Catholic Home Missions Appeal Strengthens the Church at Home

WASHINGTON - On the weekend of April 23-24, the Catholic faithful across the United States will “strengthen the Church at home” by giving to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. The annual collection through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) supports dioceses and eparchies in the United States and its territories that are unable to sustain basic ministries without outside financial help.

“Through the Catholic Home Missions Appeal, parishioners share their blessings with fellow Catholics in places with small Catholic populations dispersed over wide and remote areas or in areas with many Catholics but few financial resources.” said Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on the Catholic Home Missions. “I want every Catholic to know the great good that is done through their gifts. Your generosity allows people to see that Jesus continues to bring love, hope and healing through the Church that he founded.”

In 2021, nearly $9.3 million from this appeal was distributed to 76 dioceses, eparchies and mission prefectures in the United States and its territories. The appeal supports initiatives for evangelization and faith formation, human life and dignity, strengthening marriage and family, priestly and religious vocations, ministries to Hispanic and Native American and Alaskan Indigenous populations, and assistance to dioceses and parishes with administrative needs such as communications and pastoral planning.

A few of the grants included support for:

• Ministry to sailors and fishermen in the Marshall Islands, providing social, pastoral, and sacramental outreach to seafarers who may not see their families for years.
• A three-week faith formation summer camp at a parish in the Diocese of Gallup that is too remote for parents to bring children to weekly religious education. The camp was so successful that the young people are now bringing their parents back to church.
• The Melkite Eparchy of Newton in Massachusetts, which covers the entire United States, for spiritual and practical assistance to refugees from the war in Syria.
• Support for the purchase of multi-media religious education materials for the De La Salle Blackfeet School in the Diocese of Helena to strengthen evangelization activities in Montana.

“The gifts to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal strengthen the Catholic faith among people in our country who have limited means to support essential ministries,” Bishop McKnight said.

Resources for dioceses to promote the collection on parish digital media and in weekly bulletins may be accessed at: https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-home-missions/catholic-home-missions-appeal-resources.

Parishioners can give through their offertory collection or their parish’s e-offertory platform. Additionally, #iGiveCatholicTogether also accepts funds for the collection. To learn more about the appeal and those who benefit from it, visit www.usccb.org/home-missions.

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