The United Ecumenical Catholic Church is committed to "practical" demonstrations of Christian care and love. We attempt to help all, as and where we can. One demonstration of this is the welfare work presently being undertaken in Australia by Archbishop Ronald Langham and the local church.

 

In April of 2002, Bishop Langham, acting in response to a demonstrated need in Sydney's western suburbs, incorporated our welfare arm, Ecumenical Catholic Welfare, and opened St. Giles Lodge, a refuge for homeless people with mental health issues.

 

St. Giles Lodge is now home to 21 men and women from various backgrounds. All of our residents were homeless, or threatened with imminent homelessness, immediately prior to coming to St. Giles. A great many of our long-term residents live with mental health issues and a number of others were recently released from prison.

 

St. Giles aims to be a safe and supportive environment for all guests and we work closely with the local mental health team and other professionals. We are building strong relationships in the community with both Government and non-government agencies. Our service is totally self-reliant to this point and we receive no government funding. It is our hope and our prayer that we will receive some assistance so as to provide a higher level of care to our guests, many of whom are faced with sleeping on the streets if St. Giles were to cease to exist

 

In February of 2007, ECW opened "Pingaree House, in partnership with the state Department of Housing to provide similar services to another 28 people.

 

In 2009, ECW opned our third service - a boarding house for working people in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.

 

Ecumenical Catholic Welfare is government approved and tax-exempt. We have been granted “deductible gift recipients” status and welcome your donations of time, talent and money. If you wish to donate to St. Giles Lodge, please follow the link below. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

 

To find out more about our welfare services, please click on the logo below.