The CARF Foundation's charity market is celebrating its 30th anniversary. For the past 30 years, the volunteers who are part of the Social Action Board (PAS) have had one main mission: to collaborate and contribute to raising funds to finance the training of seminarians and diocesan priests, as well as religious men and women from around the world, especially from countries with fewer economic resources.
This year's edition changes its traditional location from the parish halls of San Luis de Los Franceses, and will not be at Padilla 9, as they are under construction.
Justin Joseph: a young Indian seminarian of the Syro-Malabar rite
Justin Joseph is one of the young seminarians whose formation is supported by the benefactors, partners, and friends of the CARF Foundation. He belongs to the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Idukki in Kerala, India. This diocese was established in 2003 to respond to the spiritual needs of the faithful in this mountainous region of Kerala. Most of the region's inhabitants are farmers whose faith is intertwined with their daily work.
He was born in Adimaly in 1998 and is currently in his third year of a Bachelor of Theology degree at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, thanks to the study grants financed by the CARF Foundation.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be in Rome because I believe this experience is helping me grow both personally and spiritually and is preparing me more thoroughly for my future priestly ministry.
Their story represents seminarians from various countries who receive support from the CARF Foundation to train and later serve their home communities. They also benefit from initiatives such as the Solidarity Market in Madrid and the one in Zaragoza, held in March.
To celebrate the market's 30th anniversary, the PAS volunteers have prepared something new: handmade Christmas sweets made by a volunteer who is a master pastry chef. Visitors will be able to buy marzipan, nougat, shortbread, and chocolate.
Less than a month remains until the grand anniversary of one of Madrid's oldest and most traditional markets. The Board of Trustees continues to accept donations of items in good condition to maintain the market's quality. Among other items, they are accepting tableware, cutlery, glassware, small furniture, tablecloths, and paintings.
Thirty years after its beginnings, the volunteers are preparing a new edition with the same purpose: to raise funds that contribute to the training of those preparing to serve the Church throughout the world.
The Social Action Board was founded in 1989
The initiative to create the Social Action Foundation arose in 1989 thanks to the drive of several women. Its objective was to promote activities that would involve more people in praying for vocations to seminarians and diocesan priests, as well as to raise funds for those who lack the resources to cover their studies.
«"It started very small and has grown over the years. The first sales were made in a private home, then in a premises lent to us by a hair salon, whose owner was a great collaborator, and finally we moved into a rented premises," recalls Rosana Diez-Canseco, co-president of PAS.
Over time, both the donated items and the number of collaborators and buyers have increased. "In recent years we've collected so many products that I sincerely believe it's one of the largest flea markets held in Madrid," explains Rosana.
The work of the Board of Trustees has also been linked to helping the families of seminarians and priests. Currently, the third generation of volunteers is led by Carmen Ortega and Rosana Diez-Canseco, co-presidents of the PAS.
Throughout the year they organize various activities to contribute to the financing of seminarian training and the purchase of backpacks of sacred vessels for those who, after studying in Rome or Pamplona, return to their countries to be ordained priests.
Among the volunteers' memories, the gratitude of a Filipino priest stands out. He wrote to them to tell them that the backpack was essential for his ministry: he celebrated Holy Mass every day on a different island, in small chapels that barely had any resources.
Some practical information
Helping to train priests
The funds raised through the charity markets contribute to the CARF Foundation's mission to support the formation of priests and seminarians, especially those from dioceses with fewer resources.
The work of the Board of Trustees for Social Action also includes initiatives such as the Backpacks of Sacred Vessels, which are given to seminarians at the end of their training so that, once ordained priests and back in their dioceses, they can celebrate Holy Mass and administer the sacraments with the necessary liturgical objects.
Thus, the solidarity of many people ends up having a substantial impact on the lives of priests who will carry out their ministry in different parts of the world.
The Social Action Board (PAS) It brings together and coordinates the work of numerous volunteers who collaborate with the CARF Foundation to support its mission in service to the Church and diocesan priests.
Through various solidarity initiatives, the Board of Trustees seeks to address the specific needs of priests and seminarians, especially in areas with fewer resources. charity markets They are one of these initiatives: thanks to donations from individuals, the work of volunteers and the collaboration of those who participate in them, resources can be obtained for different aid projects.
But the work of the Social Action Board goes far beyond the markets.
Among the different actions promoted by the PAS are:
In this way, the work of the volunteers and collaborators of the Social Action Board is transformed into concrete help for priests and communities in different parts of the world.
Every market stall, every donation, and every act of collaboration is part of the same chain of solidarity: to help priests to develop their mission and serve the people of their dioceses. Because behind every object there is a story. And behind every purchase, an opportunity to help.
Of the February 28 to March 5, 2026, the premises of the parish's social services Santa Engracia, in Zaragoza, They hosted a new Charity Market organized by the CARF Foundation. An initiative promoted with the collaboration of volunteers from Social Action Board to support the Foundation's mission: to contribute to comprehensive formation of priests and seminarians from all over the world.
During those days, visitors to the flea market found a variety of donated items: dishes, books, paintings, clothing, bags, toys, coffee sets, small furniture, decorative objects, and jewelry, among other things. Each donation gave new life to objects that were no longer used, transforming them into an opportunity to help others.
The Zaragoza Charity Market is also a testament to the commitment of those who collaborate with the CARF Foundation's Social Action Board. Volunteering makes these initiatives possible and ensures that... donations received can be transformed into resources for the training of priests and seminarians.
As the Patronato explains, behind each item there is much more than just a sale. There are people who donate what they no longer need, volunteers who dedicate their time to preparing and running the market, and people who decide to support the cause by purchasing some of the items.
In this way, a set of dishes, a book, a bag or a decorative object can end up becoming an aid for a seminarian to receive the training he needs.
carf@fundacioncarf.orgLandline: +34 914 029 082Mobile: +34 638 078 51145 Conde de Peñalver Street.
