More of Our Projects Around the World

Stella Maris Major Seminary - Vietnam

The Catholic faithful in Vietnam persevere through a more precarious faith journey than what we could ever expect here in Australia. Strong, compassionate leaders with an ability to understand community circumstances are vital. Thankfully, seminaries provide the necessary skills and formation, both spiritual and practical, to prepare seminarians for their future as priests and community leaders.

Francis Xavier Nguyen Huu Tinh (pictured centre with two other seminarians) is a seminarian at the Stella Maris Major Seminary in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. As a priest in Vietnam he will need to guide his people through the challenges facing them and the country; he and many of his fellow classmates have experienced some of these problems first-hand. Like many seminarians, Francis is extremely passionate about the issues he sees his people face and has the ambition to help solve them in whatever way he can.

“As a priest, one must first build a community of faith that starts with the love and kindness of God. God is the goal of all our lives. I want the Church of Vietnam to be active in the advancement of society through education, healthcare, and charity. A priest must light the torch of hope for those who need him.”

Assistance for vulnerable children - Kroonstad, South Africa

1,200 children are supported across 21 informal township settlements across the Diocese.

The city of Kroonstad lies approximately 200km south of Johannesburg, or two hours by car, on the high inland central plateau. Thousands of children in the larger Kroonstad Diocese suffer from malnutrition and hunger. This issue has been compounded by other challenges such as living with HIV/AIDS and in some cases being orphaned.

This project provides children with homework support sessions, builds literacy rates through reading assistance, and monitors their school attendance and performance. Healthy meals are provided at drop-in centres alongside body mass index checks to ensure the children are maintaining a healthy weight. It also offers professional trauma counselling for children who have suffered various forms of abuse and safeguarding, compliance and child protection education for their carers.

To assist those living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, health education and check-ups are carried out through home visits and follow-ups, in partnership with the Department of Health and local clinics. Nurses and counsellors conduct community-based education sessions emphasising HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and stigma reduction. Through the local clinics medical kits and HIV/AIDS testing are made more readily available.

By supporting Catholic Mission through the Society of the Holy Childhood you will be helping to provide vital love and care for children such as those in Kroonstad who otherwise would be kept trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, ill health, mental trauma and discrimination.

Construction of a multipurpose catechism hall - India [14]

The village of Ayyampilly lies on a thin peninsula of land off the west coast of Kerala. There are waterways on one side and the ocean on the other. The livelihood of most of the parishioners comes from either fishing or working as day labourers in the fields. Income from both kinds of work are unreliable and seasonal.

Added to this, life is extremely difficult for these families for the simple fact that they were born into what is known as a ‘scheduled caste’. That is, they have been designated by the Hindu caste system as belonging to a group which is viewed as being of ‘low status’, simply by the misfortune of being born into that group. They face extreme social, economic and educational discrimination, deprivation and oppression. They are often denied their full human rights.

The Immaculate Conception parish has begun building a multipurpose hall. The new hall will provide a place to hold catechism classes for children in the community.

Every Sunday more than 200 children show up, keen to learn more about their Catholic faith. Classes are currently held in the church itself, but with a number of Masses on, and other ceremonies such as baptisms and weddings, plus community prayer groups gathering, it hasn’t been ideal.

The parishioners are contributing as much as possible by offering both their labour and donations to provide a better faith-filled future for their children. Your generousity to the Society of the Propagation of the Faith can help support communities like Ayyampilly around the world.