As the Catholic Church in Africa continues to grow in numbers and vitality, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is renewing calls for international outreach through its Solidarity Fund, which has supported ministries across the continent with millions of dollars in aid.
In a July 22 statement, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of Dubuque, Iowa, who chairs the Subcommittee on the Church in Africa, credited the fund’s support with helping Africa’s local churches flourish spiritually, even amid widespread poverty.
“Despite material poverty, the Catholic Church in Africa is bursting with spiritual life, filled with converts and has abundant vocations,” Archbishop Zinkula said. “The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa makes it possible for African Catholics to carry out vital spiritual and social ministries.”
The fund draws from an annual parish in the US collection and online donations at #iGiveCatholicTogether. In 2024, the fund awarded more than $2.6 million in 96 grants to ministries across 32 African countries or multi-national regions.
Projects included peacebuilding in South Sudan, lay leadership training in Zambia, priestly formation in Togo, and disaster response across flood and drought-prone regions in East Africa.
In Malawi, one initiative trained young Catholics in Church teaching on human dignity and traditional care for the elderly.
Archbishop Zinkula said these efforts reflect the mutual nature of the Church’s mission. He noted that thousands of African clergy now serve in American parishes.
“We are all brothers and sisters in Christ,” he said, “with a shared commitment to share his love with everyone.”
“The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa lives up to its name,” Archbishop Zinkula said, adding that the donations “build true solidarity. Though you may never have the opportunity to meet the recipient, you can trust that souls will be saved, and faith renewed because of the work supported by the Solidarity Fund.”
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Author: Elise DeGeeter
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