By People for People

IN A WORLD ravaged by wars, crises, and poverty, we can find purpose in contributing to solutions, however modestly, by working directly with communities at the grassroots level. It is the freedom we share – though we may feel powerless alone – when we join with others and embrace the Franciscan commitment to serve the least fortunate and discover we can create real change.

This is the miracle of St. Anthony’s Charities which, thanks to its many benefactors, and the readers of the Messenger of Saint Anthony, carried out 122 projects in 2025 in 40 countries worldwide, with a total expenditure of over €3,800,000. Funds reach the friars’ charitable works through many individual donations, confirming the reliability of the projects carried out. Father Valerio Folli, Director of St. Anthony’s Charities, affirms that this “moves us deeply, and encourages us to do ever more and ever better, in the name of Saint Anthony.”

The gradual withdrawal of Western countries, including Europe, from development cooperation – made evident by the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) last July – makes the work of smaller organizations like St. Anthony’s Charities even more necessary and vital.

War-torn countries

At the heart of the 2025 report, Africa leads Anthonian solidarity with 66 projects, receiving over 41 percent of total funds. This includes the ongoing June 2025 Burkina Faso project, with more than €125,000 allocated to relocating support services at the Kolbe Medical Centre, freeing clinical space for safer, more effective patient care.

Europe follows with 13 projects (34.5 percent of resources), the Americas with 22 projects (16 percent), and Asia with 16 projects (almost 8 percent). These initiatives address the world’s most pressing challenges, including what Pope Francis called the “piecemeal world war,” a factor guiding project selection.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, long affected by conflict, received the greatest number of initiatives, from running medical centers and building classrooms to wells, small businesses, and job training. In Myanmar, affected by civil war and the March 2025 earthquake, St. Anthony’s Charities supports Sisters delivering relief to refugee camps, while Romanian friars provide essential goods to Ukrainian refugees.

In Venezuela, amid political uncertainty and severe poverty, a polyclinic with 45 specialists serves the poor, complemented by a public poultry farm offering meat and eggs at sustainable prices, supporting the local friars’ broader work.

Climate change

Another pressing issue in the world is climate change. In Mozambique “we rebuilt a school that had been severely damaged by a cyclone,” explains Fr. Valerio. “Last year it was also the turn of a village in Ghana largely destroyed by flooding.” Requests for access to energy are also increasing. “Requests for solar systems have now become routine, especially for schools and clinics,” Fr. Valerio continues. “When energy continuity is needed, as in small rural hospitals, we also purchase generators.”

In 2025, St. Anthony’s Charities addressed the world’s wounds primarily through: 30 projects in health, hygiene and nutrition; 29 educational projects; 24 human promotion projects – community initiatives ranging from training to rights to employment and addressing the root causes of poverty. Also notable are 17 projects that built reception houses and dormitories for vulnerable groups, and 10 projects ensuring access to water in rural villages.

The primary beneficiaries have been children and school-age youth, along with local populations, especially in rural areas. “Over the years, we have increasingly realized that access to education is important, but insufficient on its own,” says Fr. Valerio. “Working with communities – promoting services, health and professional training – has meant moving toward a more complete, person-centered approach to care.”

There were 12 projects where women were the beneficiaries, including those providing support for domestic violence victims in Nepal, hostels for girls in Asia to prevent long solo journeys to school or work, and job-start initiatives to restore autonomy and dignity.

St. Anthony’s Charities also supports parishes and local associations unable to design development projects or access funding. “Many project leaders are priests, sisters, or workers in remote, extremely poor areas whom no one would credit,” explains Fr. Valerio. “Our staff helps them learn project design and management.” Each initiative is carefully monitored with budgets and interim reports, building local capacity.

As a result, 99 percent of projects succeed, and local operators become reliable partners. First projects from new partners are deliberately small, which explains why 61 percent of 2025 projects were micro-initiatives.

Expenditure in 2025 was mainly on construction of community buildings (40 projects, 53.6 percent of funds), equipment – mostly medical (30 projects, 16 percent) – and renovations (19 projects, 12 percent). “We choose construction and equipment projects deliberately,” says Fr. Valerio. “Other organizations often avoid them due to costs, but we aim to provide communities with resources they could not achieve alone – clinics, classrooms, or ultrasound machines for expectant mothers.”

The United States

In 2025, the Anthonian Association of the Friends of Saint Anthony of Padua (AAFSAP), our Saint’s charitable organization based in Chicago, distributed a total of $737,706 USD, marking an increase of $436,906 over the previous year. Of this total, $70,000 supported charitable initiatives within the United States, funding programs focused on education, food assistance, and evangelization.

Internationally, support extended across several regions: India received $50,631 for projects in education, food, and evangelization. Kenya was granted $95,885 to assist with food distribution, medical care, and water access. Chad received $20,536 for a job training initiative, while Ethiopia was allocated $17,456 to renovate a kindergarten. In the D.R. of the Congo, $18,073 funded a job training program, and Senegal received $15,404 for school renovations. Rwanda benefited from $30,807 to improve a facility serving children with disabilities, and Tanzania received $12,323 for a housing project. Romania was granted $15,402 for essential items for people in need, and Haiti received $21,536 for medical equipment. In South America, Argentina was allocated $35,942 for job training, Chile received $20,536 to provide board and lodging for disadvantaged children, and Colombia was awarded $256,674 toward a housing initiative. Finally, Ecuador received $28,750 for a construction project, and Paraguay was granted $27,751 for renovation work.

Canada

Last year, Saint Anthony of Padua Mission Aid (SAPMA), our Saint’s charitable organization in Canada, allocated a total of $597,205 CAD, representing an increase of $126,859 over the previous year.

Of this sum, $100,000 supported initiatives within Canada: $80,000 was directed to St. Clare Inn for homeless women, and $20,000 to St. Bernadette Centre, both located in Toronto.

The remaining funds supported international initiatives. $35,250 assisted FrancisCorps in the United States, a Gospel-centered service organization established by the Franciscan Conventual Friars of North America. $99,440 was directed to St. Anthony’s Charities in Padua.

In Africa, support included $36,407 for the construction of a school in Liberia; $35,912 and an additional $38,950 for two separate school projects in Burundi; $53,931 for micro-credit programs in Ivory Coast; $52,433 to build a school in Madagascar; $23,043 to equip classrooms in South Sudan; and $25,439 for furnishings for a women’s residence in Angola.

Elsewhere, $26,934 provided educational materials in Brazil; $20,029 funded a community roofing project in Chile; and $49,437 supported the construction of a girls’ hostel in India.

The United Kingdom

In 2025, Messenger of Saint Anthony UK contributed a total of £312,300, representing an increase of £25,300 over the previous year. Of this amount, £45,000 was allocated to the Cardinal Hume Centre to assist homeless people in the UK. Beyond Britain, £5,000 supported the UK-based Friends of the Holy Land in fostering employment opportunities for Palestinian communities in Israel and the West Bank. A further £90,000 was directed to the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua to sustain its devotional initiatives.

The remaining funds were entrusted to St Anthony’s Charities and distributed among several international efforts: £9,500 for housing in Cameroon; £4,000 for a similar initiative in Sri Lanka; £31,000 for healthcare, housing, and education in Kenya; £21,100 for housing in the D.R. of the Congo; £45,500 for two housing and educational initiatives in Tanzania; £19,100 in India for employment, educational, and housing support; and £42,100 for a transportation project in Pakistan.

These are the elements of solidarity focused on what is small and concrete – sustainable and created together with those it serves. A solidarity made by people for people, all in the name of Saint Anthony.