Pope Leo XIV lauds Catholic Extension Society for aid to poor US, Puerto Rico and Cuban dioceses

During a papal audience on 18 May, Pope Leo XIV thanked the Catholic Extension Society for its work supporting impoverished and remote Catholic communities in the United States, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The pope highlighted the society’s mission of bringing sacraments and charitable assistance to underserved dioceses, calling love for the neighbour “tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God.”

He praised the organization’s current projects, including the rebuilding of more than 600 churches in Puerto Rico damaged by Hurricane Maria, and noted letters from immigrant families in South Texas facing hardship. The society, founded in 1905, now reaches over 15 million American Catholics and was elevated to a Pontifical Society in 1910. Pope Leo also mentioned his personal connection to Dolton, Illinois, the hometown of the society’s president.

The audience underscored the Catholic Church’s ongoing commitment to poverty relief and pastoral care for vulnerable families across the Americas.