"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Mt 19:14)

For 180 years, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) has taught children around the world that no one is too young, no prayer too quiet, and no gift too small to make a difference. Like the biblical loaves and fishes, your gift today will be multiplied to help untold numbers of children receive a good education, nutritious food, clean water, and most importantly, the knowledge that God loves them.

Generations of Catholic children in the Archdiocese of Boston have prayed and sacrificed to bring Jesus to their brothers and sisters in the missions through the Missionary Childhood Association. They've prayed a daily Hail Mary and given up snacks, done extra chores, run lemonade stands, and put their sacrifices into a common fund to help their peers.

It's time for the rest of us to Follow Their Lead!

Each year, donations from MCA members in 120 countries -- including those who receive help for their own children -- are tallied together in our General Solidarity Fund. Each mission territory then gets a subsidy to help support the basic needs of their children. Local bishops can then apply for funds to cover extraordinary projects -- the expansion of an orphanage, installation of a well at a school with no clean water or sanitation, or sacramental preparation materials, to name just a few.

In Chennai, India, Salesian Sisters have rescued over 2,000 girls who either begged on the streets or have been sold into domestic servitude by their own families, desperate to feed their other children. With help from MCA, the girls receive education, vocational training, and the understanding that God loves them. One girl, Vandoosha, was lucky enough to be rescued. "I had to work from 5 AM to midnight every day," Vandoosha says. "I was doing all the washing, cooking and cleaning for the whole family and looking after their 2-year-old child." She was just 5 years old when her servitude began and 10 when she was rescued.



Now 15 years old, Vandoosha attends a Catholic boarding school where she is happy, healthy and excels in her studies, thanks in no small part to the Missionary Childhood Association.



Join the children of Boston in making a difference in the world -- make a gift to the Missionary Childhood Association between November 13 and 28. Use the QR code on the coupon below.

Our Catholic students are on the move for the missions. Follow Their Lead! They'll take you closer to Jesus.

God love You!



- Maureen Crowley Heil is Director of Programs and Development for the Pontifical Mission Societies, Boston.