Christian stewardship involves lovingly sharing the gifts that God has given to us.
The bishops of the United States established the national collections to support the Church's works of social justice, evangelization and education, both domestically and around the globe. Jesus reminds us that the two greatest commandments are to love God with our whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole soul; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The national collections offer us an opportunity to help our neighbors in the light of the Gospel. In doing so, we act as faithful stewards of the gifts God has given us.
| Collection | Date | Description | ||
| Latin America (50%) Catholic Communications (50%) |
January | The Collection for the Church in Latin America supports pastoral programs as awarded by the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Projects include the work of evangelization, formation of laity, religious and seminarians, as well as youth ministry and catechesis. Funding is limited to programmatic expenses and excludes building construction except in cases of emergency. The essential mission of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC) is to contribute to the process of evangelization by fostering activities in relation to television, radio, internet, and other media, and through special projects of the Catholic press. An annual collection is taken up in the dioceses, which remit 50% of the funds collected to the National Office. From these funds, grants are made by the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign. The remaining portion of the collection is retained by the dioceses for use in local communication projects. |
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| Church in Central and Eastern Europe | February | This collection provides aid by the Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe through bishops’ conferences of Central and Eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet Union to meet the needs of rebuilding the Church. It focuses on training seminarians and lay leaders, supporting social service programs, youth ministry, pastoral and catechetical centers, schools, church construction and renovation, and evangelization through Catholic media. | ||
| Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl | Lent | CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten program for families and faith communities in the United States who want to put their faith into action. Through CRS Rice Bowl, participants are invited to hear stories about their brothers and sisters in need around the world, and devote their Lenten prayers, fasting and alms to change the lives of those who suffer in poverty. Participants journey through the 40 days of Lent with a collection of daily reflections and activities included in the CRS Rice Bowl calendar and on the mobile app. |
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| Catholic Relief Services (CRS) | March | Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We are motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching. www.crs.org | ||
| Good Friday | Good Friday | 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.” | ||
| Catholic Charities of Southern MN | Mother's Day | Catholic Charities of Southern MN - Serving the poor and marginalized regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, or faith tradition. www.ccsomn.org | ||
| Peter's Pence | June/July | The Peter's Pence Collection enables the Holy Father to respond with emergency financial assistance to requests to aid the most needy throughout the world––those who suffer as a result of war, oppression, and natural disasters. It likewise provides the faithful with a tangible opportunity to not only empower the weak, defenseless, and voiceless, but also sustain those who suffer. | ||
| Catholic Home Missions (50 percent) Black and Native American (50 percent |
August | Launched in 1998, the Appeal strengthens the Catholic Church in the United States and its territories in 87 Latin and Eastern Catholic dioceses. The Subcommittee on the Catholic Home Missions funds a wide range of pastoral services, including evangelization, religious education, and the maintenance of mission parishes, the training of seminarians and lay ministers, and ministry with ethnic groups. Mandated by the III Plenary Council in 1884, this National Collection for Black and Indian people continues as the embodiment of the Church’s concern for evangelizing the Black and Indian peoples of the United States. The funds are distributed as grants to dioceses throughout the United States, supporting and strengthening evangelization programs which otherwise would cease. The Collection was formerly known as The Black and Indian Home Mission Collection. The name has been changed to accommodate the new Catholic Home Mission Collection |
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| Propagation of Faith (Mission Sunday) | October | In 1926 Pope Pius XI instituted Mission Sunday for the whole Church with the first worldwide Mission Sunday collection taking place in October 1927. The Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to last Sunday during the month of October. That day is celebrated in all the local Churches as the feast of catholicity and universal solidarity so Christians the world over will recognize their common responsibility with regard to the evangelization of the world. | ||
| Catholic Campaign for Human Development | November | The Collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development addresses the root causes of poverty in America through promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and transformative education. Grants are awarded by the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development with the approval of local bishops. |
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| Collection for the Archdiocese for the Military Services | November | The National Collection for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS) is a triennial collection approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 2012, first taken in 2013. The collection is scheduled for the Sunday before Veteran's Day. Our next collection will be in 2025. | ||
| Retirement Fund for Religious (90 percent) Catholic University (10 percent) |
December | The Retirement Fund for Religious (RFR) provides funding to any religious institute in the U.S. that is listed in the religious institute section of the OCD with an identifying OCD number, and that has an unfunded past service liability. It distributes direct care, planning and implementation assistance from the fund to religious institutes based on a formula and criteria approved by the conferences of major superiors and bishops. Annual appeal begun in 1988 and approved through 2017. 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. |