Dear friends,

This weekend, we at Our Lady of Mount Carmel are blessed to welcome the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHS), who are here to share their powerful story of faith, service, and urgent need. We have a profound opportunity to embody the love of Christ by generously supporting these courageous Missionary Sisters.

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded in 1954 in Juba, South Sudan (Africa), by Comboni Missionary Bishop Sisto Mazzoldi. Bound by a charism of Love and Compassion drawn from the pierced Heart of Jesus, their motto is simple yet profound: "To Live, Love in Truth."

Though their roots and primary mission fields are in Africa—serving in South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya—their vital work has recently extended to our own community, as they minister in two parishes and with Catholic Charities right here in the Diocese of Phoenix!

The Sisters fulfill their mission—"to witness to the love of Christ through serving and empowering the vulnerable"—through essential works such as:

• Education: Training teachers and running schools.
• Health Services: Providing care as nurses, midwives, and lab technicians.
• Social & Pastoral Work: Offering vital parish and community support.

The Lord has richly blessed the Sisters of the Sacred Heart with a thriving abundance of vocations in South Sudan! Despite years of civil war, economic devastation, and even the tragic loss of two senior members, young women are flocking to embrace religious life with their community.

But here is where they need our help:

The Sisters are facing a heartbreaking financial challenge: they are forced to turn away many young girls seeking to join their order due to a critical shortage of funds and the severely dilapidated infrastructure of their formation houses.
Currently, they are heroically supporting:

• 25 Aspirants
• 28 Postulants
• 12 Novices
• 55 Retired and Aging Sisters who require constant care with very limited resources.

To provide a safe and solid foundation for these future missionaries, the Sisters are bravely undertaking the costly but necessary step of moving their formation house to neighboring Uganda. This relocation requires substantial funding to continue providing the necessary spiritual and academic formation.

The need is immediate and tangible. The cost for forming just one aspirant per year is $5,000.00, covering their boarding, feeding, and education.

Imagine the impact of your generosity: You are not just offering a donation; you are sponsoring a missionary who will go on to serve the poor, educate the marginalized, and bring the healing love of the Sacred Heart to communities desperately in need. Know that your Gift is an Investment in the Future of the Church.

Sisters Sophie Angela Moding, Santa Rose Acan, and Betty Benjamin Banja, who serve right here in our Diocese, are dedicating their meager stipends to this cause. This weekend, they are here to ask us to join them.

Let us heed this call to "Live, Love in Truth." Please open your hearts and be generous in your financial assistance to the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May the Almighty God, who sees what is given in secret and with a generous heart, reward your family most abundantly for your support of these dedicated Sisters and the future of the Church in Africa and beyond. Visit shscongregation.org/donations/donate/ and make a donation today.

I love you!

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