STRENGTHENING THE CHURCH AT HOMESTRENGTHENING THE CHURCH AT HOME

Dear Father,

The Catholic Home Missions Appeal is an opportunity to help strengthen the Church in the United States, and we need your help. Over 40% of dioceses in the United States are considered mission territories, affecting over nine million Catholics. Through annual grants, Catholic Home Missions provides funding for seminary formation, lay leadership training, catechetical programs, Hispanic ministries, and other essential pastoral programs. This appeal is an opportunity to support and strengthen the Church’s mission here in the United States.

Allow me to give you an example. The Diocese of Belleville in southern Illinois covers 28 counties, most of which are very rural. East St. Louis-Belleville is the only metropolitan area in the diocese, but it is also one of the poorest communities in the nation. The Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School (STBCS) provides the only alternative to the troubled public school system. The population of the STBCS elementary school is comprised of 99% racial minorities. In addition, 90% of the families fall below the poverty line and only 4% are Catholic. The children are often raised by someone other than their biological parents and know the realities of drugs, violence, and crime.

With a grant from the Subcommittee on the Catholic Home Missions, STBCS continues to provide the best holistic Catholic education possible for the children enrolled and is a vehicle for evangelization. The school teaches a Peacemaker Program, instilling skills of empathy, anger management, impulse control, and problem solving in addition to afterschool programs and prayer services. Despite the challenges that the children at STBCS face, the school has a 100% graduation rate, and 95% of its graduates are enrolled in college or university. This program and many more give testimony to the great benefit of the Catholic Home Missions collection.

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 about the appeal and how their donations are utilized to meet the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ. 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. Paul D. EtienneBishop of CheyenneChairman, USCCB Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions

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PARISH APPEAL

SIMPLESTEPS

WHAT IS A “HOME MISSION” DIOCESE?Home mission dioceses are located all across the United States, including 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 over 40% of all US dioceses.

Please follow these simple steps in your parish for strengthening 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, without assistance. 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 to form vibrant faith communities. Please help strengthen the Church at home by giving generously to this appeal.

SPANISH

En los Estados Unidos hay más de 80 diócesis misioneras. Estas diócesis no tienen fondos para cubrir las labores pastorales básicas como la educación religiosa, la formación de seminaristas y la capacitación para el ministerio laico sin recibir una ayuda. 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 sirve para aliviar los esfuerzos de estas diócesis y las ayuda a formar unas comunidades de fe llenas de vida. Por favor, ayude a fortalecer la Iglesia en casa contribuyendo generosamente a este llamado.

¿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 brindarles a sus fieles un cuidado pastoral básico, incluyendo los sacramentos, la educación religiosa y la 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 otorgando anualmente unas donaciones para financiar programas en las diócesis misioneras las cuales constituyen más del 40 por ciento de todas las diócesis en Estados Unidos.

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BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTSENGLISH

WEEK BEFORE THE APPEAL

The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place next week. One way that this appeal works to support home mission dioceses in the United States is by supporting seminarian formation in poor dioceses. The blessing of seminarians places a financial burden on these dioceses, because 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.

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, which will take place this weekend in the second collection, 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.

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/home-missions.

SPANISH

SEMANA ANTES DEL LLAMADO

La próxima semana realizaremos el Llamado para las Misiones Católicas. Una manera en que este llamado sirve para apoyar a las diócesis misioneras en Estados Unidos es apoyando la formación de seminaristas en las diócesis pobres. La bendición de contar con unos seminaristas pone una carga financiera en estas diócesis ya que 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 Misiones Católicas, que se realizará durante la segunda colecta este fin de semana, apoya a estas diócesis otorgándoles fondos para los ministerios básicos, incluyendo la educación de seminaristas y la capacitación para el ministerio laico. Por favor, sean generosos en este llamado y compartan 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 donativos 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, visite www.usccb.org/home-missions.

ANNOUNCE the appeal, telling 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 to provide basic pastoral care to their parishioners.

28% DIOCESAN & PARISH ASSISTANCE

24% PRIESTLY &RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS

28% FAITH FORMATION

2% LIFE & DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

3% STRENGTHENING MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE

15% CULTURAL DIVERSITY

IN 2015,THE CATHOLIC

HOME MISSIONSAPPEAL PRIMARILY

SUPPORTED:

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

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

30200616Copyright © 2015, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photo credits: © 123RF, Getty Images, iStock, Lightstock.

WHERE DOES YOUR SUPPORT GO?

WHAT DOES YOUR GIFT FUND?

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

= Home Mission Dioceses

= Other Dioceses

The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter-Houston, TX

OTHER FUNDED DIOCESES/EPARCHIES