Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
This morning the entire Cross Catholic staff was able to participate in a special event halfway around the world. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, our offices in the U.S. joined our ministry partners in the Philippines for a special time of song and fellowship. Despite the 12-hour time difference or the fact we occupy opposite corners of the globe, a video conference call put us here in South Florida, right there in Manila, with members from our project the Center for Community Transformation (CCT).
Together we shared an inspirational time of praise and worship that has stuck with me all day long. The Philippines is a nation where nearly 12 million people live on less than $1 a day and 33 percent of the population lives below the poverty line—and still our partners there led us in this song:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much you deserve
Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is yours
Every single breath
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about you
All about you Jesus!
Cross Catholic President Jim Cavnar visits a family that started a successful microenterprise business making and selling shoes with help from our ministry partner Center for Community Transformation.
I am daily encouraged by the various projects Cross Catholic supports like CCT, a ministry that gives aspiring entrepreneurs micro-loans, financial training, and spiritual support. CCT has thousands of success stories, as they help the poor start their own thriving businesses. With a loan and Christian counsel poor Filipinos have been able to lift their families out of poverty, employ their impoverished neighbors, and create a ripple of positive transformation in their communities. But more important than the financial stability CCT offers is the security of Christ in the hearts of those they teach to read the Bible and follow the Lord for the first time.
“We have not wavered in our purpose, which is to use micro-finance as a tool for bringing the poor to God through His Son, Jesus Christ,” said CCT President Ruth Callanta. “Once the heart is transformed nothing is impossible!”
May God continue to bless our partners at CCT, as they reminded me today—and they remind poor Filipino families every day—that it’s all about Jesus.
-Annie W.
Our mission is to mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ. Your gift empowers us to serve the poorest of the poor by channeling life-changing aid through an international network of dioceses, parishes and Catholic missionaries. This cost-effective approach helps break the cycle of poverty and advance Catholic evangelization.