Franciscan Charities

The Franciscans touch the lives of thousands of people through our parish ministries in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan.

The Franciscans also minister in hospitals, schools, prisons, and a variety of chaplaincies.

We have missionaries in the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, and in Vietnam and Turkey. We financially support mission efforts in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our outreach efforts include:

Franciscan Outreach in Chicago which has provided food, shelter, and other services to the homeless for 53 years. Annually Franciscan Outreach provides 272,647 meals, 119,135 shelter nights, 6,990 case management contacts, 9,800 referrals for specialized services, and assistance to 456 individuals to obtain identification or birth certificates. In addition, Franciscan Outreach helps approximately 128 guests transition from homeless to permanent housing.

Franciscan Connection in St. Louis which assists needy families with their utility payments. Annually Franciscan Connection provides approximately 1,100 individuals with a total of $42,500.

St. Anthony Food Pantry in St. Louis which provides food and clothes for our needy neighbors. The food pantry assists over 3,000 families annually.

The Franciscans of Sacred Heart Province are raising funds to dig wells in the Democratic Republic of Congo--a country, which, like many African countries, is experiencing a terrible shortage of safe drinking water. Our first well was completed in February 2017 in the village of Mulenga. Previously, the women and girls of the village had to walk 3.7 miles to find water for their families. A total of eight wells have now been completed; two more water projects have been funded and will begin in 2021.