Lent is a sacred time in the Church’s year, a season when Catholics intentionally turn their hearts toward God and neighbour through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In a world so often marked by fracture, conflict, and isolation, Lent invites us to slow down and encounter one another with renewed compassion. It calls us to see the face of Christ in every person, especially those who carry the heaviest burdens.
This spirit of encounter sits at the heart of Caritas Australia’s Lenten appeal, Project Compassion. Each year, this national effort becomes a powerful expression of solidarity, reminding us that faith is never merely private, it is lived in relationship with the community. The 2026 Project Compassion theme, “Unite Against Poverty,” captures this beautifully. As followers of Christ, we are invited to transcend division and respond to human suffering with unity, mercy, and hope. The theme echoes the Gospel’s insistence on upholding human dignity and the Church’s enduring mission to stand alongside the poor, the marginalised, and the overlooked.
How Australian Catholics make a difference
For more than six decades, Australian Catholics have embraced Project Compassion with extraordinary generosity. Across the country, over 1,200 parishes and 1,700 schools now take part in this annual tradition, creating one of Australia’s longest running and most trusted charity appeals since its beginning in the 1960s. This participation reflects not only a national spirit of goodwill but the deep commitment of our faith communities across schools and parishes, who together form the beating heart of Project Compassion.
Across the coming six weeks I will experience the immense joy, as Bishop of Maitland and Newcastle, of watching parishioners across the Diocese give sacrificially, organise events and come together in prayer and service. In our Catholic schools, I will see young people lead with energy and conviction, planning creative fundraising activities, and advocating for justice in communities at home and abroad. Their enthusiasm is a hopeful reminder that the next generation is ready to continue building a fairer and more compassionate world.
These actions, of students and parishioners alike right across the country, build on the long tradition of our Church and are a living expression of Catholic faith in a world that longs for unity and peace.
Encountering Christ in our global neighbours
Central to Project Compassion are the stories of real lives transformed by the generosity of Australians who support Project Compassion. This year we meet Sisilia in Tanzania, whose health and education has been improved through access to clean, safe water; Monoranjon in Bangladesh, who learnt climate resilient farming practices to protect his family’s future; Manaini in Fiji, who has learnt new skills to improve family nutrition and earn a living; and families in Gaza supported by Caritas Jerusalem amid unimaginable hardship.
These stories remind us that behind every donation is a person striving for dignity, safety, and hope. They are encounters that draw us back to the heart of Catholic Social Teachings: solidarity, the preferential option for the poor, and the firm belief that every life is sacred.
A shared and sacred duty
As we journey through Lent, we remember Christ’s own path of sacrificial love, a love that calls us to give, to accompany, and to heal. Our Lenten sacrifices, whether financial or personal, are more than gestures of goodwill. They are acts of discipleship. They mend what is torn in our society and reflect the mercy of Christ to a world in need.
This Lent, all Catholics are invited to:
Support Project Compassion through financial giving.
Participate in parish or school fundraising activities such as the Long Walk for Water or host a Lent Event.
Pray for communities facing poverty, conflict, and displacement.
By supporting Project Compassion, we unite against poverty and shine Christ’s love into places where hope is needed most.
Bishop Michael Kennedy is a Director on the Board of Caritas Australia, and serves as the ninth Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle. He is also a member of the Bishops’ Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service.
