U.S. Catholics Bless Nearly 52,000 Lives Through Lenten Outreach

Stellia Banda gives thanks for the gift of safe water.
Stellia Banda gives thanks for the gift of safe water.

During the 2022 Lent season, U.S. Catholic parishes, groups, families and individuals stood with Cross Catholic Outreach to quench thirst and build a brighter future for poor communities. Their efforts successfully blessed nearly 52,000 lives by:

  • Installing 65 wells to provide clean water for communities in Ghana, Malawi and Zambia.
  • Improving access to Catholic education in Ghana by repairing a storm-damaged primary school and constructing one 3-classroom kindergarten, two 3-classroom junior high schools and housing for teachers.
  • Constructing one multipurpose building to host Sunday Mass, spiritual formation activities, kindergarten classes, adult literacy courses and more.

Stellia Banda, 54, lives in Kasope Village, Zambia, one of the communities aided by this outreach. She expressed her deep gratitude to everyone who played a role in providing safe water for her community. “Now, the well is quick to fill a 20-liter container in just two minutes, thus saving our time,” she said. “I no longer walk long distances to look for water because the borehole is in our village. We are accessing clean water, free from waterborne diseases because the water source is so clean!”

Read more about our Lenten outreach at CrossCatholic.org/Lent.