Cross Catholic Outreach

The election of Pope Leo XIV earlier this month has — at least according to Google search data — led to a renewed interest in people searching for information on how to “become Catholic.” catholicnewsagency.com/news/…

Cross Catholic Outreach’s Box of Joy ministry has officially reached its 10th anniversary and marked the occasion with a trip by Catholic actor David Henrie to Guatemala to deliver boxes to children there. Henrie, who serves as brand ambassador for the nonprofit, flew to Guatemala with his wife, Maria, to hand-deliver the “Boxes of Joy” to children living in extreme poverty. The organization’s Box of Joy ministry began in 2014. The boxes are given at Christmas to children in need, many of whom have never received a Christmas gift before. The boxes are filled with toys, clothing, school supplies, a rosary, and a booklet in the language of the children telling the story of Jesus. Two years ago, Henrie — best known for his role as Justin Russo in the Disney series “Wizards of Waverly Place” — teamed up with Cross Catholic Outreach and its Box of Joy ministry. “It had been on my heart to try to align with a Catholic charity, but I wanted to be very selective and find something that could appeal to my fanbase, because there’s millions of people who follow me and a lot of them have very diverse backgrounds and not necessarily the same faith, so I wanted to work with a charity whose mission is just universal and broadly appealing and authentically Catholic,” he told CNA in an interview. He added that it has been a “true honor” working specifically with the Box of Joy ministry and helping bring more awareness to that cause. From Nov. 19–22, Henrie and his wife visited the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima in Guatemala, which faces extreme poverty with many struggling to provide the basics of food and clean water to their families. Henrie called the experience a “perspective check,” especially for his wife, who had never visited a developing country. He said the experience taught them lessons they are now implementing in their own home with their children, such as simplicity and humility. The couple was very impressed with “how much these people do with so little and also with how strong family values are in their community.” bit.ly/4fxiwd1 @DavidHenrie @CrossCatholic