Building a society
of justice and love
Learn more about sisters’ ministries around the globe
Sisters of the Holy Cross focus on ministries that help build communities of justice and love, eradicate material poverty and end gender discrimination against women. The needs of people from many countries and cultures shape our missionary zeal. Our ministries respond to health and education needs; unjust social, political and economic systems; and issues such as migration, nonviolence, human trafficking and the environment.
Sisters of the Holy Cross live and work around the world as educators, nurses, administrators, counselors, social workers, parish and campus ministers, writers, attorneys, and advocates for social justice and systemic reform. We currently serve in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru, Uganda and the United States.
Some ministries are supported by the Ministry With the Poor Fund. This fund provides annual grants for individual sisters to use in projects they are involved in personally that directly assist the materially poor, the powerless and those living on the fringes of society.
Select one of the countries below to learn more about the ministries that are sponsored by Sisters of the Holy Cross or receive Ministry With the Poor Funds. Support our ministries by donating now.
Donor Impact Report, 2019
Bringing God's loving embrace to our word in need
The Sisters of the Holy Cross follow Christ’s call to be with our brothers and sisters in their suffering. Your prayers and financial support this past year have enabled us to live our mission faithfully. Read more...
Bangladesh
Bhadun, Bangladesh
Holy Cross High School is a primary school for girls and boys that opened in January 2015.
Bhadun (Arunalaya) Sewing Center offers programs in sewing and machine embroidery to women with the goal of helping them earn income.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Holy Cross College is among the most highly rated schools in Bangladesh. It features a two-year program for women in humanities, science and business education.
Holy Cross Girls’ High School is a primary/secondary school for girls with an enrollment of approximately 1,800 students.
Holy Cross Students’ Hostel provides common living for around 40 young women attending Holy Cross College in Dhaka.
Kulaura, Bangladesh
Holy Cross Health Education Center provides basic health education and medication to area residents.
Prottasha Sewing Sheba Kunjo Ministry offers programs in sewing to women with the goal of helping create items that can be sold in commercial markets to provide a source of income.
Holy Cross School opened in January 2018 currently offers nursery and kindergarten classes. Additional primary school grades will be added on a yearly basis.
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in Bangladesh
Bhadun
- At Moreau Holy Cross School, Sister Jamuna Magdeline Gomes, CSC, used funds to supplement teacher salaries, provide professional staff development, and purchase notebooks for students.
Chittagong
- Father Boudreau’s Medical Centre received funds to provide health care services and treatment to those living in poverty in Bangladesh and to supplement staff salaries , thanks to Sister Nita Rozario, CSC.
Dhaka
- At the request of Sister Barnita Scholastica Mangsang, CSC, the Proggalay Discerners House received funds for expenses in the Bangladesh discernment program, including medical and education related expenses to support those discerning a call to religious life.
- Sister Molli Gertrude Costa, CSC, assisted the Archbishop Theotonious Teachers’ Training College by getting them a grant to provide for educational expenses, including books, teaching aids, and supplies for teachers receiving training.
Khagrachari
- Sister Joyce Rozario, CSC, requested funds to cover books, supplies, food, and other expenses for girls with few resources living in the Khagrachari Girl’s Hostel.
- The Saint John’s Church Pastoral Ministry, with thanks to Sister Semita Nokrek, CSC, received grant funds to support faith formation workshops and purchase of Bibles, crosses, rosaries, and other materials.
Kulaura, Moulvi Bazar
- With the assistance of Sister Promila Gomes, CSC, the Prottasha Sewing Sheba Kunjo Ministry was able to use grant funds to purchase four machines, sewing materials, shelves, supplies, food, solar lights, and other needs of the ministry empowering young women through training in sewing.
- Sister Renu Teresa Rozario, CSC, requested funds for the Holy Cross Health Education Center to provide needed medicines, rent, outside medical treatments, transportation, and winter clothes for local tea garden laborers earning less than $1 per day.
- The Holy Cross School, Sister Shiuli Gomes, CSC, requested funds to support the educational needs of Holy Cross School in rural Kulaura, Bangladesh, including technology, furniture, musical instruments and staff salaries.
Moulvi Bazar
- Saint Teresa Hostel received funds to purchase books, supplies, tuition fees, food and medicine for children unable to afford the expenses of their education at the request of Sister Salome Nanwar, CSC.
Brazil
São Paulo, Brazil
Colégio Santa Maria is a coeducational school with an enrollment of 2,900 students in preschool, primary and secondary classes.
Residencial Santa Cruz is a senior living facility that offers residence and healthcare services for the elderly.
Saint Martha’s Social Service Center provides programs for women to help them learn skills to support their families.
Ghana
Kasoa, Ghana
Our Lady of Holy Cross School offers co-education to more than 900 students from nursery through junior high.
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in Ghana support:
Kasoa
- Sister Callista Tetteh, CSC, requested funds for the Ghana Country Scholarship Committee to provide scholarships to identified students with financial need for tuition and other education related expenses.
- The Plastic Waste Management Project received funds through a request by Sister Comfort Arthur, CSC, to provide needed materials and equipment for a plastic recycling ministry that provides jobs to the unemployed and addresses environmental degradation.
- Sister Martina Dery, CSC, requested funds for Our Lady of Holy Cross School to assist in providing needed materials, transportation, and other costs for after-school parenting workshops.
- St. Martha’s Parish Pastoral Care Ministry received funds at the request of Sister Monica Assifuah-Nunoo, CSC, to assist in providing faith formation and empowerment programs to the parish youth and to help meet needs of the individuals who are elderly, poor or disabled.
Takoradi
Sister Margaret Mary Nimo, CSC, requested funds for the Assorko Essaman Parish Child Catechesis to purchase a projector, tent, books and supplies to prepare young people for baptism, holy Communion and confirmation.
India
Barakathal, West Tripura, India
Our Lady of Holy Cross School and hostel offers coeducation to approximately 250 students, from nursery school through eight grade, as well as housing students in the hostel as needed.
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in India support:
Barakathal
- To purchase beds, musical keyboards, televisions and to provide student fee support for the girls hostel, Sister Felicita Corraya, CSC, raised grant funds for Our Lady of Holy Cross School Hostel.
- Sister Khochem Mossang, CSC, requested funds to provide school furniture, a sound system, scholarships, technology, and staff stipends at Our Lady of Holy Cross School.
- Sister Nobina Rangsa Marak, CSC, requested funds for beds and furniture for Our Lady of Holy Cross Boys Hostel and for a project that will help village boys to study and stay in the hostel.
Laitlawsnai
- St. John School received requested grant funds from Sister Dipali Helena D’Costa, CSC, to assist with providing access to water, books, furniture, staff salaries and scholarships for students who cannot afford to attend the school.
Meghalaya
- Sister Metifulmary Kharbani, CSC, received grant funds awarded to Jatah Village Hostel to provide food, medicines, and fee support for students unable to afford costs of the hostel.
- The Holy Cross Study House was awarded grant funds requested by Sister Parboti Gomes, CSC, to provide for educational expenses for women discerning a call to religious life in India who cannot afford program expenses.
Mexico
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in Mexico support:
Guadalupe, Nuevo León
- The Casanicolas House for Migrants received funds via request of Sister Esperanza Jacobo Acevedo, CSC, to support migrants on their journey to find a non-violent life, by providing a safe space to share their stories and to offer basic food once a month.
Peru
Lima, Peru
The Center for Women provides leadership training and education on justice, political, social and religious issues.
A prison ministry program provides basic healthcare for incarcerated women and their children.
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in Peru support:
Lima
- The Center for Women received grant funds through Sister Esperanza (Sullca Clemente), CSC, to provide workshops, biblical courses and counseling for empowerment of women and developing capacities to better assume an active role in bringing changes in the family, neighborhood and society.
- Sister Mary Josephine Delany, CSC, requested the biblical pastoral reading program be awarded grant funding to provide two biblical formation courses of five days, on the national level for Peruvian women and men from cities and the rural areas with limited resources.
- Sister Patricia Dieringer, CSC, was awarded grant funds to assist and accompany at-risk transgendered women through reflection, workshops and recreational outings.
Uganda
Kirinda, Uganda
Kyembogo Holy Cross Health Centre provides outpatient, maternity and postnatal care as well as outreach services in the adjacent villages, including immunizations and AIDS counseling.
Moreau Nursery and Primary School offers coeducation to more than 300 students from nursery school through the seventh grade.
Thank you to our donors!
Many children will no longer have to walk two hours to school—a route that takes them on dangerous roads (no sidewalks) clogged with traffic. Made possible only through the generosity of our donors, the three new buses are generating much excitement at Moreau Nursery and Primary School in Kirinda. Read more...
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in Uganda support:
Fort Portal
- Sister Daisy Kabuleeta, CSC, received funds to help 40 women in the Katoosa Parish Kyamugenyi Kweterana group purchase poultry and vegetable seeds for an agricultural training project that will help them generate their own incomes.
- The Kyaka II and Rwamwanja Refugee Camp Support project received funds through the assistance of Sister Semerita Mbambu, CSC. This project addresses needs identified in a recent assessment of two refugee settlements. Sisters will provide support for child-headed families and people with special needs, training for trades, and community health services and education.
Jinja
- The Serenity Center Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation received grant funding through Sister Mary Louise Wahler, CSC, to assist women, who frequently are unable to afford fees of drug/alcohol rehabilitation due to gender discrimination, in covering the costs of treatment.
- Sister Nancy Rose Njeri Njoroge, CSC, requested grant funds for Holy Cross Bugembe Parish I Thirst Agricultural Program to assist with start-up costs for training in farming, which will provide a sustainable food source for the local community.
- Sister Theresia W. Mbugua, CSC, requested funds for the St. Andrew’s Day and Boarding Feeding Program to purchase food for 250 students, guaranteeing them one nutritious meal per day to support their learning.
Kirinda
- The Kyembogo Holy Cross Health Centre, with the assistance of Sister Angelica Birungi, CSC, received funds to provide a year of medical training to two staff members at the clinic to upgrade their skills in health care delivery.
- The Moreau Nursery and Primary School received grant funds through the assistance of Sister Irene Musuya Musyoka, CSC, to purchase scout uniforms for students and traditional Ugandan dance wear for extra-curricular competitions. The funds will also purchase new flags for the school display including country, kingdom, and school.
- Thanks to the request of Sister Jacinta Katusabe, CSC, Moreau Nursery and Primary School received a grant to provide scholarships for students who otherwise would be unable to attend the school due to a lack of financial resources.
- The Kyembogo Holy Cross Family Centre Immunization Outreach, through the request of Sister Jacinta Mueni Munyao, CSC, received funds to provide transportation, staff stipends and food to support weekly immunization outreach to remote villages.
- At St. Joseph’s on the Hill Secondary School, Sister Jane Aluku Masangir, CSC, is using grant funds to purchase a projector/portable speaker and novel, play and poetry books, and to fund educational tours to improve academic performance in literature.
- Sister Lillian Nyakaisiki, CSC, requested funds for Kyembogo Holy Cross Family Centre for outreach programs, maternity supplies, health education for patients, staff stipends, and transportation for critically ill patients.
United States
Los Angeles, California
West Adams District Nonviolent Communication Project is a program on nonviolent communication for parents and students in the West Adams District of Los Angeles.
Notre Dame, Indiana
Saint Mary’s College is a Catholic women’s college in the liberal arts tradition with an enrollment of more than 1,600 students.
Kensington, Maryland
The Academy of the Holy Cross is a college preparatory secondary school for girls with more than 500 students.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Holy Cross Ministries of Utah addresses the needs of the underserved including parish health screenings, legal assistance for immigrants, a kindergarten, a preschool, after-school and summer learning programs.
Ministry With the Poor Fund grants in the USA support:
California
- Thanks to the request of Sister Maryanne O'Neill, CSC, the Brother Andre Outreach Center at St. Agnes Parish received grant funds to purchase food to support the center’s outreach with individuals with low or no incomes and the marginalized of Los Angeles.
Indiana
- Grant funds requested by Sister Carmel Marie (Sallows), CSC, for the Sister Carmel Fund for the Poor: Center for Hospice, make services available to those without financial resources.
- Sister Mary Turgi, CSC, requested funds to help the Near Northwest Neighborhood with consulting fees, materials, and facility costs for a series of restorative justice community conversation circles focused on race and racial equity.
- St. Margaret’s House, with thanks to Sister M. Rose Anne (Schultz), CSC, received grant funds to provide meals and trauma-informed-care programming that helps clients effectively cope with past traumatic experiences.
- Sister Susan Kintzele, CSC, helped Dismas House of South Bend get awarded funds to provide clothing and basic needs for individuals transitioning from prison. The grant will also support case management costs and provide for social activities.
- Thanks to Sister Suzanne Patterson, CSC, Broadway Christian Parish United Methodist Church received funds to support its food pantry and soup-kitchen/breakfast ministry, providing food, clothing, laundry, shower supplies and other needs for marginalized/homeless individuals in South Bend.
- Sister Theresa Diane Streif, CSC, helped Reins of Life by getting them grant funding to support equine-assisted therapeutic programs for individuals with special needs at Reins of Life-South Bend.
Maryland
- Sister Paula Goettelmann, CSC, received funds to help Shepherd’s Table provide meals to the community's vulnerable populations and to partially provide for a chef’s salary and kitchen supplies.
- Thanks to Sister Geraldine Hoyler, CSC, Friends in Solidarity received funds and can continue to support one Solidarity staff member to work with the 6,000+ internally displaced people at Riimenze in South Sudan.
- Sister Kathleen Weber, CSC, was awarded funds to assist families in providing therapy, exercise, nursing and social care for their senior family members.
- The Academy of the Holy Cross, with thanks to Sister Sharon Ann Mihm, CSC, received a grant to provide tuition assistance to five students.
Utah
- The Catholic Schools Office Leadership Training Program received grant funds for professional development for Catholic school leadership (administrators already employed and potential new leaders) with thanks to Sister Catherine Kamphaus, CSC.
- With grant monies requested by Sister M. Genevra (Rolf), CSC, Holy Cross Ministries’ Promotora Outreach Program can support the salary of a promotora, who assists low-income families with health education, insurance applications and referrals.
Sister Mary Ann Pajakowski,CSC, had grant monies awarded to Holy Cross Ministries’ School Readiness Program to support the salaries of the program staff, who provide year-round academic instruction and social connection groups for low-income students and their families.
Holy Cross Ministries’ Parents as Teachers Program was awarded grant monies, thanks to Sister Verónica A Fajardo, CSC, to support the salary of a program educator for high-risk infant to 3-year-olds and provide in-home visitation.