My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Greetings in the Lord!
Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville will take up the Catholic Relief Services Collection March 29-30. Your support for this collection provides emergency international assistance to victims of war and natural disasters; assists migrants and refugees who need housing, education, and specialized legal assistance; and supports travelers and others whose livelihoods require special pastoral support to access the sacraments.
With the recent termination of funding from the U.S. government, there is a significant need this year. The chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on National Collections, Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg, said in a recent statement that the lack of funds for the refugee resettlement program and cooperative agreements for such work have impacted thousands of refugees. He goes on to explain that the “abrupt stop-work orders” mean CRS is not able to “sustain their work overseas, bringing food, life-saving medicine, and daily necessities to people in need.” Although the USCCB and CRS relied on federal funds, the USCCB still had to spend more to support the refugees.
The Catholic Relief Services Collection benefits six church-related entities that offer aid to the vulnerable. These include: Catholic Relief Services for international relief and development; Migration and Refugee Services for refugee resettlement; the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC) for immigration legal services; the Secretariat of Justice and Peace for advocacy; the Holy Father’s Relief Fund for emergency relief, and the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church for evangelization and ministry.
I ask that you prayerfully consider how you can support the collection this year. To learn more about the collection and the people who benefit, please visit www.usccb.org/catholic-relief. Thank you for your generous support of the Catholic Relief Services Collection. Please know that I remain,
Sincerely in the Lord,
Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre
Archbishop of Louisville
