The annual collection in aid of Church charitable activities and Church homes will be held during all Saturday evening and Sunday Masses which will be celebrated this week in all churches of the Archdiocese.

The money collected will be distributed according to the needs of the various Church homes and Church charity activities. These include homes providing shelter to homeless children, young people and others without a family to take care of them; the services offered by Caritas; the Tal-Providenza homes; the homes for the elderly; the Social Assistance Secretariat of the Catholic Action; and the work of the Refugee Section of the Secretariat for Emigration and Tourism.

There are around 210 residents in Church homes for children. There are also five child day-care centres caring for 60 children, and two shelters for victims of domestic violence sheltering 12 families with children. Caritas is providing 22 services reaching hundreds of people. The Tal-Providenza homes provide shelter and care for 100 persons with disability. The homes for the elderly provide care for 720 persons.

The Social Assistance Secretariat provides various forms of assistance for people in need. The Refugee Section is offering shelter to 355 people (126 men, 92 women and 137 children) in 14 homes run by the Emigrants’ Commission.

Contributions can also be made through the telephone service on tel.: 5004-9713 for donations of Lm3, and tel.: 5004-9715 for donations of Lm5.

Also on Saturday and Sunday, anyone who desires to do so may contribute articles of foodstuffs and other commodities in baskets which will be placed in churches. The contributions will later be donated to homes for children, young people and persons with special needs, as is being indicated to each parish.

Charity Day is organised through the initiative of the Council of the Church Secretariat for Social and Charitable Action (Caritas). The theme for this year is Walking with Love in the Way of the Lord.