Celebrating Caritas Sunday 2025

This Sunday, 26 January, is Caritas Sunday.
Here, our head of fundraising Rachel, tells us more about the day and what it means…
What is Caritas Sunday?
It’s our opportunity – as a charity – to thank you, our supporters, for your incredible generosity over the past twelve months. We want to tell you what a difference you have made to the lives of real people, and we do this by sharing just some of their stories.
Caritas Sunday is also an important date in the calendar of our parishes across the Diocese of Salford. One of our parish volunteers hands out the ‘Love in Action’ newsletter, reads out an appeal message, and arranges a collection. The funds raised will help any family or individual in their local community experiencing poverty, homelessness and disadvantage over the coming year.
When is it taking place in 2025?
The appeals in parishes take place during the weekend of Sunday 26 January, with information and resources available on our website for everybody throughout January and February.
Why is it so important?
Our charity is currently responding to urgent need and demand for our services continues to grow. With *333,000 children living in poverty and 5,800 households living in temporary accommodation, including over 8,000 children, there has never been a greater need for the services provided by Caritas Salford.
[*Figures quoted are for across the geography covered by Caritas Salford in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.]
How can parishes get involved or mark Caritas Sunday in their church and wider community?
- Take a copy of our Love in Action newsletter and listen to the Caritas Sunday appeal. We hope it will help bring you up to date with the current work of your local charity, and the difference your support could make to families and individuals in poverty or at risk of homelessness, if you choose to support us.
- Make a donation or set up a monthly commitment by direct debit so that more people can avoid falling into crisis or losing their home.
- Organise a small fundraising event or take on a challenge in 2025 in aid of Caritas.
- If your parish hasn’t got a Caritas Rep, and you’d be interested in becoming one, we would love to hear from you. In the meantime, perhaps you would be good enough to volunteer to read out the appeal or hand out newsletters on Caritas Sunday?
- Download posters, fact sheets and scripts, as well as find links to various free toolkits and information packs.
- Take a look at the services we provide and signpost people in your area who may benefit from our support.
- Share our posts and this page on social media to help raise awareness and encourage others to take action.
- Volunteer with our teams to help local people.
What difference does the support of people in local parishes make?
It means that everyone who needs it is able to access urgent practical help required, as well as any advice and support that will help them for the long term. Every single donation matters because it means nobody is turned away or left behind.
What would you say to people who are in our diocesan parish communities who want to get more involved in our work in other ways?
We’d love to hear from you!
Please…do get in touch with us if you have any more ideas about how you could support us this Caritas Sunday and beyond.
Phone 0161 817 2250 (press 1 for fundraising) or email fundraising@caritassalford.org.uk