Lent is a time of conversion, prayer, and concrete acts of love. This year's "Lenten Alms for Missions" is an invitation to show solidarity with those who live in places where hunger, disease, lack of medical care, and the effects of natural disasters are part of everyday life.

1. Senegal – rescue for malnourished children from Thiaroye

In Senegal, poverty affects almost half of the population – about 40% of people live on less than two dollars a day, which is about seven zlotys. Thiaroye is a poor district of Dakar. Many residents (mostly migrants from villages) live here doing odd jobs. Polygamy, which is permitted in Islam, further exacerbates poverty and suffering, especially among women and children.

The farming family into which Astu was born already had 21 members, as the child's father had three wives. When the child's mother died in childbirth, the other wives did not want to take care of her, so her father gave her to her grandparents to raise. Her grandmother, the mother of the deceased, then a 61-year-old woman, did not work and did not have the means to buy layette and milk for the newborn. When she found out about our Mother and Child Center, she came to us with her baby. For two years, the child received free assistance – not only in the form of food, but also medical care. If it weren't for the Center, the girl would not have had a chance to survive

– says Sister Ksawera Michalska OSU, director of the Notre Dame d’Espérance clinic.

At the clinic run by the Ursuline Sisters, approximately 500 children receive medical assistance, treatment, and specialized nutrition every month. The children are examined, weighed, and monitored, while their mothers learn how to prepare nutritious meals from local products and how to care for their children's health.

One such meal costs only 1$. A week of treatment for a malnourished child costs 7$, and a month costs 32$.

2. Zambia – a home for those who save lives in Katondwe

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Mission Hospital in Katondwe is the only medical facility in the entire Luangwa district. For over 60 years, it has been run by the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Conception (Starowiejskie). Women who have had difficult births, children suffering from malaria and anemia, accident victims, and patients requiring urgent surgery are treated here. For thousands of people, this is their only real chance for help.

However, the hospital's operations are threatened by a dramatic shortage of medical staff. Qualified medical personnel account for only 35% of the planned professional staff. Doctors and nurses do not stay in Katondwe for long because... they have nowhere to live.

We receive a monthly subsidy of PLN 12,000 from the Ministry of Health... With such a budget, we have no chance of developing. Every year, the ministry sends doctors to work for us, but they often leave quickly. Our hospital is located in a rural area where there are no apartments for rent, and we ourselves do not have such premises. Therefore, I humbly ask you to help us build four apartments that will serve medical professionals. The cost of this investment is PLN 301,000

– appeals Sister Krystyna Matusz ABMV.

The project involves the construction of four simple apartments next to the hospital. This investment will help retain qualified medical staff, ensure continuity of shifts, and guarantee safe deliveries and operations.

3. Jamaica – rebuilding a church after a devastating hurricane

In October 2025, a category 5 hurricane swept through Jamaica, destroying the town of Savanna-La-Mar. Among the ruins was a parish church run by a Polish missionary, Father Piotr Sierzchuła – the temple was completely razed to the ground. For the local community of about 300 parishioners, the church was much more than just a building. It was the center of spiritual life, a place of meeting, prayer, and support, especially in times of crisis. From day one, the parishioners asked the missionary about rebuilding the destroyed temple:

They are devastated that it is gone. They immediately asked where Masses would be held. You can see in their eyes their determination to rebuild the church.

Although the first aid was food and support for families, today the topic of conversation is increasingly the reconstruction of the House of God. The cost of the investment is at least PLN 2 million. Parishioners and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops are joining in the aid effort. We also want to do our part to show solidarity with the parish led by a Polish missionary. The rebuilt church will become a sign of hope, faith, and a new beginning after the disaster that took almost everything away from the people.

Every donation made as part of the "Lenten Alms for Missions" campaign has a concrete impact: a child saved in Senegal, a safe delivery in Zambia, a temple rebuilt in Jamaica.

How to Donate

You can support our project by making a bank transfer to the following accounts:

For $: PL 52 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0009; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For €: PL 41 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0013; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For others: IBAN: PL 79 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0008; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
Reference: Lenten Alms for Missions