The History of Restore God’s Kingdom

Restore God’s Kingdom (RGK International) was founded in 2024 by a dedicated group of Christians from diverse professional backgrounds. These founders shared a profound commitment to their faith and have extensive experience in helping and advocating for persecuted Christians across the world.

Recognizing the growing need for a unified response to the plight of vulnerable Christians worldwide, they established RGK to provide comprehensive humanitarian and pastoral care in strict accordance with the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. At RGK, we believe with deepest and firmest conviction that because the faith and teachings handed by Christ to the Apostles is the same witnessed to and suffered for by the poorest and most persecuted of Christians, we must and will always in turn ensure that at every level of our service, from our benefactors to our beneficiaries, isn’t one worthy of acting in His name and in His behalf.

Restore God’s Kingdom is dedicated to ensuring that all faithful and practicing Christians worldwide have access to pastoral and humanitarian care, especially the sacraments, wherever and whenever they need it most. We will strive to provide spiritual and material support to impoverished, vulnerable, and persecuted Christians, fulfilling their needs wherever they may be.

Our vision is a world where every Christian, regardless of their circumstances, can live a life enriched by the sacraments and supported by the compassionate care of the global Catholic community. We envision a Church united in faith, resilient in the face of persecution, and empowered to serve the most vulnerable.

• Faith: Rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church, our actions are guided by unwavering faith in Christ.
• Compassion: We are committed to showing Christ’s love through compassionate care for those in need.
• Integrity: We uphold the highest standards of honesty and transparency in all our work.
• Solidarity: We stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians, advocating for their rights and dignity.
• Service: Our mission is driven by a spirit of selfless service, inspired by the example of Jesus Christ.

• Access to Sacraments: Ensure that all Christians, especially those in vulnerable situations, have timely, safe, frequent and dignified access to the sacraments.
• Humanitarian Support: Provide comprehensive humanitarian aid to meet the spiritual and material needs of impoverished and persecuted Christians.
• Community Building: Strengthen Christian communities by rebuilding churches, supporting seminaries, and fostering lay leadership.
• Advocacy and Awareness: Raise global awareness about Christian persecution and advocate for the rights of oppressed Christians.
• Sustainable Growth: Develop sustainable funding and operational strategies to support our long-term mission.

Our service philosophy is centered on the pastoral, spiritual and humanitarian care of individuals, addressing both spiritual and material needs through compassionate action – because, ultimately, we must all strive to a personal relationship with Christ. By integrating the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, we aim to restore dignity and hope to those we serve. We believe that every act of service is a testament to our faith and a reflection of Christ’s love, empowering communities and fostering resilience in the face of adversity.

Restore God’s Kingdom is more than a charity; it is a movement inspired by the Gospel, committed to bringing the light of Christ to the darkest corners of the world. Join us in our mission to restore faith, hope, and love to those who need it most.

Restore God’s Kingdom came into being in 1947 in response to an appeal for reconciliation made by Pope Pius XII in the bitter early years after World War II. The first commitments were to organise emergency relief to meet the material and spiritual needs of the suffering German people.

With the help of thousands of concerned and compassionate people, the appeal succeeded. Impassioned preaching and calls for reconciliation touched hearts and supplies of clothes and food poured in.

At the same time, recognising a deep spiritual hunger, a ‘Rucksack Priest’ campaign sending priests out on motorbikes and early Volkswagen Beetles to people still displaced, bereft and in need of spiritual comfort. This was soon followed by a Chapel Truck initiative using decommissioned army trucks which were adapted as mobile chapels from which Mass could be said.

In the 1950s, Restore God’s Kingdom worked tirelessly to assist religious serving within Communist countries, especially in Hungary, to help contemplative Sisters in Poland and to launch a massive aid campaign. Passion and commitment helped Restore God’s Kingdom to build “fortresses of God” – churches constructed along the length of the Iron Curtain. From this time onwards Restore God’s Kingdom began to drive to bring Christ not only to Russia and Eastern Europe but to all those being “tested in faith” around the world. Restore God’s Kingdom began to grow in size and scope. In 1959, Restore God’s Kingdom began to work in Calcutta and established contact with Mother Theresa. In 1962, Restore God’s Kingdom began work in Latin America and then began work in Africa in 1965.

In 1979, Restore God’s Kingdom began the “Children’s Bible” project. Since then, the Children’s Bible has been translated into 189 languages and 51 million copies have been published and distributed around the world. In 1984, Restore God’s Kingdom was recognised by the Holy See as a Universal Public Association of Pontifical Right. In 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, Restore God’s Kingdom begins work the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe in recovering from the Communist period. In 1992, the USSR collapses. In this same year, Restore God’s Kingdom begins work with the Russian Orthodox Church in re-evangelising Russia.

Such has been the impact of Restore God’s Kingdom work worldwide that in June 2002 the charity was described by the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) as “a gift of Providence for our time”.

He stated that Restore God’s Kingdom had “…turned out to be one of the most important Catholic charities… It is working in a worthwhile manner all over the world.

“Our world is hungering and thirsting for witnesses of the risen Lord, for human beings who pass on the Faith in word and deed as well as for human beings who stand by those in need.”

In 2007, under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, Restore God’s Kingdom begins to increase levels of work in the Middle East. In December 2011, Benedict XVI recognised the importance of Restore God’s Kingdom work by elevating the charity to a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church.

In 2015, Restore God’s Kingdom launches an emergency campaign for Iraq, more than 5000 houses are renovated. In 2017, Restore God’s Kingdom celebrates its 70th Anniversary and leads an international pilgrimage to Fatima. In 2017, Restore God’s Kingdom takes responsibility for the “1 million children praying the rosary” campaign and in 2019 safeguarding becomes one of the project priority areas. In 2020, Restore God’s Kingdom launches emergency campaigns for the COVID-19 Pandemic and for Lebanon in the aftermath of the Beirut Port Explosion.