Catholics in the Diocese of Camden are invited to join others across the nation in empowering ministry in U.S. territories where it is difficult to sustain faith formation and outreach.
The U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Home Missions Appeal, scheduled for this weekend of April 27-28, supports dioceses and eparchies in the United States and its territories where Catholics are too few, or too materially impoverished, to support local ministry without outside help. Last year, $77,906 was collected in the Diocese of Camden for this collection.
“There are places where ministry is marked by the deep commitment of parishioners and the clergy who serve them, who often travel many miles through mountains, deserts or arctic terrain to attend Mass and serve each other and their communities,” said Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Wash., who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions.
Without outside help, dioceses like his are unable to offer people the basic pastoral ministries of word, worship and service. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal assists these financially challenged dioceses and eparchies with operational costs and pastoral projects, and provides support to parish life and diocesan vocations work.
Last year’s appeal provided more than $9.8 million in grants to dioceses in areas such as seminary education, faith formation, evangelization, family and pro-life ministries, and outreach to ethnic and immigrant groups.
For more information about the Catholic Home Missions Appeal, visit usccb.org/home-missions.