During 2013, the Church in Gozo collected more than € 128,362 for charity, details of which were published in the Diocese Bulletin.

The Gozo Curia said that this figure reflects only the collection made in the fifteen parishes of Gozo, and not in other churches. This translates into an average of € 8,557 per parish.

The main collection was in March in aid of Dar tal-Providenza in Malta, as well as the Arka Foundation, which on behalf of the Diocese of Gozo manages a home for the disabled. Other annual collections in every parish in Gozo which go for charitable purposes are those of Charity Day, which is celebrated with the Diocese of Christ the King; Missionary Day in October; Maundy Thursday for priests; the Obolo of St. Peter (Alms of Sain Peter); and Reports to the Diocesan Seminary during the Lenten exercises.

The Dioces of Gozo said that other entities benefited from the collections, including among others, religious congregations often relying on providence of God’s people, as well as campaigns such as Puttinu. There is also a programme of aid for the various Gozitan missionaries who occasionally have visited the parish communities.

During the last Lent, many parishes on the island had collection boxes for food and other items which went to the Missionary Society of St. Paul in Peru.

In September, the Xaghra Parish collection made during the period of the feast of Our Lady of Victory, collected a record amount, and one of those benefiting from this was the Mission of Franciscan Bishop Joe Bonello, in Honduras.

The Diocese said the Catholic Church in Gozo, carries out many charitable initiatives, such as the programme of action with migrants and refugees living in Gozo, as well as the work carried out by several local parish priests, who from behind the scenes, help financially those families in their communities living in poor social conditions.

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