Home » Projects » EXISTENCE AID » Success story: Subsistence aid for 34 Dominican sisters

Success story: Subsistence aid for 34 Dominican sisters

For seven hours a day, the 34 Dominican sisters in Benguela pray the canonical hours.

They pray for the church and for all of humanity. They live secluded from the world and in poverty, but say, “We are aware of the greatness of our calling. In our enclosure, we offer up our lives to God to magnify His Kingdom and save souls.”

To make a modest living, the sisters bake communion wafers and sew liturgical vestments. They tried their hand at a small pastry shop, but it was not a success. The raw materials were so expensive that the revenue did not even cover the costs and so they were operating at a loss. And misfortune has recently befallen them again: the vegetables they grow in their garden, the maize, the tomatoes and the onions, were afflicted by disease. The sisters were in desperate straits. They did not know how they would be able to go on and prayed to God for help.

 

Dominican Sisters
Dominican Sisters of “Mãe de Deus” in Benguela

 

At times, God works through other people. And so our benefactors donated 9,000 euros to help the sisters. They were overjoyed when they received the aid. They wrote to us, “It was a great surprise and we are filled with joy at the amount that you have sent us! We are very, very grateful for the generosity of our benefactors. This is a sign of Divine Providence, which always watches over us. We hope that all of our benefactors are blessed with God’s bountiful grace and His mercy and assure you that all of our prayers, our affection and gratitude are yours.”

Don't miss the latest updates!

Venezuela: ACN allocates 100,000 euros to support Church response to earthquakes

Priests celebrate Mass in the street as churches become shelters following deadly earthquakes As rescue teams continue to search for survivors under the rubble following the devastating earthquakes that struck...

ACN funded 5,368 projects in 141 countries during 2025

The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) received €145.8 million in donations and legacies and supported one in every ten priests and one in every eight seminarians...

Indian Church calls for National Day of Prayer to protect its charitable work serving the poor

The Church’s vast charitable work in India could be at risk if law makers tighten the already restrictive law on foreign funding of NGOs. Christians all over India are preparing...