OTHER FUNDED DIOCESES/EPARCHIES

EASTERN CATHOLIC EPARCHIES

Byzantine – Parma, OH; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PAChaldean – San Diego, CA

Maronite – Brooklyn, NY; St. Louis, MO

Melkite – West Roxbury, MA

Romanian – Canton, OH

Syriac – Union City, NJ

Syro-Malabar – Chicago, IL

Syro-Malankara – New Hyde Park, NYUkrainian – Chicago, IL; Parma, OH;

Philadelphia, PA; Stamford, CT

Armenian – Glendale, CA

ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA

Dear Father,

We need your support to continue to strengthen the Church at home and help mission dioceses right here in the United States. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal supports dioceses in the United States and its territories that lack the resources to provide basic pastoral ministry to their populations. Through annual grants, Catholic Home Missions funds catechesis, seminarian education, lay ministry training, Hispanic ministry, and other pastoral programs for dioceses in need. As a result of parishioners’ generosity, Catholic Home Missions impacts the lives of nearly nine million Catholics. The dioceses funded by the appeal comprise nearly 45 percent of all US dioceses.

In the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama, strong catechesis is critical. Located in the heart of the South, the Catholic population forms less than 3 percent of the total population, and in some areas, less than .05 percent. Protestant groups actively recruit for their churches, and young people struggle to maintain their Catholic identity. Five of the 39 counties in the diocese do not have any Catholic presence at all. Many priests in rural areas serve three or four parishes.

In order to address the need for a greater Catholic presence, a grant from Catholic Home Missions funded St. Barnabas School in Birmingham. The school’s students are primarily African American and Hispanic, many of whom are non-Catholic and come from low-income families. St. Barnabas offers strength to the Catholic students and evangelization to the non-Catholic children and their families. The school’s mission of providing high-quality education for all its students, including those who could not otherwise afford it, creates community and helps to bridge racial divides.

The donations of your parishioners are vital to the success of the appeal. The most important way you can help support the Church at home is to speak about the appeal during Mass. This is a chance to educate parishioners on what the appeal is and where donations go. The materials your diocese ordered will arrive soon. More materials are available at www.usccb.org (search “Catholic Home Missions Appeal Resources”).

If you have any questions, please contact Bevin Kennedy at 202-541-3346 or ncpromo@usccb.org. Thank you for sharing your resources to strengthen the Church at home through this appeal.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Peter F. ChristensenBishop of SuperiorChairman, USCCB Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions

To learn more about this appeal or to find additional resources, please visit www.usccb.org and search “Catholic Home Missions.”

Catholic Home Missions Appeal | Office of National Collections 3211 Fourth Street NE | Washington, DC 20017 | 202-541-3346 | www.usccb.org/nationalcollections

30200615Copyright © 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photo credits: © 123RF, Stocksy United, Veer, Lightstock.

WHERE DOES YOUR SUPPORT GO?

WHAT DOES YOUR GIFT FUND? STRENGTHENING THE CHURCH AT HOMESTRENGTHENING THE CHURCH AT HOME

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5PARISH APPEAL

BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTSSIMPLESTEPS

WHAT IS A “HOME MISSION” DIOCESE?Home mission dioceses are located all across the United States, including in the Deep South, Appalachia, and the Rocky Mountains. These dioceses lack the resources to provide their faithful with basic pastoral care, including the sacraments, religious education, and ministry training. Home mission dioceses often struggle with priest shortages, parishioner poverty, unemployment, difficult and isolated terrain, religious hostility, and other circumstances that make it difficult to practice the faith. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal strengthens the Church in the United States by providing yearly grants to support programs in home mission dioceses, which make up 45 percent of all US dioceses.

Please follow these simple steps in your parish to help strengthen the Church at home through the Catholic Home Missions Appeal:

USE the bulletin announcements and parish appeal provided.

INSERT the Home Missions flier into all bulletins.

PREACH about the difficulties faced by home mission dioceses. These dioceses struggle with poverty and unemployment, rugged terrain between parishes, a lack of priests and lay ministers, and limited financial resources to fund vital pastoral ministries.

ENGLISH

There are over 80 home mission dioceses in the United States. These dioceses are unable to fund essential pastoral work, such as religious education, seminarian formation, and lay ministry training. Because of this, they struggle to serve the unique needs of their communities. Through your support, the Catholic Home Missions Appeal helps to ease the struggle of these dioceses and helps them form vibrant faith communities. Please help strengthen the Church at home by giving generously to this appeal.

SPANISH

En Estados Unidos hay más de 80 diócesis misioneras. Estas diócesis no tienen fondos para cubrir las labores pastorales básicas como educación religiosa, formación de seminaristas y capacitación para el ministerio laico. Por esta razón, ellas hacen esfuerzos para responder a las singulares necesidades de sus comunidades. Gracias al apoyo de ustedes, el Llamado para las Misiones Católicas facilita los esfuerzos de estas diócesis y las ayuda a formar unas comunidades de fe llenas de vida. Por favor, ayuden a fortalecer la Iglesia en casa contribuyendo generosamente a este llamado.

ENGLISH

THE WEEK BEFORE THE APPEAL

The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place next week. One way that this appeal works to strengthen home mission dioceses in the United States is by funding seminarian formation in poor dioceses. The blessing of seminarians places a financial burden on these dioceses, where educating each seminarian costs $35-40K per year. Your support is needed for these young men, so that they might go back and serve their parishes. Please strengthen the Church at home by making a generous gift to next week’s appeal.

THE WEEK OF THE APPEAL

Many dioceses right here in the United States do not have enough priests and trained lay ministers to serve their parishes. These dioceses are known as home missions. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place this weekend in the second collection, and supports these dioceses by funding essential ministries, including seminary education and lay ministry training. Please be generous in this appeal and share your resources to strengthen the Church at home.

THE WEEK AFTER THE APPEAL

Thank you for your generous support of last week’s Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Your contributions will help strengthen the Church at home and will help ensure that the Gospel is spread across the United States. To learn more about home missions funding and who the appeal helps, please visit www.usccb.org and search “Catholic Home Missions.”

SPANISH

SEMANA ANTES DEL LLAMADO

La próxima semana realizaremos el Llamado para las Misiones Católicas. Una manera en que este llamado funciona para fortalecer a las diócesis misioneras en Estados Unidos es otorgando fondos para la formación de seminaristas en las diócesis pobres. La bendición de los seminaristas pone una carga financiera en estas diócesis en donde la educación de cada seminarista cuesta entre $35 a 40 mil dólares al año. Su apoyo es necesario para que estos jóvenes puedan regresar y servir en sus parroquias. Por favor, fortalezca la Iglesia en casa dando una generosa donación al llamado de la próxima semana.

SEMANA DEL LLAMADO

Muchas diócesis, aquí mismo, en los Estados Unidos no cuentan con suficientes sacerdotes y ministros laicos capacitados para servir en sus parroquias. A estas diócesis se les conoce como diócesis misioneras. El Llamado para las Diócesis Misioneras se realizará este fin de semana durante la segunda colecta y da apoyo a estas diócesis otorgando fondos para los ministerios básicos, incluyendo la educación de seminaristas y capacitación para el ministerio laico. Por favor, sean generosos en este llamado y comparta sus recursos para fortalecer la Iglesia en casa.

SEMANA DESPUÉS DEL LLAMADO

Muchas gracias por su generoso apoyo al Llamado para las Misiones Católicas de la semana pasada. Sus donaciones ayudarán a fortalecer la Iglesia en casa y asegurarán que el Evangelio se propague en todo Estados Unidos. Para informarse más acerca de los fondos otorgados por las misiones católicas y a quiénes ayuda este llamado, por favor, visiten www.usccb.org y busquen “Catholic Home Missions”.

ANNOUNCE the appeal, and tell parishioners what it is and where the donated money goes. This is the best way to make an impact on the success of the appeal.

PRAY for home mission dioceses that struggle with being able to provide basic pastoral care to their parishioners.

¿QUÉ ES UNA DIÓCESIS “MISIONERA”?Las diócesis misioneras están situadas a lo largo y ancho de Estados Unidos, incluyendo los estados del sureste, la región de los Apalaches y las Montañas Rocosas. Estas diócesis no tienen los recursos para darles a sus fieles un cuidado pastoral básico, incluyendo los sacramentos, educación religiosa y capacitación para el ministerio. Las diócesis misioneras luchan frecuentemente con la escasez de sacerdotes, la pobreza de sus feligreses, el desempleo, unos terrenos difíciles y alejados, hostilidades contra los religiosos y otras circunstancias que dificultan la práctica de la fe. El Llamado para las Misiones Católicas fortalece a la Iglesia en los Estados Unidos al otorgar subvenciones anuales para financiar programas en las diócesis misioneras las cuales constituyen el 45 por ciento de todas las diócesis en Estados Unidos.