Emergency Collections for Disaster and Crisis Relief

Transmittal Forms for all collections can be found on the Collection Administration page.

Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund

At the end of August, Hurricane Ida made landfall on the Gulf Coast and continued inland, killing dozens, damaging churches, homes, and businesses, and leaving communities without power along the Gulf Coast, the Ohio Valley, and the Northeast.


USCCB President Archbishop José Gomez called upon dioceses across the country to support the USCCB Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund (BEDF) for the humanitarian and Church needs in the wake of this disaster and others that might follow. 


Donations to the BEDF will support the emergency responses of our partners at Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church, as well as the pastoral and reconstruction efforts of the United States bishops.


Thank you for your ongoing generosity to the civic and faith communities affected by natural disasters.
If you miss your parish collection, or wish to give outside of it, you may send your donation to: 


USCCB Office of National Collections
Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund
PO Box 96278
Washington, DC 20090-6278

Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund: Haiti Earthquake

On the morning of August 14, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck southwestern Haiti, less than 100 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince, resulting in over 1,400 deaths, thousands of wounded, and millions of dollars of damage to houses, businesses, and churches. Two days later, Tropical Storm Grace swept over the island, battering the stricken area with heavy rains and high winds that interfered with earthquake search and rescue efforts and further damaged already-weakened structures. 


The people of Haiti are likely to see ongoing hardship in the weeks ahead as they begin recovery and rebuilding efforts. Moreover, many parish churches, chapels, schools, and clinics were devastated which will impact faith communities for years.


In response to this disaster, and in anticipation of similar humanitarian crises arising from this and future disasters, USCCB President Archbishop José H. Gomez has requested dioceses around the country to participate in a volunteer special emergency collection as soon as possible. This collection for the Bishops’ Emergency Disaster Fund will support USCCB efforts for pastoral and reconstruction efforts, as well as the humanitarian relief efforts of Catholic Relief Services and/or Catholic Charities USA, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church. Your generosity at this time of great need is deeply appreciated.

Remittance Instructions

Parishes: Send proceeds to your diocesan finance office.

Dioceses: Remit all received funds as soon as possible directly to the USCCB using the corresponding transmittal form. Please make check payable to USCCB-Bishops Emergency Disaster and send to:

Office of National Collections, Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund
PO Box 96278, Washington DC 20090-6278

Individuals: If your parish does not take a collection but you would like to help, please send your donation – noting “Haiti” on the memo line – to:
Office of National Collections, Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund
PO Box 96278, Washington DC 20090-6278