My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Greetings in the Lord! On Nov. 18-19, our diocese will take up the national collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Your support for this collection brings change to communities across the country and empowers those living in poverty to transform their communities into reflections of the Kingdom of God. In addition to making a national impact, you empower those living in poverty in our own diocese, because 25% of our collection stays here.
On the local level, your donations will benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which serves abused and neglected children in Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties. CCHD funds support CASA’s Advocacy Academy and Support Program, which is responsible for the recruiting, training and pairing of CASA volunteers (CASAs) with abused/neglected children, as well as continuing education case management and ongoing supervision of CASAs.
Your donations also will support La Casita Center’s Legal Clinic, which is a vital point of access to the legal system for the Hispanic community of Louisville, providing pro-bono legal services and assisting members of the Latino community to overcome language and cultural barriers.
Nationally, more than 37 million people in the United States live in poverty. CCHD supports those living in poverty by funding programs that empower local communities to address the challenges they face and by helping people face the unique obstacles in front of them as they work to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. By supporting this collection, you are giving those on the margins a hand up, not a handout.
I have received periodic letters regarding concerns that have been raised about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Of course, any cause supported by our Church should be one that upholds and supports Catholic social and moral teaching. I continue to support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development because of steps taken to make sure that every grantee is endorsed and monitored by a local bishop and his staff, and all applications are subject to a complete review by the staff before any grant is finalized.
Please prayerfully consider how you can help CCHD this year. If you would like more information about the collection and the people it supports, visit www.usccb.org/cchd.
Know that I remain,
Sincerely in the Lord,
Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre
Archbishop of Louisville
