As we enter the holy season of Lent—a time of prayer, sacrifice, and renewed commitment to love in action—Cardijn Community Australia invites all members, friends, and supporters to join us in supporting a family deeply connected to our global Cardijn movement.
Baby Eliana Kira, the only child of a former Philippines Young Christian Workers (YCW) full-time worker, Jho Letada and her husband, is facing a life‑threatening congenital heart condition. Her young life has already involved multiple medical interventions, and the financial burden on her family has become overwhelming.
The Australian Cardijn Institute has launched a special Lenten fundraising appeal to support the ongoing medical care that Eliana urgently needs. You can read the full story and donate directly here:
Lenten campaign: Baby Eliana Kira
A Call to Solidarity Across the Cardijn Family
Joseph Cardijn reminded us that every person—especially the most vulnerable—possesses profound dignity and deserves our active solidarity. The global YCW and the wider Cardijn movements are built on the commitment to see, judge, and act in the face of injustice and human suffering.
Today, we see one of our own—a former YCW full-time worker’s family—carrying a cross no family should bear alone.
See – Judge – Act: Our Cardijn Response
See
We see Baby Eliana fighting for her life, and two loving parents doing all they can to care for her amidst immense financial, emotional, and physical strain.
Judge
In the light of our faith and Cardijn’s vision, we recognise a moral call to respond with compassion and concrete support, especially during Lent—a time when we reflect deeply on Christ’s suffering and our shared responsibility for one another.
Act
Our action today can bring hope. Through our collective generosity, we can offer tangible help to a family that has given so much to the Cardijn mission through years of service in the Philippines YCW.
Why Your Support Matters Now
Children with critical heart conditions require ongoing and highly specialised care. Costs can escalate rapidly—hospital stays, surgeries, medication, follow‑up treatments—placing extraordinary strain on families with limited financial resources.
By contributing to this fundraiser, you are:
- providing life‑saving medical access
- easing the financial and emotional burden on the Letada family
- standing in solidarity with the global Cardijn community
Every donation—large or small—is a powerful act of love.
A Lenten Invitation to Live Out Our Faith
Lent is a season of almsgiving, prayer, and sacrifice. It’s a time when we realign our lives with God’s call to love the most vulnerable.
Supporting Baby Eliana is a concrete way to live this call.
We encourage all members, partners, and friends of the Cardijn movements—past and present—to take part in this Lenten appeal. Let us show the Letada family that the Cardijn spirit continues to live through us.
How You Can Help
✔ Donate now through the official appeal page
✔ Share the link across your parishes, communities, and social networks
✔ Pray for Baby Eliana, Jho, and their family
✔ Invite others to join this Lenten effort of love and solidarity
Donate here: https://australiancardijninstitute.org/lenten-campaign-baby-eliana-kira/
Let us journey through Lent with hearts open to compassion, unity, and action. Inspired by Cardijn’s legacy, may we walk closely with those who suffer and offer hope where it is needed most.
Thank you for your generosity and your prayers.