Pope Francis recalls four key words – pain, gratitude, encouragement and praise – as a way of thanking priests and supporting their ministry. Today, on the 57th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, those words can be addressed to the whole people of God, against the backdrop of the Gospel passage that recounts for us the remarkable experience of Jesus and Peter during a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee (cf. Mt 14:22-33). He asks the Church to continue to promote vocations. May she touch the hearts of the faithful and enable each of them to discover with gratitude God’s call in their lives, to find courage to say “yes” to God, to overcome all weariness through faith in Christ, and to make of their lives a song of praise for God, for their brothers and sisters, and for the whole world.
Through the help of many generous people we are able to go out every week to feed the homeless.
There are many in the area of Van Nuys, CA. So we have a team of volunteers who enjoy to prepare sandwiches, spaghetti, tacos. And then we all go out for delivery. We get to know so many situations. People lonely, staying idle on the sidewalk, having nothing but their poverty. Please, support this Charity Project, to be close to Jesus present in the homeless!
In the “Centre St. Antoine”, in Nyanza, Rwanda, the Rogationist Fathers take care of orphans, abandoned children and street kids, since 1988.
In the African country of a thousand hills, Rwanda, in the town of Nyanza, 90 km south of the capital city Kigali, you can find Saint Anthony Center.
It is a shelter for underprivileged minors, male and female: orphans, abandoned children, children found on the street.
Since 1988, our religious family of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, founded in 1897 by Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia, has been taking care of the integral education of hundreds of boys and girls who have found their home here.
Some of them have been abandoned by their parents, and others, despite having a family, have left their homes because of poverty or some conflicts in the family, preferring to live on the streets.
Saint Anthony Center has always tried to guarantee all of the children everything that is necessary for their healthy growth so that after so much suffering, these boys and girls can become mature people, capable of accepting their limits and discovering their potential, knowing the rights and duties of a dignified life.
Our Center pays for everything that these children need: food, housing, medical assistance, clothing, education, etc.
We certainly cannot replace their parents, however, with God’s help, we try to create an environment that helps them lighten their difficult life so they can grow in love for God and their neighbors.
The charitable activity of Saint Anthony Center is not provided only for resident boys and girls. It is also aimed at poor families, in particular by providing scholastic support for their children since otherwise they could be excluded because they lack financial means. We also support the sick and the elderly who have been left alone.
Inside the Center there is also a nursery school for local children and the Social Office, where the needs of many disadvantaged people can be met.
Fulfilling this mission requires constant commitment on the part of our team of priests, educators and social workers, as well as the material help of so many good and generous people without whose spiritual and financial support, we could not make it.
Through the generous help of many people we are able to go out every week to feed the homeless of Van Nuys. We have a team of volunteers who enjoy to prepare sandwiches, spaghetti and tacos.
In the city of Davao, Mindanao Island, “St. Anthony’s Boys Village”, founded in 1998, provides financial and educational assistance to children in need and a real future for them and their families.
The Rogate ‘Sneha Bhavan’ Boys Town in Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh, is the first mission house of the Rogationist Indian Mission, where children receive affection, education and a real future.
‘ROGATE SNEHA BHAVAN’ at Nalgonda, Andhra Pradhesh is the first mission station of the Rogationist Indian Delegation. Two of our Indian Rogationists fathers (Frs. Saji Kappikuzhy,RCJ; Shaju Koonathan, RCJ) came to Andhra Pradesh on August 1, 2009 in order to get an experience in the field of street children’s work and to look for the possibilities to start a mission station. They stayed seven months with the Don Bosco Navajeevan at Hyderabad and Vijayawada to learn the language and to experience their work with the street and working children. After having an experience in this field, and as a response to the invitation of the Bishop of Nalgonda, His Excellency Most Rev. Govindu Joji, they arrived at Nalgonda on 26th march 2010. The Bishop welcomed them and expressed his great desire to have our presence in his diocese.
They were given accommodation in Kolping (youth) center near our land. This temporary house was blessed by His Excellency Most Rev. Govindu Joji on 6th April 2010. Bishop gave us one acre of land free of cost and other two acres we bought from him for the purpose of our project. This Rogationist project at Nalgonda district could accommodate 50 boys as interns. It can also offer short term courses like carpentry, electronics, electrical, welding, computer, Bakery, Plumbing, printing technology etc… to many poor and marginalized children of this area. The mission of this project is to provide relief to children at risk of any age, race or religious belief and the vision is to enable the individuals to take responsibility for the future into their own hands and to live independently.
In Guadalajara, at the Rogationists’ Tonalá Center children of poor families find needed assistance. Furthermore, they find a helping hand toward a life of dignity and accomplishment.
The mission of the Rogationists in the Rogate Center is to promote vocations through activities and publications of various kinds, but especially through “Vocations and Prayer” magazine.
In Tonalá, a suburb of Guadalajara, Mexico, the Rogationists opened a center to benefit the local community. Its purpose is also to cultivate vocations to religious life and priesthood.
In Sanger, a city nearby Fresno, CA, the Rogationist Seminary welcomes men discerning vocations to the priesthood. Our goal is to assist them spiritually and financially.
