Caritas Day – November 17, 2024
Caritas Day is an annual initiative of all Caritas employees in Bulgaria, which draws attention to people to whom life has not been particularly kind. This is the day when we remember that the most important thing is not measured by material gains, but in spiritual communication and mutual assistance.
We celebrate the initiative on the Sunday after November 13 – the day on which the Catholic Church in Bulgaria honors the memory of the blessed Bulgarian martyrs: Evgeniy Bosilkov, Kamen Vichev, Pavel Dzhizhov, Yosaphat Shishkov. The date is linked to the World Day of the Poor announced by Pope Francis and shares his message for 2024: “God hears the prayer from the mouth of the poor“.
This year we will celebrate Caritas Day on November 17 with charity events to support people in need. The aim is to raise funds for the causes of Caritas, which lend a hand to the oppressed. Charity bazaars will be held in front of Catholic churches:
- Sofia: Open day at CSRI “Blagovesteni” on November 18
- Sofia: Distribution of food to needy people in the Center for temporary accommodation
- Rakovski (from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the church “St. Archangel Michael”)
- Plovdiv (from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in front of the Catholic Cathedral ” St. Ludwig”)
- Plovdiv: Distribution of food to needy people in Plovdiv, in the courtyard of the Ascension Catholic Church on November 17
- Rousse: week before November 17th the children from the social services Tom Sawyer Community Support Center and Day Center for Children with Special Needs “Milosardie” will together prepare a poster for the mission of “Caritas”; and will learn about the organization’s activities around the world. On November 17th, from 09:00 to 13:00, a charity bazaar will be held in the Catholic Church “St. Paul of the Cross”. Also, visitors will find handmade decorations, candles and soaps from the organization’s teams working with homeless people, children at risk and children with special needs in the city. Ruse.
- Belene: Caritas volunteers from the parishes of Belene, Malchika and Svishtov will celebrate “Caritas” Day together in the city of Belene. All of them will attend the festive liturgy in Belene, having prepared gifts and information materials for the parishioners in the city
- Varna: the boys from the Caritas Shelter for Adults with Mental Retardation will support those in need in the city by packing and handing out the food packages together with the volunteers of BCHK-Varna
- Burgas: Painting of benches by homeless people
- Village Pobeda (municipality of Tundzha): Visitors from the “St. Francis” will visit the Municipal social catering enterprise “Domeshen social patronage” in the village of Pobeda and together they will cook for about 50 people on November 18
At Caritas we believe that only with joint efforts could we tackle poverty and destitution. Because when the body suffers, so does the spirit. All together we can contribute to building a better world in which people can live with dignity and without deprivation.
You can support our causes here.