On Saturday, 16 May 2026, the "Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis for an Economy of Fraternity" International Award was presented to the Congregation of Holy Cross' Holy Family Mission in Papua New Guinea for its community-based initiative, "Hantoa Fraternity Hub”. The award ceremony took place in the Hall of Spoliation, as part of the ninth anniversary of the establishment of the Shrine of the Spoliation of Assisi. Members of the Congregation’s General Council received the award on behalf of Fr. Thomas John, C.S.C., Superior of the Holy Family Mission.

“In his message for the ninth World Day for the Poor, Pope Leo expressed his hope that the Jubilee Year would encourage the implementation of ‘new initiatives to support and assist the poorest of the poor,’” said Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General. “On behalf of the Congregation of Holy Cross, I express my sincere gratitude to all who are associated with the award and for partnering with us in responding to the Holy Father’s challenge with your generous support of the Hantoa Fraternity Hub.”

The "Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis for an Economy of Fraternity" International Award was instituted in 2020 on the occasion of the beatification of Carlos Acutis. The award “aims to encourage fraternal economic projects from below.” It honors projects advancing economic models rooted in human dignity, social inclusion, and environmental care, so as to help spur the transformation of the world economy into one with fraternity as a guiding principle. This year, there were 78 applications from 31 different nations and written in five different languages.

The Congregation of Holy Cross assumed pastoral responsibility for the Christ the King Parish in Hantoa, Bougainville, in August 2025 as part of its new Holy Family Mission in Papua New Guinea. One of the most urgent needs that the Holy Cross missionaries identified was the lack of livelihood opportunities for women.

Read more about the work of Holy Cross in Papua New Guinea

"In the quiet struggles of everyday life, countless women continue to carry the pain of violence, rejection, and hardship with extraordinary courage and faith. Though many have suffered within their homes and faced misunderstanding from society, they remain the heart of their families and the strength of their communities. Through their loving sacrifice, hard work, and resilience, they continue to nurture life and hope for future generations,” said Fr. John.

The Holy Cross Brothers and Priests set out quickly to dialogue with the parish’s Katholik Women's Association to explore opportunities. Out of those dialogues was born the Hantoa Fraternity Hub project. It will create an entrepreneurial community center, including a restaurant offering fresh local food, a tailoring workshop for the making of traditional clothes, and a vegetable garden that directly supplies the kitchen.

Learn more about the Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis for an Economy of Fraternity Award

The Hantoa Fraternity Hub will operate through a rotation system to foster the collaboration and shared responsibility of about 100 women. The ultimate goal is to create a collective savings mechanism that guarantees long-term self-sufficiency and, in the process, becomes a model of an economy of fraternity for the entire Pacific region.

“For Bougainville, this award symbolizes hope for healing from conflict, rebuilding trust, and dreaming of Independence," said the Most Rev. Dariusz Kaluza, Bishop of the Diocese of Bougainville. “It affirms to women in Hantoa Parish and Pacific women that their dignity, work, and dreams matter to the Church and the world. It emphasizes that genuine development comes from the community, especially from the poor and women who carry hope. The Church in Bougainville has always believed this, and now the world confirms it.”

In going to Papua New Guinea, in addition to renewing its missionary spirit, the Congregation of Holy Cross sought to heed the call of Pope Francis “to go out to the peripheries.” Now, having gone to those peripheries on mission, Holy Cross has built a bridge between Bougainville and Assisi. It has drawn the peripheries into the heart of the Church.

“The Hantoa Fraternity Hub’s reception of the Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis International Award affirms that the margins of the world are its center,” said Bishop Kaluza. “On a small Pacific island, people witness community life and dream of a better future for their children and life. This reflects Pope Francis's teachings and his desire for the Church and us.”

“For communities that have long lived in the shadow of conflict, economic exclusion, and geographic isolation, that visibility carries immense spiritual weight. It declares: ‘You are not forgotten. You are not peripheral. You are, in the logic of the Gospel, exactly where transformation begins,’” continued the bishop.

The Most Rev. Felice Accrocca, Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino and of Foligno, underscored the importance of this transformation: "We must contribute to reversing the perspective, like Francis with the lepers: what was too bitter turns into sweetness, what was important no longer matters and what he did not want to know becomes important. We too must reverse the perspective--not an economy for the few and for the enrichment of the few, but an economy that has the good of all at heart, that thinks starting from the poor. May this small seed make a great tree sprout, like the mustard seed of the Gospel, this is the hope that we launch today and we trust that the Lord will make it his own."

As much as the “Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis for an Economy of Fraternity" International Award affirms the people of Bougainville, it also affirms the “yes” that the Congregation of Holy Cross gave to Propaganda Fide to accept the mission in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

“The Holy Family Mission is the result of the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit,” said Fr. Emmanuel Kallarackal, C.S.C., Vicar General and First General Assistant. “Hence it is a mission which is ‘God's very own.’ This award certainly expresses the support of the Church and strengthens our mission. May God continue to bless the people and missionaries of Holy Family Mission in the Diocese of Bougainville.”