About Viatores Christi
VC is an Irish lay missionary and international development organisation
Our Story
Over 65 Years of development work
Viatores Christi (VC) is a member-based Irish lay missionary and international development organisation. Founded in 1960 by a group of lay university students from Dublin, VC began by supporting Irish emigrants who had moved to England and Scotland in search of new lives, often leaving behind their home parishes.
As the number of Irish missions overseas expanded, VC began supporting projects in countries across Africa, Asia, North, Central and South America, and beyond, following the work of Irish priests and sisters. Since then, more than 2,000 volunteers have served overseas, with many continuing to support VC’s projects both abroad and at home.
Today as a lay member of Misean Cara, we collaborate with a wide range of partners—including missionary congregations, dioceses, NGOs, and community-based organisations (CBOs)—to create positive change. Our work includes funding support for partners, deployment of trained volunteers and missionaries, and the provision of training opportunities.
Our Approach
Local-led development
VC also train and place volunteers in long-term placements to work on sustainable development projects.
Our Focus
Sustainable development goals
- Access to basic quality education and healthcare
- Opportunities for a sustainable livelihood
- assisting people to realise their human rights including disability rights
- providing an ecologically secure future
Where we work
A global impact
VC has worked in many parts of the world, including South East Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.
Our EU solidarity volunteering programme currently works with several countries in South Ameria and Uganda but has included work in India and Bosnia.