As the 2025 Church’s Jubilee Year comes to an end on January 6th, 2026, we write these lines with our hearts overflowing with gratitude and profound appreciation for your prayers and support for the 13 Houses Jubilee Project this past year.
The 13 Houses Campaign began in 2018 with an audacious vision: to improve and transform the lives of 10,000 homeless people worldwide within five years. Inspired by St Vincent de Paul’s original 13 houses built in 1643, this initiative called upon the entire Vincentian Family (VF) to respond with the same concrete action that has always defined our charism. In November 2023, we reached that milestone of 10,000 people empowered with homes and livelihood opportunities – a testament to what can be achieved when we journey together as “Pilgrims of Hope.”
“Going from living all four of us in a small room to having a house… it was like suddenly regaining my dignity. It’s sitting down at the table and eating with your family. It’s knowing that you won’t be evicted at the end of the month. It allows you to breathe, work, save money, and think about your children”.
The 13 Houses Jubilee Project, launched in September 2024 as a special initiative aligned with the Church’s Jubilee Year, set out to expand to at least 13 countries across five continents. Today, we can rejoice in knowing that this goal has been not only achieved but exceeded through the dedication of VF members around the world.
Vincentian Creativity Facing a Complex Type of Poverty
What made this Jubilee Project truly remarkable was not merely the number of countries involved but the extraordinary diversity of projects that have emerged – each one thoughtfully designed to address the specific needs of those experiencing homelessness in their local contexts. The projects have demonstrated that homelessness wears many faces:
- In Australia and Tonga, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul members has focused on providing stable homes for vulnerable families in need.
- In Brazil and Senegal, the Daughters of Charity (DC) have built and renovated multiple houses while incorporating educational opportunities and small business development.
- In Cambodia, the focus of the DC extended to clean water, education, and dignity for marginalized rural communities.
- In the Central African Republic and Tanzania, the Congregation of the Mission (CM) built homes for families in remote villages and isolated areas.
- In Chile, the VF came together in their first collaborative project to serve migrant families affected by devastating fires.
- In Costa Rica, a partnership between Matrimonios Vicentinos and the CM has provided safety for a migrant mother and her children.
- In Italy, the “Abba Father” project addresses the unique challenges of separated fathers seeking stability. It is the latest development in the Locanda del Samaritano center run by the CM and a team of volunteers to house and integrate homeless people from all corners of the world.
- In Syria, despite immense political challenges, the CM is renovating war-damaged homes to restore hope – a project personally chosen by Pope Francis as one of his concrete gestures of charity for the Jubilee Year.
- In Ukraine, the VF courageously continues to offer safe temporary accommodation to those displaced by ongoing conflict.
- In the United Kingdom, at St Vincent Mews, Depaul UK provides not just accommodation but comprehensive 24/7 support for individuals transitioning from street life.
The future is bright for us!”
Each project represented not just housing, but holistic responses to homelessness, whether addressing displacement from conflict, migration, natural disasters, separation, poverty, or systemic marginalization. Each project showed that ending homelessness means more than providing four walls and a roof – it means restoring dignity, building community, and opening pathways to hope and self-sufficiency.
A Truly Global Endeavor
The geographic scope of this Jubilee Project fills us with particular pride in the Vincentian Family (VF). From the Pacific islands of Tonga to the war-torn streets of Ukraine and Syria; from rural villages in Cambodia, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic to urban centers in Italy and the United Kingdom; from South America to Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania – the VF’s presence has made hope tangible on every inhabited continent.
This global reach embodies the universal nature of our Vincentian mission and demonstrates that no place is too remote, no situation too challenging, and no person too forgotten for the VF to serve. You have brought the message of the Jubilee – that we are all “Pilgrims of Hope, Journeying Together to End Homelessness” – to life in the most concrete way possible.
Moments of Recognition
The significance of this work was recognized at the highest levels of the Church. In November 2024, Pope Francis blessed symbolic keys representing projects in all 13 countries, a powerful gesture that united our diverse efforts under one sacred blessing. The Holy Father’s choice of the Syrian project as one of his personal gestures of charity for the Jubilee Year spoke to the depth and authenticity of Vincentian witness in even the most difficult circumstances.
The Pilgrimage of Hope to Rome was the occasion to recognize and elevate the voices of those who had journeyed out of homelessness this past year, with the VF branches’ support. Delegations from 8 different countries came together as pilgrims of hope, bringing with them their stories and messages of hope.
The pilgrimage brought a profound moment of grace when the families were received by Pope Leo XIV before the World Day of the Poor Mass. This encounter crowned the Jubilee Project with a moment of deep recognition and hope.
“It was an immense blessing to meet the Holy Father and explain to him what we have built. For our part, we have received recognition that encourages us to continue serving with greater strength, humility, and hope.”
Gratitude Beyond Words
We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the many Vincentians around the world who contributed to the Jubilee Project: from all those who undertook a 13 Houses project, to all those who prayed for our Project, and to the donors whose generous response to our Jubilee Appeal enabled change in the lives of so many families. Through the thirteen projects, 551 individuals and family members have experienced the transformative power of hope. Your partnership in this work of social justice has literally changed lives and restored hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Beyond the original 13 Jubilee Project countries, we are thrilled to share that the momentum of this initiative inspired additional projects during 2024-2025. Seven more countries have launched 13 Houses initiatives in that same period, including four countries that were entirely new to the Campaign: Liberia, Bosnia, Zambia, and Chad. This expansion demonstrates the ripple effect of generosity and the growing commitment of the VF to bring hope to every corner of the world where homelessness threatens human dignity.
As we move forward, may the spirit that animated this Jubilee Project continue to inspire us toward the ultimate vision: to see 13 Houses projects in each of the 170 countries where the Vincentian Family serves. The journey continues, and with your continued partnership, we trust that in 2026 hope will continue to find a home in the hearts and lives of our homeless brothers and sisters around the world.
