Inspired by Sirach 21:5, Pope Francis declared “the prayer of the poor rises up to God” as the theme statement for the 2024 World Day of the Poor. 

A condensed version of Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of the Poor

“Give hope today. Every $5.38 you donate provides a meal and other resources for someone in need.”

Though Canada has largely entered a post-pandemic landscape in recent months, lingering scars from the two-year public health emergency mingled with fresh economic challenges are forcing homeless shelters to brace for a tough winter.

War produces tremendous poverty, and its violence strikes those who are defenseless and vulnerable, Pope Francis said.

We are divided, sorted, separated. As the gaps between us grow, society slides into the abstract. Our concrete reality is the opposite of society. Day to day we experience life as individuals. We live in a tight circle of economic security that revolves around our lonely selves.

VATICAN CITY -- Poverty is the result of people's selfishness; it is not "fate" or the fault of the poor, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY -- Being faithful to God means taking the risk of setting aside one's own needs and plans in order to serve others, Pope Francis said, celebrating Mass for the World Day of the Poor.

With the cold weather of a Canadian winter right around the corner, organizations that collect winter clothes for distribution to the needy are stepping into high gear.

Undeterred by challenges unique to this year, the volunteers at St. Ann Parish Food Bank in Toronto have worked hard to ensure no individual or family in need of its services has been left behind.

There’s a silver lining in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for Chalice Canada: despite these fraught times, the Catholic international aid agency continues to see an unwavering commitment from its supporters.

A tiny homes project out of a Kitchener, Ont., Catholic church is keeping the homeless safe and warm as the region prepares for its first winter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is the fragility of our lives.

If the COVID-era has left most Canadians a little more isolated, a little more cut-off from friends and family, the poor among us have experienced that loneliness more acutely than most.

VATICAN CITY -- The poor are the church's treasure because they give every Christian a chance to "speak the same language as Jesus, that of love," Pope Francis said, celebrating Mass for the World Day of the Poor.