Bishops in the US launch annual collection to support the Catholic Church in Latin America

This Tuesday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced the launch of its annual collection to support the mission of the Church in Central America, South America and the Caribbean in different areas.

“With the support of parishioners like you, the collection for the Church in Latin America helps countless poor and marginalized people experience the love of God and share it with their neighbors,” said Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg, Bishop of Reno and president of the USCCB National Collections Committee, in a statement released on January 7.

In addition, the prelate recalled the example of Blessed Stanley Rother, a priest from Oklahoma whom he met in 1981 and who was later martyred in Guatemala while dedicating his life to serving his most needy Latin American brothers.

“Blessed Stanley Rother served in Guatemala even in the face of danger, because God called him to love and care for Latin Americans in need. “Fr. Rother’s ministry to the poor threatened the interests of powerful people, which ultimately led to his death,” the bishop said.

However, Bishop Mueggenborg assures that this heroic testimony inspired his priestly vocation and that call for solidarity with Catholics in Latin America.

“The collection for the Church in Latin America is an opportunity for all of us to respond to that same call. It may not cost us our lives, but a financial sacrifice, even a small one, can transform the lives of many,” he urged.

The aid of the Church in the USA in figures

Last year, the collection raised $6.2 million, which went to more than 250 ministries in places where the Church cannot sustain itself without outside help, according to the USCCB.

• More than half of the funds They were used to cover pastoral needs.

• About 28% was earmarked for disaster relief.

• Approximately 20% He supported vocations and the training of clergy and religious.

Among the benefited projects, the following stand out:

• In Haiti330 lay leaders were trained in Catholic social teaching on ecology, combined with practices to improve soil and water, and reforestation to prevent erosion.

• In Hondurasthe Diocese of Choluteca received support to serve migrants from Latin America, Asia and Africa, as part of a program that integrates evangelization and social sensitivity.

• In the Dominican Republic18 young people from the Poor Clares community receive support in their spiritual formation from the cloistered convent.

• In Ecuadorthe International Eucharistic Congress of September 2024 was subsidized, with participants from 40 countries.

• In Brazilthe Archdiocese of San Salvador de Bahía implemented a social program that includes converting cooking oil into economical fuel and a World Day of the Poor festival with food, music and a Eucharistic procession through needy neighborhoods.

Many dioceses will carry out this collection on January 25 and 26. In addition, it is possible to contribute through the online platform #iGiveCatholicTogether.