In the Catholic tradition, the principle of almsgiving is most commonly associated with the liturgical season of Lent. As one of the three pillars of Lent, we are called to give alms in addition to praying and fasting during this penitential season. While charity is an integral part of ordinary Christian life, during Lent, we are asked to focus more intently on almsgiving, which means donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts of charity — this can also include giving of your time and talents.
The roots of almsgiving are found in the words of Christ himself, who tells us, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25:35-36). By caring for the neglected and vulnerable around us, we are participating in the divine work of Christ.
With this in mind, here are four causes worthy of your alms this Lent:
The St. Jean Bosco School is a primary school that offers a Catholic education to approximately 700 students from impoverished families who live in the remote mountain regions surrounding Bois de Laurence, Haiti. Many families cannot afford the cost to send their child to school, which is why we strive to raise the money needed to cover the tuition for our students. $120 is all it takes to send a child to school for an entire year. When children are offered education, they are given an irreplaceable gift that changes their life, their community, and the world.
Here are a few of the ways you can help the St. Jean Bosco Center:
Learn more about the St. Jean Bosco School by clicking here!
The Sunflower Center is a professional ministry based in Baguio City, the Philippines, that is focused on therapeutic healing and counseling support for children and young adults who have been abused and neglected. We also run a half-way home for homeless boys in the region. Working alongside governmental centers and other non-profit organizations, we strive to help them heal from the wounds that keep them from thriving.
Here are a few of the ways you can help the Sunflower Center:
Learn more about the Sunflower Center here!
The Bethany Center is a network of ministries dedicated to offering struggling families medical care, skills training, regular meals, and a place for community. Nearly 30 out of 1,000 mothers in Guatemala will lose their babies due to a lack of basic health education, hygiene, and medical care. Of children who are safely born, 50 percent will face chronic malnutrition between the ages of 0-5 and will suffer permanent, long-term physical consequences from the lack of proper nutrition. The Bethany Center helps ensure that these mothers and their children are healthy and well cared for.
Here are a few of the ways you can help the Bethany Center:
To learn more about the Bethany Center, click here!
Our missionary priests are running hundreds of parish schools in the DRC, working to lift children and their families out of poverty through education. The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, with well over 50 percent of the country living in poverty on less than $1 a day. Our network of parish schools in the DRC offers children stability, opportunity, and education despite their impoverished circumstances. Without this network of parish schools, children in remote or rural areas would not have any schooling options.
Here are a few of the ways you can help in the DRC:
Learn about one of the schools in the DRC that MercyWorks sponsors.
MercyWorks’ mission is to serve the poor and neglected members of our earthly family with compassion and care. We are in continuous need of your prayers, advocacy, and financial support. This Lent, consider helping us as we serve some of the most vulnerable populations around the world. By helping the poorest of the poor, we heed the call of our Lord who tells us, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). Your continued prayers and support of our missionaries make our work around the world possible.