About Aid to the Church in Need
Each year we fund more than 5,000 projects in over 140 countries around world, helping to support the Church in its mission, and bringing hope and solidarity to millions of people. We support important projects which are undertaken by the local Church in the countries where we provide aid, all thanks to private donations, as the foundation receives no public funding.
From building churches to providing catechetical books to emergency aid, our projects range from big to small and cover a whole range of ideas to help nurture the faith internationally and support persecuted and suffering Christians wherever they are in need.
Through every project, Aid to the Church in Need remains committed to standing with the suffering Church and offering practical, spiritual and pastoral support where it is needed most. With the help of our benefactors, we continue to bring hope to persecuted and vulnerable Christian communities across the world.
In 2024, we were able to support 5,335 projects worldwide.
Aid to the Church in Need exists to support the faithful wherever the Church is suffering most. In the 2024 reporting year, our work remained focused on strengthening the life of the Church at every level, from the formation of priests, religious and lay people to the practical support needed to sustain communities facing hardship, persecution and displacement. Our starting point is always close dialogue with local Churches, ensuring that our help responds directly to the most urgent pastoral and humanitarian needs.
Training of Priests & Religious
A major priority in 2024 was the training of priests and religious, which accounted for 16.4 percent of our aid, alongside 11.8 percent for the formation of lay people. Together, these areas represented 28.2 percent of our total support, underlining our long-standing commitment to building a strong and faithful Church for the future.
Reconstruction Projects
We also devoted 23.6 percent of our funding to the construction, reconstruction and renovation of churches and church buildings, recognising the importance of these places as centres of worship, hope and community life.
Sustaining Daily Ministry
We continued to help sustain the daily ministry of the Church through Mass stipends for priests and subsistence aid for religious sisters. In 2024, these forms of support represented 23.9 percent of our total funding, helping secure the livelihoods of those who serve some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities.
Emergency Aid & Crisis Response
We remained active in acute crisis situations. Emergency aid accounted for 10.7 percent of our support, enabling us to respond quickly in areas where Christians are threatened by violence, instability and forced displacement.