Bishop Fabbro announces Pope Francis Fund

Below is a Letter to the Faithful from the Most. Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB, Bishop of the Dioc ese of London.   A PDF copy of this letter is available here.   The letter is also available in French.

To The Faithful of the Diocese of London:
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
In June 2017, at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis offered the Church a World Day of the Poor, “so that throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.”
 
Inspired by Jesus’ preferential love for the poor, as well as by the example set by Pope Francis, I have chosen the third World Day of the Poor, November 17, 2019, as the day to launch the Pope Francis Fund for the Poor.
 
Thanks to the sale of surplus land adjacent to St. Peter's Seminary, I am able to commit one million dollars to this fund on behalf of all the faithful of the Diocese. The money will be invested in an endowment fund. The proceeds earned will be given annually to agencies, carefully selected through a grant application process, that directly serve the needs of people who are underprivileged.
 
In the Pope Francis Fund for the Poor, it is my goal that our faith community is taking concrete action to serve those who are struggling to meet their basic human needs. It is a public declaration that we must take to heart the words of Jesus; “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
 
The endowment will be a continuing source of assistance for those in need, as well as a reminder that we are truly missionary disciples of Christ. One million dollars is a considerable sum, but it is only a seed. I urge every parish and every individual in the Diocese to consider how each of us is able to help our brothers and sisters in need. As your bishop, I warmly invite you to join this collective effort by making a donation to the Pope Francis Fund for the Poor.
 
Pope Francis ends his letter with these words:  “This new World Day, therefore, should become a powerful appeal to our consciences as believers, allowing us to grow in the conviction that sharing with the poor enables u s to understand the deepest truth of the Gospel. The poor are not a problem: they are a resource from which to draw as we strive to accept and practise in our lives the essence of the Gospel.”
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, C.S.B.
Bishop of London
 
Diocese of London: Being a mission-oriented Church that forms disciples of Jesus