The Archdiocese Office for World Mission’s recent grant from The Catholic Community Foundation will support expanded programming in the Dominican Republic in four areas, including the educating and feeding of children. (Submitted photo)
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Office for World Mission is pleased to announce the receipt of a $100,000 grant from The Catholic Community Foundation to support expansion of ministry and service within La Sagrada Familia, the archdiocesan sister parish in the Dominican Republic.
Celebrating 40-plus years of supporting the archdiocesan sister parish relationship, the Office for World Mission works with the parish’s staff, which includes two archdiocesan priests (current pastor, Fr. Javier Guativa, and associate pastor, Fr. Thomas Naidu) and pastoral associate Dolores Puértolas, a member of the Community of St. Paul, as well as dozens of volunteers from the parish. In addition to nurturing the parish’s spiritual needs through evangelization, catechesis, the celebration of the sacraments in every village, prayer groups, adult and youth formation, and leadership training, the priests and staff strive to address the various material needs of parishioners. These include providing access to healthcare, educational resources, job training, micro-loan programs, clean water and emergency support.
The grant from The Catholic Community Foundation will support expanded programming in the following areas: care for the elderly, educating and feeding the children of the parish, providing help and relief to the local Haitian immigrant community, and providing academic scholarships.
With this grant, the Office for World Mission can support individuals like Nairobi, a 25-year-old woman born and raised in Galindo, one of the most remote communities supported by La Sagrada Familia Parish. Through an academic scholarship, Nairobi is studying biology in Azua, about an hour away by public transport. She began her studies a year ago with hopes of becoming a doctor, and Nairobi’s dedication to her studies is evident. Although commuting to school can be difficult, Nairobi said it is worth it. With access to an academic scholarship, Nairobi can study biology in Azua.
Since 2001, The Catholic Community Foundation has supported effective philanthropy in southeastern Wisconsin. The Foundation is independent of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Its board of directors includes Catholic religious and community leaders. The foundation was established to serve the needs of individuals and families who wish to provide lasting support to those Catholic causes they care most about. Donors can make a gift of at least $25,000 to establish a separate fund from which grants are awarded annually to support those causes that are dear to them — causes that ultimately advance the mission of the Church.
The foundation focuses on four priority areas: education; leadership development; healthcare for the underserved in Milwaukee; and community building to strengthen families, parishes and those suffering from poverty, discrimination and violence.
Antoinette Mensah, Ph.D., director of the Office for World Mission, said, “Our receipt of this grant … allows us, as Pope Francis has stated in his encyclical ‘Lumen Fidei,’ to work toward a ‘sure future’ with faith and hope as our foundation. Additionally, we are able to work alongside our brothers and sisters of La Sagrada Familia, demonstrating by our actions that God’s concrete actions make a public avowal that he is present in our midst and that he desires to solidify every human relationship. In the end, we serve as witnesses of faith and the goodness of faith for all, leading us collectively on our journey toward a future of hope.”
For more information about La Sagrada Familia or the Office for World Mission, visit www.archmil.org/offices/world-mission.htm, or contact the office at wmo@archmil.org or 414-758-2280.
For more information on The Catholic Community Foundation, visit legaciesoffaith.org.
