The Catholic charity is a member of Caritas Internationalis - confederation of Catholic relief groups. It is one of Luxembourg's largest charities.

Caritas Luxembourg says it is providing counselling for its almost 500 employees. They are "deeply shaken" by the scandal Caritas says.

The theft

Caritas Luxembourg's director general Marc Crochet says when the financial loss was discovered, Caritas had just 28 million euros in the account.

That is about half the money we need in the year to function, he explains.

"And the 28 million euros that were there were not our money either. That was about 25 million that belonged to the Luxembourg state and other donors."

He discovered 33 million of the missing 61 million euros were in credit and loans taken out in Caritas Luxembourg's name.

"The only thing I knew for sure was that someone was about to rob us" he says.

Once he saw how the money had been stolen however, Crochet says he had a good idea as to who the thief was.

"And I could actually just connect the dots and say: I know that person."

The public prosecutor's office has since said a person was arrested after turning themselves in for the theft on 22 July.

Accounting form PwC Luxembourg will be conducting investigations to uncover the facts.

At the same time, the crisis committee will make the necessary decisions "to restore the confidence of donors, the general public and public authorities in the entities" Caritas Luxembourg says.

Outrage expressed

Government officials are furious about the theft. A national debate rages about overseeing charities receiving state funds.

When he heard about the lost funds, Prime Minister Luc Frieden said Caritas would not receive "a single euro" more amid the scandal.

The Catholic charity with the big international name had been receiving state money to help provide services for the country's homeless and refugees.

Another government minister said the "sickening" theft will impact "the poorest people in Luxembourg and in the world".

Theft casts big shadow

The charity's announcement could hardly have come at a worse time.

The scandal emerged weeks before a scheduled papal visit to the 700,000-citizen Catholic-majority country.

Francis is due to make a daylong visit to Luxembourg on 26 September, meeting the prime minister, head of state Grand Duke Henri, the Catholic community and Jean-Claude Hollerich who serves as the synod on synodality's general rapporteur.

Auditing underway

While continuing to serve Luxembourg's people in need, Caritas is negotiating with banks regarding its short-term financial needs and cooperating with the judicial authorities.

An auditing firm has volunteered to assess Caritas' financial procedures "and to identify and change any technical and/or human shortcomings" a spokesperson says.

"These findings will undoubtedly shed light on how a misappropriation of funds on this scale, and over a period of nearly six months, could have been possible."

Source

• Pillar

A pivotal visit by St Vincent de Paul Napier council member Dan Sussmilch helped the organisation develop a multifaceted strategy to offer immediate relief and assist in facilitating the community's long-term rehabilitation.

As part of its community involvement in Wairoa, St Vincent de Paul is helping clean up and restore 25 homes.

With specialised silt crews employed for this essential work, St Vincent de Paul is allocating funds for necessities such as digger fuel, carpentry supplies and building materials, as well as covering the costs of essential plumbing and electrical works.

In addition to the repair and restoration, Vinnies has distributed hampers to 320 families.

Filled with goods purchased from local businesses, who themselves were impacted by the cyclone, the move is designed both to provide essential aid and help rejuvenate the local economy.

Ongoing commitment

St Vincent de Paul's commitment to helping Wairoa recover is ongoing.

The collective effort, particularly the invaluable contribution of volunteers, is pivotal in the management and execution of relief operations.

"The involvement of Vinnie's volunteers embodies the spirit of communal solidarity in overcoming adversity," a St Vincent de Paul member told CathNews.

As the recovery journey progresses, the Napier branch of St Vincent de Paul remains resolute in its mission to deliver critical support, highlighting the effective results of united action.

"Last year St Vincent de Paul Napier also assisted those affected by the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle," said Christine Tong, area president of St Vincent de Paul Napier.

"We were extremely grateful for the Funds Appeal launched throughout New Zealand by our St Vincent de Paul Society's National Office and the wonderful generosity shown during this extremely difficult time", she said.

Lotto millions sit with Internal Affairs

The government Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund received $11.7m from the special Lotto draw in March 2023 and was bolstered by more than $1.7m in public donations - plus interest earned over the past 12 months.

The money sits with the Department of Internal Affairs - unspent.

Those wanting to know where the Lotto draw and public donation funds will go are set to get answers sometime in mid-February.

Sources

• Supplied
• Newstalk ZB

Without the help of young people, St Vincent de Paul Napier would not have been able to respond so positively, reports the Catholic charity in its most recent national newsletter.

While the media focus has moved on, Cyclone Gabrielle's devastation continues and St Vincent de Paul's outreach is ongoing.

"Because it's no longer on the News doesn't mean Cyclone Gabrielle is over," Julie, a Taradale resident, told CathNews.

Initially, the focus was clothing, food, possessions and personal necessities but now, as the community transitions into the recovery phase, the needs also change, reports the Church charity.

Focus change

As the needs change, St Vincent de Paul's response changes to meet those needs.

St Vincent de Paul's primary focus is now on aiding families and children displaced or emotionally affected by the cyclone.

Initially, Catholic schools in the region were reluctant to seek financial assistance from a special cyclone relief fund.

Children's mental health

However, the increasing need for mental health support has become evident.

One school has reported a spike in anxiety levels among its students, highlighting the urgent need for professional counselling services, reports the Church's social outreach.

In its newsletter, the St Vincent de Paul Society notes that at one primary school it supports, students are so traumatised by the cyclone that they never talked.

Encouragingly, the school reports positive changes.

This ongoing mental health assessment has been met with gratitude from the educational community.

Some families continue to be displaced, and others have lost their jobs due to the cyclone's far-reaching impact.

The Society reports that while the need for food parcels has seen a decline, regular support activities such as providing uniforms and stationery continue.

Additional assistance has been extended for after-school care fees, transportation and special events like the Year 9 Big Day Out, which benefited 75 students.

Christian charity with community relationships

Through the Christian charity of its donors and volunteer members, St Vincent de Paul works to provide practical and effective help to those in need and promote human dignity, justice and self-sufficiency.

The Napier branch of St Vincent de Paul says that through its relationship with WHIT (Whatever It Takes), the outreach centre and its own work, the Society continues to deliver in accord with its values of generosity, compassion, empathy, responsiveness, advocacy, respect for people and respect for the environment.

• Source: Supplied

The Catholic charity's 2022 annual accounts show almost 10 percent of its aid went to support 353 vital projects in Ukraine. Some of that was spent on internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Ukranian Bishop Yosafat Hovera is grateful for the support.

"We sincerely thank Aid to the Church in Need, [its] colleagues and benefactors for the gesture of sacrifice, solidarity and support. We are praying for you and may God bless you."

Aid to the Church in Need support

Over the year ACN provided:

• Direct emergency aid to over 2,200 IDPs via Church institutions
• Essential equipment - including portable ovens - for 231 parishes, monasteries, seminaries and other Church institutions caring for displaced families
• Subsistence aid for 7,447 priests and religious providing spiritual and material support. The religious include the contemplative Benedictines in western Ukraine. They opened their cloisters to families fleeing the fighting. So far they have helped over 500 people since the conflict began
• Vehicles, so that the Church can bring relief to difficult-to-access places and provide pastoral support.

"Under the conditions of war, Ukrainian society has been facing challenges with danger related to life, property and basic means of existence," says Bishop Hovera.

"However, seeing the support of the international community, we do not feel left alone with our difficulties.

"Priests and consecrated people, enduring all the problems caused by the war, keep supporting parishioners, refugees… and everyone searching spiritual and material help."

Another Catholic bishop, Pavlo Honcharuk, thanked ACN for supporting the Church's essential work in Ukraine.

"I would like, on behalf of all those who receive aid, as well as myself, to sincerely thank you all for your open hearts and your help.

"It doesn't matter whether it was a lot or a little, what is important is that you have not remained indifferent to our situation.

"I sincerely thank you - may God bless you."

Aid money

Last year, ACN's 23 national offices reportedly received over €145 million from more than 364,000 international benefactors. It does not receive any government or state subsidies for its work.

Africa was ACN's biggest beneficiary. It received 31.5 percent of ACN's support.

Source

• Aid to the Church in Need