Welcome Pack 2023

Welcome

to Catholic Mission

Children at the Tahen Welcome Centre and Kindergarten in Cambodia, which supports the local community through the education and development of children while promoting greater community sustainability.

Thank you for giving life to what we do

Welcome

Thank you for joining the Catholic Mission family. Together, we stand alongside our mission partners as they reach out and give life to the communities they serve, caring for some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Your generous support makes a real difference to the lives of the children, communities and Church leaders that we serve, both today and into the future.

We are

Mission

Who we are

Catholic Mission is the Pope’s international mission agency in Australia. We partner with communities, helping them to flourish by supporting grassroots projects, including healthcare, education and faith formation, and being an active voice for human rights.

Our vision That all may have life in Christ.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

– John 10:10

Our mission We share in God’s mission to reach out and give life by sharing our personal and financial resources to: proclaim the Gospel serve people in need act for peace, justice and creation in partnership with local churches, so that all may have life in Christ.

You are now part of our

story

In 1822, just after the French Revolution, times were tough for the local Church. After years of persecution and extreme poverty, missionaries across the world were in desperate need of help.

Blessed Pauline Jaricot had a vision to help, a passion to act, and enthusiasm to involve others. Thanks to her dedication and hard work the first Pontifical Mission Society was started - the Society for the Propagation of the Faith - to support the worldwide work of missionaries wherever the need was greatest. It soon became the largest mission agency in the world, and remains so today.

CATHOLIC MISSION BEGAN WITH THE VISION OF ONE WOMAN THAT MULTIPLIED AND INSPIRED OTHERS. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING OUR JOURNEY.

Your life-giving donation has helped support 265 projects in 41 countries

91,671

82,400

children

community members

349

2,936

cathechists

future church leaders

Through our global network:

>140

countries part of the network

2,534

projects supporting children

71,047

future Church leaders

Your Impact for Children The Nazareth Home for God’s Children in Ghana provides a haven where vulnerable children are given shelter, nutritious meals, healthcare, education and unconditional love.

These are the brighter futures you make possible with your support.

Meet

Sarah

Sarah lived in fear because she was accused of being a “spirit child” due to the local cultural belief that children who were born with a disability are bad omens. In 2012, Sister Stan and the local church found Sarah and provided her a safe home at the Nazareth Home for God’s Children in Ghana. Now 15 years old, Sarah enjoys gymnastics and loves studying science and math. She dreams of becoming a sister and doctor to help the most vulnerable people in her community by sharing the love she has received.

Meet

Sr Stan

“I hope the children of the Nazareth Home become great people in the future and go back to their villages and communities to testify to the goodness of God, mission and love. And to help people understand that God loves every human being He created.”

Your Impact in Communities Thanks to you, nearly 3,000 women have completed training courses at the Kidist Mariam Centre in Ethiopia and are building brighter futures for themselves and their families.

Meet

Saba

“Not many people trusted in me, because of my sickness. They [Maria & Girma] trusted me, so I came here and worked, and I am happy… I have a salary for my mother and my needs, and everything is good.”

Meet

Maria

“We are very thankful for the gift of your constant generosity… this generosity has allowed us to help many on your behalf – especially the more than two thousand young women who have attended our professional training. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Your Impact for Church Leaders You are bringing hope by providing for the practical and spiritual needs of future Church leaders who in turn support their communities. Your support enables the faith-formation of children, formation and education of seminarians, novices and catechists, and the building and repair of church buildings.

Meet

Augusto

“To be a priest, this belongs to God. I hope that what I learn in the seminary will help me to prepare myself to be a priest. When I am ordained to be a priest, I can do something for them [children], motivate them and can say to the parents to educate their children in how to be a good person… in this world, for our country.”

Augusto is a seminarian at the St Peter and St Paul Major Seminary in Dili, Timor-Leste

Meet

Lucia

“As a novice, the great thing is I get to spread love for Jesus. My hope for the people of Timor-Leste is to provide education to young people. I like to approach those who are… neglected, those who are disliked. Education is important for children because if they are educated from a young age, a seed can be planted… and when they grow up, they can show this in society or the environment where they live.”

Lucia is a novice at the San Giuseppe Novitiate in Dili, Timor-Leste

More ways to make an impact Regular Giver Monthly donations are one of the most effective ways to give and make positive change. Catholic Mission regular givers are called Mission Partners and they help provide for the physical and spiritual needs of children, communities and Church leaders in Australia, and around the world. Become a Mission Partner today and join a compassionate group of like-minded people.

Socktober Socktober is a nationwide schools engagement program that uses the game of soccer to educate and inspire support for critical mission projects during World Mission Month in October.

Whether you or your family sign up and raise funds, encourage others in your community to participate, or sponsor a participant, your support goes a long way in empowering communities and creating lasting change.

Advocacy Our advocacy work aims to support children and families seeking asylum, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Contact us to learn more about Truth: from the heart, the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot or End Child Detention.

Workplace Giving Regular donations through your salary are a cost-effective way to help Catholic Mission reach more people in need.

Workplace Giving is a simple and cost-effective way for you to support Catholic Mission to reach more vulnerable and disadvantaged people with life-changing support.

Philanthropy & Major Gifts Individuals, families, trusts, foundations and private ancillary funds partner with Catholic Mission to deliver programs and services to children, communities and Church leaders in Australia and overseas. These partnerships make a positive and lasting impact in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

A Gift in your Will Including Catholic Mission in your Will is a powerful gift with an eternal impact.

Your generous gift – no matter how large or small – will make a real difference in the lives of children and families for generations to come. Gifts in Wills help us to prepare for the future, but more than that, you leave a legacy that reflects your values and greatest hopes for future generations.

TO SUPPORT CATHOLIC MISSION IN OTHER WAYS, PLEASE CALL 1800 257 296 OR VISIT CATHOLICMISSION.ORG.AU

We hope you are inspired by all the life-giving work you make happen here at Catholic Mission.

Thank you

“I fall in love because of the reality of the people here, so, it is only love that makes it possible to do all these things.” Sister Carolina of the Maria Auxiliadora Clinic in Venilale, Timor-Leste.

PO Box 1668 North Sydney NSW 2059 catholicmission.org.au 1800 257 296 info@catholicmission.org.au ABN 52 945 927 066