Global Church Vitality

The Catholic Church provides social and pastoral care to billions of people globally. It is a beacon of hope for many, as it was for our founders.

In a rapidly changing world, the Church is transforming the way it works to serve needs of local communities even better. We are supporting the Church and its partners’ efforts to build organizational capacity and long-term vitality. Our primary areas of focus include safeguarding, synodality and operational systems.

Partner Spotlight

The Global Catholic Church

Sister Alessandra Smerilli, a trained economist, was tapped by Pope Francis to help lead the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. This global team works to ensure no one is excluded from Jesus’ promise in John 10:10: “I’ve come to bring life, and life in abundance.”

Flexible, long-term support from GHR helped Sr. Alessandra and her team transform their organizational design and culture in ways that has improved service to local communities through deep listening, reflection, and resource provision.

As a result of the partnership, increased trust and collaboration with the dicastery are leading to new partnerships, improved coordination, resources, and support, which in turn is allowing local Church leaders to be more effective. Among the many impacts achieved by Sr. Alessandra and her team is working to support conflict resolution around mining practices in six African nations.

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)

For over 8 years, GHR has supported Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in its efforts to incorporate a reconciliation framework into its organizational design and operations. This framework acknowledges individual, community and organizational trauma and promotes right relationships and building social cohesion as JRS accompanies and serves migrants and refugees.

Projects include conducting workshops in schools with children to learn about recently arrived community members and build a new sense of shared identity. JRS has also incorporated reconciliation into its staff training, psychosocial support, mental health services and more.

Results include deeper international and local partnerships, increased internal collaboration, and the capacity to navigate and adapt to global shifts.