Dear Friends of CANELA,
2021 saw a very slow movement in the direction back to normal activity, both in the projects that we support and in our fundraising. “Very slow,” since I don’t think anyone imagined that the pandemic measures would be left in place so long. Throughout the pandemic, CANELA sought to keep things going as best as we could.
One of the projects that really did grow was the work of the “Committee for Priests’ Welfare,” which we participate in together with our sister organizations KANELA, e.V. (Germany), CANELA Canada and CANELA México. We were able to ensure healthcare and other basics for many priests, especially those suffering the shockwaves of the lockdowns.
Our income grew 27% compared with 2020. That sounds good, but that’s still $24,000 short of our prepandemic level. We will be trying to increase those numbers with new fundraising strategies in 2021.
Special thanks to all of you who stuck with us over these difficult years. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
the Board of Directors.With gratitude and prayers,
Fr. Robert Havens Chairman of the Board of Directors CANELA for Latin America and Africa
How we do what we do.
Our mission is to help existing, well-proved educational projects of the Catholic Church to form spiritual and civic values on as large a scale as possible in Latin America and Africa. We have identified some very promising programs and try to focus on them, since they have been effective and enjoy the support of the dioceses involved.
[Jesus] answered: It is also written, Man lives not from bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matt:4) Because the Catholic Association for the New Evangelization in Latin America and Africa is convinced that the true salvation of the human person comes not from economic well-being alone, but from the discovery of a loving God by each and every human person.
Why
In the last fifty years, more than a trillion dollars in development aid has been sent by religious and secular organizations to Latin America and Africa. Often sent with great love and sacrifice, this material aid has done much good. Wells, electricity, hospitals and schools: all things that might not exist today, if this help had not been sent. And yet, despite all this important material help, crime, the loss of values, and the disappearance of cultures and traditions have grown in leaps and bounds in many countries.
In El Salvador, we support a program called “Full-Time Catechists”. This program seeks to form the capacities of lay persons in heavily-populated parishes. Generally, there is no lack of lay persons who would willingly lend a hand in the non-sacramental care of the parish: baptism preparation, confirmation, First Communion and marriage preparation, the coordination of youth ministry, ministry to the sick and elderly, coordination of the parish’s charitable activity, prison ministry, liturgy etc. etc.
There are two principle challenges to this sort of collaboration in our socio-economic contexts. First, even the most motivated lay persons often lack the know-how to help in these areas of pastoral care. Not just the pastoral application of the Faith, but also a knowledge of the Faith itself.
How many sacraments are there? What is the “Church”? What are all the areas of action that are NOT the exclusive domain of the clergy? What does the Church teach about marriage, and how can de facto situations be regularized for the good of all?
Clergy sustenance and healthcare in Latin America and Africa
In many parts of Latin America, the clergy receive no regular salary and do not have health insurance. We try to contribute to this need for a few needy priests every year. In 2020, we also started a “Committee for Priests’ Welfare” which seeks to provide a reliable source of income for very poor priests.
With your help, the School of the Faith and Leadership has been growing rapidly throughout English-speaking Africa. This year we were able to send small contributions to the teams leading the different branches of the School, as well as provide long-distance technical Support via Internet. This was particularly vital due to the total closure of the schools’ presence-based classes during the pandemic.
The survival of the School of the Faith throughout Africa.
Poor communities in Chiapas and Durango
The lack of a reliable welfare state and the presence of endemic corruption mean that in many communities in Mexico, the Church becomes the main coordinator of humanitarian aid.
In 2021, we provided help to the dioceses of Durango and Tuxtla Gutierrez (in Chiapas), so that parishes could provide food and shelter for the destitute.
Statement of Activity % of Total Revenue | January - December 2021 Catholic Association for the New Evangelization in Latin America and Africa (CANELA)
