Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Because of the fall of communism and the entrance of many central and eastern European countries into the European Union, many think that the needs of the region have been met. However, the Church in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union remains in great need.
Religious and political freedoms are still in their infancy. Though progress has been made in some regions, Catholics in these countries still feel the resounding effects of fallen repressive regimes. Many parishes struggle in places where Catholics are in the minority, lack proper places to worship and the ability to provide pastoral care, and most importantly, cannot support themselves.
The Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, which will be taken up in parishes of our diocese on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010, invests in the future of the region. It supports social programs—such as the shelter-homes in Kapshagai—as well as essential pastoral projects, Catholic communications, and scholarships for Catholic students who often become leaders of the Church in this vast geographic region.
Let us stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Central and Eastern Europe and parts of Asia that were once under Soviet control by praying for their needs and giving generously to this important appeal.
Fraternally,
Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Camden