During Lent we hear the Lord's call to perform good deeds. We could ask: what kind of deeds? They are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lenten almsgiving has great, though often unconscious, power. In the Book of Tobias, we read: Almsgiving frees from death and cleanses from every sin. Those who give alms will be saturated with life (Tob 12:9). Contrary to appearances, it's not just about money. Today it is more about the need for heart, affection, love, presence... Sometimes it takes really little to bring joy into the life of another person.

This year we want to invite you, dear Donors, again to join us in "Lenten Alms for Missions." Thanks to the missionaries, this almsgiving, expressed in a monetary offering, will truly become an expression of your love and symbolic presence in the lives of people in need of help in Chad, the Philippines and Cameroon.

Expansion of a chapel into a church in the parish of Gam, Chad
In the village of Gam, Chad, where Father Edward Ryfa works, the material needs of his parishioners are immense. The missionary tries on an ongoing basis to address the successive crises of the local population, both spiritual and material. A peculiar feature of his missionary service is his great concern for mundane matters, such as building schools and health clinics, and digging more deep wells - sources of clean drinking water. Thanks to our alms, Father Edward wishes to realize another project, insanely important for the spiritual development of the parish - the expansion of the St. Thomas the Apostle chapel into a parish church, which will be able to accommodate the ever-growing community of Catholics in the mission area.

Training of Dehonian seminarians in the Philippines
The Dehonian missionary community in the Philippines has for many years welcomed many candidates for the priesthood. However, several years of training and spiritual preparation for ministry entails expenses to cover theological studies at St. Francis Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao. Tuition is $1,200 per semester. Most clerics come from families that cannot afford such an expense. Our donations will certainly contribute to the vocation of those who want to follow Christ.

Construction of an elementary school in Nkonsamba, Cameroon
For several years, our Dehonian priests have been running a high school there, which is very reputable and popular. The facility, however, is too small to accommodate all applicants. Therefore, there was an idea to expand the building with a new wing that would serve as an elementary school for younger children from the city and surrounding villages. We can help them with this by donating our Lenten alms for this purpose.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Completion of the Primary School Construction Project in Nkongsamba, Cameroon

The school expansion project in Nkongsamba has been successfully completed. A new wing has been added to the existing and highly regarded secondary school run by the Priests of the Sacred Heart, establishing a primary school for younger children. Thanks to this investment, it is now possible to admit a larger number of students, both from the city and the surrounding villages. The new section of the building provides suitable conditions for the education and development of young children, offering them a real opportunity for a better future. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who supported this project through prayer and financial contributions. Thanks to our shared commitment, the educational dreams of many children have become a reality.

Expansion of the chapel into a parish church at Father Edward Ryfa’s mission in Gam, Chad

We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the expansion of the chapel in Gam, which has now become a parish church. This project marks an important milestone in the development of the local Catholic community and responds to its growing pastoral needs.

Carrying out construction projects in African conditions often involves numerous challenges. The rainy season significantly limits the possibility of continuing construction work, building materials are not always readily available, and access to skilled workers is often limited. Surprisingly, there are even times when basic construction materials, such as building sand, become temporarily unavailable. All of these factors affect the pace of the project. Despite these challenges, the construction work has been successfully completed.

The new church is almost twice the size of the former chapel. As part of the project, the foundations were reinforced, side aisles were added, a new roof structure with metal roofing was installed, the walls were plastered and painted, and new brick pews were built for the faithful.

This achievement was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Priests of the Sacred Heart's benefactors in Poland, who supported the project through the "Lenten Alms for Missions 2025" campaign. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this project a reality.