Your goodness brings the kingdom of God near to people who are sick and suffering.

Your unwavering faith proclaims God’s love to our sisters and brothers in the most forgotten corners of the world.

The Gospel of Luke reminds us that when Jesus sent out his disciples, he gave them a sacred mission, namely, heal the sick, serve the poor, and proclaim the nearness of God’s kingdom.

It was a mission not just of words but of concrete, compassionate action.

Today, this Gospel mission lives on in the work of Franciscan missionaries and through the generous support of friends like you.

Because of you, our friars across the globe are answering Jesus’s call to “heal the sick…and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near!”

Jesus continues to call us to act.

Donate Today

Select “[25A6MC] Burundi, Musave Clinic and Chapel”

Fr. Heménégilde visits a family outside their humble home in Musave

Fr. Herménégilde Birushe, OFM offers comfort to a woman
recovering from serious injury

Your Generous Support is Needed

The small, rural village of Musave is nestled in the hills of Burundi, an East African nation bordering Rwanda.

Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Following years of civil unrest, thousands still suffer and die from treatable illnesses like malaria, typhoid, hepatitis, and chronic infections because care is too far away or too expensive. The country’s infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world. Every day, mothers die during childbirth. Infants do not survive.

In Musave, poor families are often turned away from government hospitals due to a lack of resources. Some people walk for hours to reach care, only to arrive too late. And those with chronic illnesses often go without treatment.

Together, we can change that.

Together, we can bring healing to the people of Musave and help reveal the nearness of God’s kingdom to them through the compassionate care and Gospel witness of Franciscan missionaries.

Not long ago, I received a letter from Fr. Herménégilde Birushe OFM, Vicar of the Custody of Our Lady of Kibeho, which was established in 2024 and encompasses the countries of Burundi and Rwanda.

In his letter, Fr. Herménégilde shared an urgent and

hope-filled plan to build a clinic and chapel for the people of Musave and the surrounding villages. This clinic will offer compassionate healthcare to the poor and sick and a sacred space for prayer and peace in times of illness, death, or healing.

Furthermore, the clinic will serve the more than 500 children, staff, and friars at our nearby St. Mary Queen of Angels School, which was built in 2023 through your generous support.

Most important of all, this will be a Franciscan mission of mercy. Everyone will be welcomed with dignity and love. No one will be turned away because of their poverty, religion, or politics.

The dispensary will include four consultation rooms, a birthing room, eight inpatient beds, and treatment space for up to 150 people each day.

The people of Musave are ready. Local Christian nurses and health agents, many of whom were educated with the friars’ support, have already offered to serve. The community has pledged to help maintain the building. The friars have promised to keep care affordable and Gospel-centered.

Parents often walk six miles or more to get medical care for their sick or injured children

Franciscan friars share a moment of prayer and reflection with the children of Musave

But they cannot build without your help.

This project will cost just $91,545 in total. With the friars’ local contribution of land, labor, and materials, Fr. Herménégilde needs only $73,201 more to begin. That is a small price to pay for something that will save lives, ease suffering, and bring Jesus’s presence to the poor.

Our friars in Burundi have already begun preparing bricks by hand. The land has been cleared. The plans have been drawn. If we act quickly, construction can begin this summer and be completed by year’s end.

Select “[25A6MC] Burundi, Musave Clinic and Chapel”

Your gift today will fulfill Jesus’s call to heal the sick and bring the kingdom of God to the poor.

With your help, God’s kingdom will no longer be a distant hope for the people of Musave. It will be a visible reality made possible by your faith, your love, and your missionary heart.