Propagation of the Faith Sunday (1st weekend in February): The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. The others are: The Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious and the Holy Childhood Association. Under the direction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Rome, Italy) and the bishops, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith seek to foster an ever-deeper spirit of universal mission, to inform Catholics of the life and the needs of the Catholic Church in the Missions, and to encourage prayer and financial help for those mission churches. Through the offering of Catholics worldwide, the Propagation of the Faith provides ongoing support for the pastoral and evangelizing programs of the Catholic Church in Africa, Asia, the islands of the pacific and remote regions of Latin America. This includes aid for the education and support of seminarians, religious novices and lay catechists; for the work of religious communities in education, health care and social services; for communication and transportation needs and for disaster and emergency relief when necessary. Please visit http://www.onefamilyinmission.org/society-propfaith.html for more information.
Aid to Church in Easter Europe (Varies): While the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union endured decades of communist oppression, the Church suffered grave wounds to its spiritual life and its ability to serve the people. Through the Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Catholics can now build bridges to these countries, spread God's Word over vast areas with modern communications media, train Church leaders of tomorrow, help needy families materially and spiritually, rebuild churches that have fallen, and support the sisters and brothers who have suffered for the faith. The collection for Central and Eastern Europe is taken up in most parishes on Ash Wednesday. Please visit www.usccb.org/aee for more information.
Black and Indian Missions (1st weekend in Lent): Since 1884, proceeds from the Black and Indian Missions Collection (BIM) are distributed as grants to dioceses supporting and strengthening evangelization programs, which would otherwise be in danger of disappearing among the Black, American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleute communities of the United States. The BIM collection is taken up in most parishes on the first weekend in Lent. Please visit http://www.blackandindianmission.org/ for more information.
Catholic Relief Services (4th weekend in Lent): The Catholic Relief Services Collection supports emergency relief, human development, and peace initiatives in 99 countries around the world, where nearly half the population lives on less than $2.00 a day. The collection supports the ministries of five Catholic Church organizations: Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), Social Development and World Peace (SDWP), and The Holy Father’s Relief Fund. The CRS collection is taken up in most parishes on the fourth weekend in Lent. Please visit www.usccb.org/crscollection for more information.
Holy Places (Good Friday): The Collection for the Holy Land, in the words of Paul VI is “not only for the Holy Places but above all for those pastoral, charitable, educational, and social works which the Church supports in the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities.” 1 The Holy Land collection is taken up in most parishes on Good Friday. For more information write: Commissariat of the Holy Land Bro. Callistus Welch, OFM, The Franciscan Monastery, 1400 Quincy Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017
Catholic Home Missions (Generally the 4th weekend in April): There are many places right here in the United States and in its overseas dependencies where the Church is poor, communities are scattered, and priests are few. Money given to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal helps Catholic communities across America survive and thrive, by underwriting evangelization, religious education, education for future priests, training for lay ministers, and poor parishes that would have to close their doors without outside help. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal helps strengthen the Catholic Church at home. More than ninety-two cents of every dollar contributed goes directly to the missions. The CHM collection is taken up in most parishes on the fourth weekend in April. Please visit www.usccb.org/hm for more information.
Education of Future Archdiocesan Priests (1st weekend in June): Vocation Office receives funds each year from a special collection taken up through the Archdiocese to cover the expenses of educating our future priests. Please visit http://www.archindy.org/vocations/index.html for more information.
Peter’s Pence (Last weekend in June): The Peter’s Pence Collection helps the Holy Father provide emergency assistance to suffering people throughout the world. Contributions to the Peter’s Pence Collection are given directly by the Holy Father to individuals who are suffering from immediate emergencies as a result of war, oppression, and natural disasters. The Peter’s Pence collection is taken up in most parishes on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, in late June or early July. Please visit www.usccb.org/ppc for more information.
World Mission Sunday (Next to the last weekend in October): By Baptism, all Catholics are called to participate in the mission of the Church, called to share their faith as missionaries. World Mission Sunday gathers support for the pastoral and evangelizing programs and needs of more than 1,150 mission dioceses in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and remote regions of Latin America. The funds gathered on World Mission Sunday are distributed in the pope’s name by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith—a Pontifical Mission Society. Please visit http://www.onefamilyinmission.org/society-propfaith/world-mission-sunday.html for more information.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development (The weekend before Thanksgiving): The Catholic Campaign for Human Development works to uphold the dignity of human life by breaking the cycle of poverty across the United States through grants to local community-based groups who create jobs, improve education, and strengthen neighborhoods.
Twenty-five percent of the CCHD collection stays in the diocese to fund local anti-poverty projects; seventy-five percent supports national grant and education programs. CCHD helps break the cycle of poverty not just for one day, but for a lifetime. The CCHD collection is taken up in most parishes on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Please visit www.usccb.org/cchd/index.shtml for more information.
Retirement Fund for Religious (2nd weekend of December): The Retirement Fund for Religious (RFR) distributes grants to religious institutes for the retirement needs of senior religious priests, brothers, and sisters. The fund also helps religious institutes plan and manage their retirement needs and programs. The RFR collection is taken up in most parishes on the second weekend in December. Please visit www.usccb.org/nrro for more information.
Special Collections
