Catholic Home Missions Allocates $7.8 Million To Needy U.S. Dioceses Whose Struggles Are Amplified By The Recession
WASHINGTON—The Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced the allocation of over $7.8 million to struggling U.S. dioceses in 2010.
A total of 388 projects were approved for funding in 87 dioceses in the United States and its territories or former territories.
“The subcommittee funds a wide range of pastoral services. It principally focuses on evangelization efforts, religious education, ministry training for priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers and laypeople, and support of poor parishes across the country,” explained subcommittee chairman Bishop Michael Warfel of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana.
Among those who will receive funding is the Diocese of Baker, Oregon. Baker’s Catholic population of 40,000, a little more than nine percent of the population, is spread thinly across 67,000 square miles of rangeland. Its greatest challenge is providing support and programming for very small and scattered parish communities with scant resources. Like many other mission dioceses, Baker is dealing with a shortage of personnel and a rapid influx of Catholic immigrants. Thirty two active priests in the diocese staff 31 parishes and 28 missions. A Catholic Home Missions’ 2010 grant of $125,000 will help fund a variety of projects including religious education, youth ministry, Hispanic ministry, parish aid, an evangelization camp and Catholic education.
“The funds we receive from Catholic Home Missions provide concrete relief to our often financially struggling parishes. Besides the actual financial impact, the diocese and our recipient parishes are greatly encouraged in knowing that others are aware of and sympathetic to the challenges we face. This encouragement literally gives us the additional courage we need to forge ahead and persevere in the blessed work of spreading and preserving the Word of God,” said Bishop Robert F. Vasa of Baker.
The Home Missions Subcommittee also approved a $30,000 emergency grant to the diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago (a remote U.S. territory in the Pacific) in response to the September 29 tsunami. The grant will help with their rebuilding efforts. In addition, a 2010 grant in the amount of $94,500 will support successful efforts to build up a native clergy and aid mission parishes, religious education, ministry with the disabled and deacon formation.
“The funds provided from Catholic Home Missions after the earthquake and four tsunami waves in September are providing food and water, medical help, temporary housing, and care for the displaced. For example, it will pay the hospital bill of a five-year-old named Guadalupe who fell from a mountain where her family sought refuge, and it will buy Mass vestments and other liturgical needs for the five parishes where the water ruined the church’s contents. Thank you again from all of us,” said Bishop J. Quinn Weitzell of Samoa-Pago Pago.
For more information on the Catholic Home Missions and projects funded through its appeal go to http://www.usccb.org/hm/index.html.
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Keywords: Catholic Home Missions, National Collections, Bishop Michael Warfel, U.S. dioceses, USCCB
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