Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
The miracle of birth is a beautiful gift from God. But in Ethiopia, having a child as a poor woman can be a frightening gamble with life-and-death implications. Many poor pregnant women in Ethiopia lack access to professional medical care. When complications arise with their pregnancy or a baby’s delivery and there is no one to help, both the mother and child are placed at greater risk.
Thankfully, there is hope for these expectant mothers and their preborn children. On the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, St. Gabriel Catholic Health Center provides quality medical care to 24,000 patients annually, including many in deep poverty. The Brothers of Good Works established the center at the request of the community and city administration to respond to this serious medical need in impoverished Ethiopian communities.
Related: Ethiopia’s Brothers of Good Works Community-Based Rehabilitation Program
Cross Catholic Outreach empowers St. Gabriel Catholic Health Center’s important work of providing very low-cost maternal and infant care for impoverished families. Despite operating on a tight budget, the center has a 98% patient retention rate. The center is one of the very few medical facilities in Ethiopia to offer ultrasound. This is a high-quality program that has impacted many lives, with staff members sharing the love of Christ with all they serve.
Brother Wossen, a St. Gabriel health officer, got involved in the medical field because he wanted to express his faith through the work of his hands. “It is not my character to preach. I want to show others the love of God by living the Gospel with my life,” he said. “Our services are for all people with no discrimination. We work in the spirit and with the values of the Catholic Church.”
See more ministries in Africa suppored by Cross Catholic Outreach
St. Gabriel Catholic Health Center is a nonprofit health facility under the umbrella of the Ethiopian Catholic Church. Generous donations help the center provide the valuable services the local poor desperately need.
You can help Cross Catholic Outreach pay part of the costs of staff salaries, medicine and medical supplies to keep care accessible to families who have little to no ability to pay. Your donation ensures the vital ministries of prenatal, delivery, postnatal and infant care may continue in this underserved region of the world.
Every month (on the 25th)
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.