The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced the launch of its annual collection in support of the Church’s mission in various areas of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Founded in 1965, the collection serves as a way for Catholics in the U.S. to express their unity and solidarity with their Latin American brothers and sisters. Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg of Reno, Nevada, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on National Collections, said the following in a statement: “With the support of parishioners like you, the collection for the Church in Latin America helps countless poor and marginalized people experience God’s love and share it with their neighbors.”
In 2024, the collection provided $6.2 million for more than 250 ministries in places where the Church cannot support itself without outside assistance, such as Haiti, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. The USCCB reported that over 50% of the money supported pastoral needs, 28% provided disaster relief, and about 20% subsidized vocations and the formation of clergy and religious.
Most dioceses will take up this collection on January 25-26. The faithful can also donate via the online giving site #iGiveCatholicTogether. For more information, please visit the USCCB website.