Archdiocese of Chicago 2026 Missionary Cooperation Plan
Sr. Theresa, DC from the Daughters of Charity International Project Services is scheduled to speak at OLPH on the weekend of June 27 & 28, 2026. There will be a second collection at all Masses for the benefit of DC IPS projects. Parishioners can also use the QR Code below to donate through GiveCentral.
Welcome Sister Theresa Sullivan, DC, native of Evanston and Marillac alumnae, missionary for Daughters of Charity and Executive Director of Daughters of Charity International Project Services (DC IPS). Over 10,500 Daughters of Charity sisters in 98 countries support clean water, sanitation, food, healthcare, education projects, and assistance for impoverished communities around the world.
Approximately 1,650 Daughters of Charity projects have been funded in the past 20 years. This year marks the 165th anniversary of the Daughters of Charity in Chicago!
Please assist our sisters in funding their lifesaving WASH program which brings water, sanitation and hygiene to the sisters’ ministries within low-resourced countries.
Visit the DC IPS website: www.daughtersips.org 100% of donations DC IPS receives go to the projects.
In the last five years DC IPS facilitated:
● 30 WASH Programs in16 countries around the world.
● 12 Circuit Riders for ongoing Maintenance Programs with the hope of expanding to include every WASH project.
Madame Adijatou Ouegraogo, Burkina Faso is a regular patient at the clinic Notre Dame de Esperance. In her words “I want to thank the donors for this project that have made the facilities in the clinic more decent. Before it was difficult to have access to water. Now everywhere you are you can wash your hands. The toilets are a great thing for the service users of the clinic. I feel very safe and clean using the facilities of the clinic, thanks to this new project!”
Why WASH?: Sisters at the local level repeatedly request assistance with WASH Projects. DC IPS has played a lead role in the Vatican’s initiative to increase WASH access in Catholic health facilities. Pope Leo XIV issued a statement of support, sending “the assurance of his spiritual closeness to the members of the health agencies and networks attending the gathering on improving water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.” He further states he is “pleased to see so many organizations of various faith backgrounds working together on this pressing issue and seeking to improve the living standards of our brothers and sisters” and imparted his Apostolic Blessing.
“This project has transformed our lives and our health. Today we have access to clean water, and it also gives us security for food
preparation. We have a continuous water supply all week long. This project is a model for other families to implement this rainwater harvesting system in their homes to cope with water scarcity during times of drought.” - Sister Aurelia.
Cardinal Michael F. Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development at the Vatican, said:
“No one needs lofty theological concepts to justify proper WASH. Without it, healthcare cannot be healthy. No treatment, no surgery, no delivery can be safely performed without meeting basic WASH conditions. Providing them for all is an elementary step toward equal human dignity and integral human development, which otherwise are at risk.” (2023)
Did you know?: According to WHO/UNICEF across 60 low-resourced countries 37% of healthcare facilities lack basic water services and 81% lack basic sanitation services. The critical lack of WASH infrastructure means pregnant women must carry large containers of water to clinics in order to give birth. Communities without WASH have increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, higher rates of preventable illness and disease, antibiotic resistance, and a resulting rise in poverty.
In response to these dire conditions across the globe, IPS joined a Vatican Dicastery committee in 2019 to improve WASH in Health Care Facilities. At the start, IPS committed to complete 4 WASH healthcare projects. Since then, IPS responded to Sisters’ requests for an additional 15 WASH projects in Daughter of Charity health facilities and a subsequent 11 requests for ongoing maintenance (aka Circuit Rider). Although the focus of the committee is healthcare, IPS also addressed requests from Sisters for 15 more projects in schools, hostels, community outreach programs, and refugee camps.
These efforts depend on the generosity of donors. Every contribution goes directly to support a Sister-led project, making a real and meaningful difference.
Thank you for your support!
Daughters of Charity International Project Services* is a qualified 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are used for services to those who are poor and are fully tax deductible, as allowable by law. *General Assistance, Inc. in the Official Catholic Directory 2021, (p.278)