This weekend, the Church is holding its annual collection in aid of its charitable institutions and homes. Money will be collected during all Masses on Saturday and Sunday, while the Church is also encouraging donations in kind, such as foodstuffs and other commodities. These items will also be collected in churches all over the Archdiocese.
Charity Day is organised through the initiative of the Council of the Church Secretariat for Social and Charitable Action (Caritas) and originated many years ago, when parish priests used to present tokens of the donations received to the Archbishop during Candlemas. It later evolved into a more formalised collection of funds in aid of charity.
The Maltese are known to be generous people, and they give all they can to help people in need. The success of fund-raising activities that are held throughout the year, is proof that the Maltese, even those who have financial limitations, are ready to give what they can, in support of others who are more in need.
Over the Christmas period, nearly Lm1.9 million were raised in fund-raising activities held in aid of the needy and by the political parties. Even more money is raised all throughout the year, making the Maltese people, per capita, among the most generous in the world.
The Church is now asking for funds to help its own institutions and homes. We are in no doubt that the Maltese will once again rise to the occasion and give generously. Hopefully, the sum collected last year, Lm16,385, will be exceeded.
The Church has however to overcome two disadvantages when it comes to fund-raising. The first is that this campaign is not broadcast on television and no prizes are up for grabs. The second is that not everyone attends Sunday Mass, hence the collection will be limited to those who do.
It is a known fact that fund-raising activities that offer big prizes for people who donate money, succeed in raising more funds. Getting exposure on TV is also an added bonus.
However, the public must understand that the Church’s Charity Day is of utmost importance for the Church to be able to manage and run its institutions and homes. Without the money collected from benefactors and through similar campaigns, it would be almost impossible for the Church to continue providing these sterling services to the community.
A Curia statement said that the funds collected will be distributed according to the needs of the various Church institutions. These include homes providing shelter to homeless children, young people and others without a family to take care of them. Money will also go to Caritas, Dar tal-Providenza, the homes for the elderly, the Social Assistance Secretariat of the Catholic Action and the Refugee Section.
There are some 300 children in Church homes, while Caritas provides 22 services reaching hundreds of people. The Dar tal-Providenza gives shelter and care to 115 persons with disability, while there are 720 people in homes for the elderly. The Social Assistance Secretariat provides various forms of assistance, while nearly 350 people – including 112 children – are in homes run by the Emigrants Commission.
All these need all the help that they can get, and the public is encouraged to give as much as it can. Those who do not, or cannot, donate money can also donate preserved food and other items. Those who for some reason will not be going to Mass this weekend, are also encouraged to send in their donations to the parish.
The Church lays great emphasis on the importance of charity, which, according to the dictionary has two meanings – love of fellow men and beneficence. And what better way is there to show love for fellow man than to help others in need?