International-National Combined Collection

2016 Fact Sheet

The Catholic Relief Services Collection
 
Through the eyes of faith, the starving child, the believer in jail, and the woman without clean water or health care are not issues, but “Jesus in disguise.” The Catholic Relief Services Collection puts faith into action through:
 
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. provides a full range of legal and support services to Catholic programs directly representing poor immigrants. Its focus is reunification of families and protection of those fleeing persecution of civil unrest.
 
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian organization of the U.S. Catholic community. It provides assistance to people in 98 countries and territories based on need—not race, creed or nationality.
 
Migration and Refugee Services annually resettles one quarter of the refugees admitted to the United States and provides advocacy and pastoral care to many newcomers and persons on the move.
 
Holy Father’s Relief Fund assists victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the globe.
 
Justice, Peace and Human Development of the United States Catholic Conference advocates for poor and vulnerable people and for international peace and justice.
 
The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church supports a network of national pastoral centers, pastoral consultants, and diocesan personnel who minister to various ethnic groups and migrant communities.
 
Holy Land
 
The Collection for the Holy Land, in the words of Paul VI, is “not only for the Holy Places but above all for those pastoral, charitable, educational, and social works which the Church supports in the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities.”
 
Over 300 Franciscan priests and brothers together with 130 sisters from Franciscan and other religious communities serve all God’s people in the Holy Land. Since 1342 these friars have been the official guardians of the Holy Places for the whole Church. They also staff a seminary in Jerusalem; the Holy Land delegation in Rome; and hundreds of shrines, basilicas, churches and parishes in the Holy Land; schools and catechetical centers, and workshops/training centers. Homes for the aged, summer camps, medical dispensaries, orphanages, and special housing projects for the poor are also staffed by the friars and sisters working in the Holy Land.
 
Your contribution to the Holy Land collection helps these guardians of the Holy Places serve as Christ’s merciful hands and loving heart in a land still devastated by hatred and bloodshed.

 
Collection for the Works of the Holy Father (Peter’s Pence)
 
In his first Easter Monday address Pope Francis prayed that "the power of Christ's resurrection would reach each person -- especially those who suffer -- and all those situations most in need of trust and hope."
 
The Peter’s Pence Collection unites us in solidarity to the Holy See and works of charity to those in need. Your generosity allows Pope Francis to respond to our suffering brothers and sisters with promptness, love, and compassion, so God’s people will not feel alone in their time of misfortune.
 
Please visit www.usccb.org/ppc for more information.
 
Catholic University of America
 
The Catholic University of America is unique as the national university of the Catholic Church
The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C., is the national university of the Catholic Church. Founded in 1887, CUA offers students an excellent education in a faith-filled atmosphere that is grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The Collection for The Catholic University of America underwrites scholarships to assist financially deserving students in completing their education at CUA in over 50 disciplines.

Please visit www.cua.edu for more information.
 
The Catholic Communication Campaign
 
How the Good News Gets Around! If Jesus Christ were on earth today, how would he spread his message of salvation? Would he use television, radio, newspapers, text messages, billboards, DVDs, or would Jesus be on the Internet? The Catholic Communication Campaign believes Jesus would use as many means as possible, and that is why it supports projects that use the entire array of media tools available today to evangelize and promote Gospel values.

Fifty percent of the collection supports local communications efforts, such as televised Masses and diocesan newspapers. The other fifty percent supports the development and production of a wide range of national media programming: for example, The Face: Jesus in Art, Catholic Radio Weekly, television specials for the broadcast networks, radio and television public service announcements in both English and Spanish, and streaming video programming that offers a slice of Catholic life in this country.

Please visit www.usccb.org/ccc for more information.
 
The International – National Combined Collection will be taken in your parish the weekend of May 15, 2016.
International-National Combined Collection