Missionaries Focus on Social Justice and Evangelization

Social justice and evangelization are at the foundation of every project Catholic World Mission (CWM) undertakes. By combining both corporal works of mercy and spiritual works of mercy CWM aims to strengthen the body, mind, and spirit of those it helps. To further CWM's success, the missionaries recognize that every individual, being made in the image and likeness of God, should be treated with dignity.

As the mission arm of the Legionnaires of Christ, Catholic World Mission is able to reach a multitude of poor in both third world countries as well as developed nations. Each project is designed to meet physical and spiritual needs. Those who work at Catholic World Mission have modified an old saying...if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for this lifetime, and if you bring a man to the fisher of men, you feed him for eternity. 

By coordinating locals to help themselves and evangelize to their own, CWM brings help and hope to the poor. Most projects follow a basic model. A team of two parishioners, from the area to be helped, become full time lay missionaries for Catholic World Mission. They receive training, a salary, benefits, and all necessary materials for their work - which is directed by the parish priest or local bishop.  In this way, the full-time lay missionaries work to build up the local church.  Then, with the guidance of those local lay missionaries, Catholic World Mission stands ready to provide any capital improvements needed to help the improvement of the area, including building new chapels and churches, clinics and hospitals, small businesses, and especially schools.  CWM supports 23 "Mano Amigo" (Helping Hands) schools throughout Latin America, serving poor communities.   Most of the areas helped by Catholic World Mission are very rural. One priest may cover 25 parishes. The lay missionaries assist the priest by offering catechetical training to their community. They prepare individuals for the sacraments and hold Bible studies along with many other evangelical duties. Currently there are nearly 1000 full time lay missionaries around the world. 

Recently in Brazil, CWM began their most aggressive program to date: building a community to help break the cycle of the "street children."  They built a school, an orphanage, a home for pregnant teens, a clinic, and a community activity center.  CWM took 5 children off the streets, all girls.  The children were all under five years old. They were malnourished, abused, and sick. A donor had provided an endowment to support and educate the children through high school.  CWM partnered with a local group of catholic woman to provide a family style living environment, professional care, and teaching (including religious instruction), and medical treatment -in all, a place to live, and love.  

To just place them in the orphanage would not have been enough. Children of God deserve more. Catholic World Mission was prepared to assume responsibility for the girl's lives.  They wanted to go beyond providing a safe place to sleep. CWM wanted to create a place of emotional and spiritual security as well. They wanted to provide a home for these children. Three of the girls were sisters. They had been taken away from their father and their mother had abandoned them. Catholic World Mission learned that they had another sister and a brother who were being raised by their grandmother.  CWM was able to find the children's grandmother. They are now safe and united as a family.
Click here to support Catholic World Mission's efforts in Brazil

The other two girls were also sisters. They were two and four years old. One had a cranial deformity. Surgery was performed to improve her condition. These girls had no family so CWM continued with their plan to love and raise them. That plan changed when a friend of One of the staff of the home stopped by the orphanage. She fell in love with the girls. The woman and her husband had been struggling with infertility. They adopted the girls and became a family in September.

Although the Mission had planned to see these children grow to adulthood. God had other plans. This freed up funding to help more children. The orphanage has been able to take in 8 more children. The story of these five girls is just one example of the many good works done by Catholic World Mission. Everyone, to whom the mission reaches out, is provided both physical and spiritual assistance with dignity. As with the children in the orphanage, Catholic World Mission considers the whole person in order to strengthen the body, the mind and the spirit.  

To learn more about Catholic World Mission visit their website at catholicworldmission.org

Click here to support Catholic World Mission's efforts in Brazil