Supporting the local Church in its pastoral care efforts for the faithful is the key task of Aid to the Church in Need. This includes supporting the construction, reconstruction or maintenance of church buildings so that the Church can carry out its mission.
We also finance vehicles for priests, Sisters and catechists that they may reach the faithful even in the most isolated and remote areas. Wherever the faithful are victims of displacement, violence and/or persecution, we provide emergency relief to alleviate the worst of their suffering.
Churches and ecclesiastical institutions are often destroyed by violence, especially in crisis areas . We support reconstruction projects in these areas as the Church is at the very centre of the life of faith and a powerful representation of hope.
“Faith and a good organization can move mountains.”
When the Church is growing like it is in Africa, Asia and Latin America, help is often needed to build up a new infrastructure. Therefore, Aid to the Church in Need provides assistance for the construction and reconstruction of churches, monasteries, pastoral centres and mission stations, and therefor safeguarding and promoting the pastoral work of the Catholic Church worldwide.
We have learned from our 70 years of experience, that even in the most poverty stricken and destitute places, the smallest chapel can provide people with a spiritual home.
991 such buildings were constructed or repaired with our help in 2018 alone.