Outreach Priests are sponsored by Cross Catholic Outreach, an official Catholic non-profit [501 (c)(3)] relief and development organization that in its over 20 years of existence has given more than $3.3 billion of aid to help “the poorest of the poor” in more than 85 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. Cross Catholic Outreach has also collaborated with the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which served as the Holy Father’s practical instrument to carry out special initiatives for humanitarian disaster relief and for integral human development. In 2017, Cor Unum was merged into the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development under its Prefect, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson and in 2022, Cross Catholic Outreach started collaborating with the new Dicastery for the Service of Charity under the leadership the Holy Father’s Papal Almoner, His Eminence Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.

In order to help alleviate global poverty and promote integral human development, Cross Catholic partners with parishes and Catholic ministries in developing countries where bishops, priests, nuns and lay leaders have committed their lives to helping families in need. Their service produces wonderful benefits for impoverished communities, including food, water, medical care, homes, educational opportunities and programs promoting self-sufficiency, lifting individuals and families out of poverty. In the process, these families experience the sustaining power of Christ’s love. Since these faithful Catholic servants work with humility in remote locations, their stories are rarely heard and few Catholics know about their positive and inspiring outreach.

Cross Catholic’s Outreach Priests can share these stories with your parishioners while providing the sacramental needs of your parish during an absence. Of course, one of their goals is to motivate greater generosity toward the poor and greater support of those serving impoverished families overseas through their project partners. In this way, they share the Gospel, and through it, the message of charitable work. While no collection is taken during the parish visit, informational brochures are distributed so that parishioners may learn more about the global outreach of the Church and thus invite individuals to accompany Cross Catholic Outreach in this mission.