Updated April 2, 2026
At Cross Catholic Outreach, we cherish Mary as our mother and our advocate, and we believe that she continually intercedes for us before God as we serve the world’s poor for the glory of her son, Jesus Christ.
That’s why our annual Day of Prayer is so important to us!
This year, Cross Catholic Outreach’s Day of Prayer takes place on Friday, Aug. 14, one day before the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this special day, our staff, ministry partners and donors will unite in prayer under the loving care of Jesus’ mother. On Aug. 15, we will celebrate Mass at the Vatican for these intentions. We consider it an honor to pray for you and your loved ones!
When you submit your intentions online, you will receive a free digital Mass card featuring the artwork of the Assumption of Mary — body and soul — into heaven. As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary of serving the poor, we are excited to showcase artwork depicting the Blessed Mother created by an artist from one of our partnering countries. Aristides Méndez Maldonado, a local artist in the Dominican Republic, created this beautiful painting for our Day of Prayer card. It reflects the joy Mary feels at being in God’s presence and her eagerness to be our advocate in prayer.
Because of our long-standing commitment to the people of the Dominican Republic, we are honored to incorporate Aristides’ lovely work into our Day of Prayer. Aristides was born in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital, and is the son of a famous artist. As such, Aristides learned his craft at an early age and quickly became quite adept at capturing the expressive nature of the country’s citizens.
Our team at Cross Catholic Outreach has been blessed to experience the warmth and hospitality of the Dominican people. Through our work with in-country ministry partners, we make every effort to bring comfort and hope to the nation’s impoverished children and families. Like us, these families rejoice to know the Blessed Virgin is interceding on their behalf!
The people of the Dominican Republic continue to faithfully lift their prayers to the Lord, and he has been responding with great love through our ministry partners, including the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana. The Catholic leaders there were inspired to create FUNDASEP, a Christ-centered outreach that brings opportunity and hope to families mired in generational poverty.
Compassionate friends of Cross Catholic Outreach have been supporting this outreach to the poor since 2005, and many prayers have been answered. Families are now empowered with new homes, agricultural support, income-generating activities, education and nourishing food, while communities are being transformed through the introduction of new roads, bridges, schools and water systems.
As we reflect on Mary’s joyful image during our Day of Prayer, we invite you to join us in asking for the Lord’s continued blessings on FUNDASEP and our other ministry partners in the Dominican Republic. They are eager to help even more children and families access the goodness of God’s creation.
Would you like your prayer intentions included in our Day of Prayer’s Vatican Mass? Submit your specific intentions to let us know how we can pray for you. Feel free to share more than one! After you submit your prayer requests, you will be able to download a free digital Mass card.
We are honored to pray for faithful supporters like you who help us share God’s love with poor families around the world. Please submit your intentions by July 31 to ensure they arrive at the Vatican on time.
Originally published May 2024. Last updated April 2026.
