Divine Stories
Fr. Adam MacDonald, SVD (left) and a crew of volunteers help repair a local home in Gassaway, West Virginia.
There are two questions that donors never tire of asking charities such as ours. How did you use my donation? Did it make a difference in anyone’s life? We are posting these stories to answer these questions. We think you will like them. They are short and personal. The settings range from the South Side of Chicago to the “hollers” of West Virginia to the poor neighborhoods of Kingston, Jamaica. In every case, your generous support enabled our missionaries to touch the lives of people with the love of God. Thank you!
Walking With Moms in Need
This past May for Mother’s Day, a local florist donated flowers worth a few hundred dollars to be given to the women of St. Thomas and Risen Lord parishes in West Virginia. The florist recognized the good works being done by Father Thien Duc Nguyen SVD and his parishioners.
Working with the Poor in Brazil
My mission experience here in Brazil reminds me that what makes a church is not a building – it’s a place filled with people of faith.
Local Parishes Alleviate Hunger Through Divine Word Pantries
Food pantries managed by Divine Word Missionaries serve as a lifeline for families in West Virginia. In addition to national inflation, many West Virginians suffer from persistent poverty, the type of poverty that lasts for generations. Missionaries like Father Thien Duc Nguyen SVD provide food that keeps them fed when federal government assistance runs out. Annually, Father Thien buys more than 200 turkeys for Thanksgiving. This year, he and his volunteers anticipate that they will need many more to meet the need. During the past year, they have been helping between 330 and 350 families each month. You can provide a Thanksgiving meal for someone who is suffering.
Baking With Heart in Antigua and Barbuda
I have the privilege of working with the Hispanic immigrant community on the beautiful islands of Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean. It has been both a joy and a challenge. While it brings me great joy to see the progress and success of our programs and spiritual care, it also can be difficult to witness the hardships that these diligent people face.
Challenges and Triumphs in Difficult Times: A Story of Learning to Sew
Sewing is a practical and useful skill, and it also can be a creative outlet that brings people together. Read more…
Educating Future Generations in Jamaica
Catholic schools provide children with the invaluable opportunity to expand their knowledge, explore their passions, create community, and promote self-discipline through clarity of moral vision that is based on the Gospel. In many places, especially mission countries those schools still are the only chance to receive good quality education.
VIVAT International Promotes Dignity and Human Rights
Each religious order has a specific “charism” or focus that defines its distinctive community and purpose. But did you know that there’s a faith-based organization made up of more than 25,0000 religious sisters, brothers and priests from 12 Catholic religious congregations who are all united in a singular mission?
Relief from the Trauma of War
Father Andrew completed his theological formation in the Chicago Province and was ordained at Techny. Currently, he works in Uganda and provides assistance to families in the Bidi Bidi refugee camp.
