The Christmas decorations are up. The letters have been sent to Santa. The children are so excited counting the sleeps to the big night.

But their mother, Jane, couldn't wait for Christmas to pass. She hoped this year would be brighter, but her income has been devastated by the high rents and spiralling cost of living.

The heating has been off for two weeks. The Christmas tree lights are only turned on for an hour every evening.

Jane wonders how she’s going to pay for the children’s Christmas presents or how she will afford the shopping for the family’s Christmas dinner.

THANK YOU for helping to give Families the Wonder of Christmas

Our job, with your help, is to take the wonder away from Jane and replace it with the true magical wonder of Christmas.

Your help takes the wonder out of Christmas for families in need, it has the power to change the course of a life. Your generous gift will make sure families in need can share some of the wonder of Christmas.

For your kindness and compassion, thank you.

If you have any queries about your gift, please email fundraising@svp.ie or call us at the National Office on (01) 884 8200.

Above is a Vatican media documentary about the roots of Robert Francis Prevost in his native United States. It follows an itinerary that begins with his childhood in Dolton, through the memories of his brothers Louis and John, and continues among schools and universities, communities and parishes, featuring the voices of confreres, teachers, classmates, and longtime friends.

A production of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Apostolate El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización (ESNE), broadcast on the official channels of Vatican Radio – Vatican News.

In the last prayer intention for 2025, the Pope asks us to pray “that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation and hope.”

the Holy Father invites us to not “fall into indifference,” and to be “builders of unity,” praying together with him to the “God of peace” for those communities who must not feel abandoned.

The images accompanying this video produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network show examples of unshakeable faith even in the midst of rubble. We see celebrations in Iraqi villages come back to life after the war, the strength of the parish community of Gaza, and the indispensable work of Caritas in Lebanon among the poor and refugees.