us continue supporting the mission of the Catholic Church — spread the good news of the Gospel and help the poor. The projects we support find us and trust us for help. We often begin partnerships because a priest, bishop, trusted partner or religious community reached out to us requesting support.

We handle donations with extra care and supervision when we receive them, so our donors’ hard-earned dollars get the best use for our partnerships. For all the projects we sponsor, we require documentation so we know how our partners and communities use the money. Through pictures, videos, testimonials and receipts, we can ensure each project uses the money responsibly and for the betterment of the community.

How Our Donations WorkAny time we start a project and begin allocating donations to different parts, our supporters will know exactly how their donations are helping. To keep ourselves and the communities accountable, we send videos and photos to donors and supporters so they can see how we use their contributions. By updating our supporters, they can feel a connection with the communities their donations go toward. Photos and videos will often be of the children and families you support or construction updates, so you can see the progress made.

Your donations go toward charitable services to benefit end world hunger and poverty. You can trust Catholic World Mission to carry out spiritual missions that help the poor and reflect the mission of the Catholic Church.

Donate to Charity Work in Africa, Asia, America and Beyond

Many people want to make a difference in the world, but when we look at the poverty present all around us, it can seem like there’s nothing we can do. After all, how can we fight world poverty if we can only make modest donations? If you’re wondering how you can fight poverty or what you can donate to make a difference through Catholic outreach, turn to Catholic World Mission.

At Catholic World Mission, we believe God can turn even the smallest gifts into incredible blessings. It’s our goal to use every dollar you give to its fullest potential, which is why we use a unique Trinitarian approach in our support services. By partnering with both the communities we serve and other Catholics dedicated to fighting world poverty, we’re able to provide far-reaching support that builds self-sufficiency far into the future.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith was the first chief fundraising arm to support Catholic missions worldwide. We are following in the footsteps of their mission of helping the disadvantaged today through our commitment to partnering with communities in need. Our goal is to continue supporting the Catholic Church’s worldwide missionary goals in the same spirit of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Through dedicated service and generous donations, Catholic World Mission can support Catholic charity work worldwide while proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ.

Help us spread the Gospel while meeting the physical needs of people around the world by donating online, or contact us to learn more. We’ll then gladly keep you informed as to how we are all part of building up the Kingdom of God by providing regular project updates, pictures and videos from the area you designate your donation to.

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