Catholic Extension plans to expand its outreach in the Caribbean region, funding church reconstruction in Cuba and expanding its century-long involvement in Puerto Rico in response to the island’s ongoing debt crisis, the Rev. Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, said during a news conference in Chicago on Sept. 26. “It is important that we continue to stand together as a united people of faith,” Father Wall said. “We are at our best when we can discover how we can be a blessing to each other,” he said. The outreach to the Cuban Catholic Church is the first for Catholic Extension, which traditionally serves poor remote communities in the United States and U.S. territories. Catholic Extension’s work in Puerto Rico began in 1908. The effort in Cuba will focus on building or repairing churches, church facilities and schools, many of which have been damaged by storms that have pummeled the island 90 miles from Florida.

This article appears in October 17 2016.