Subcommittee Members
The Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America is composed of nine bishops. Each year the Subcommittee, with the assistance of its staff, reviews and evaluates grant applications and makes funding decisions.
Chairman
- Most Rev. Octavio Cisneros, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn
Members
- Most Rev. Ramón Bejarano, Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego
- Most Rev. Oscar Cantú, Bishop of San Jose
- Most Rev. Edgar M. da Cunha, SDV, Bishop of Fall River
- Most Rev. Eusebio L. Elizondo, MSpS, Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle
- Most Rev. Richard G. Henning, Bishop of Providence
- Most Rev. Alberto Rojas, Bishop of San Bernardino
- Most Rev. Kevin Sweeney, Bishop of Paterson
- Most Rev. Thomas G. Wenski, Archbishop of Miami
Consultants
- Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Boston
- Most Rev. Mark Seitz, Bishop of El Paso
- Jacques Liautaud, Haiti Consultant
History of the CLA Collection
The Bishops' Subcommittee, working through its staff in the Church in Latin America, facilitates the development of intra-American ecclesial relations among bishops of the United States and their representative entities, and the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean through national episcopal conferences; the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano (CELAM), and other church-related organizations; Coordinates the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America and collaborates with U.S. dioceses in its promotion; Manages a grants program designed to support the pastoral work of the Church in Latin America; Develops educational resources and opportunities for Catholics in the United States to learn about the reality of the Church in Latin America.
In 1965, during the last session of the Second Vatican Council, the Bishops of the United States approved the creation, through the Bishops, of an annual national collection to support economic aid to pastoral projects of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The resources gathered through the National Collection are channeled through the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to the Subcommittee of Bishops for the Church in Latin America, who are in charge of the designation of funds and make the final decisions on the matters related to the region.
The Committee is now the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America, a member of the USCCB Committee on National Collections. The Subcommittee gives aid to pastoral projects presented by the Bishops of the Catholic Church in 25 countries in the regions of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Special priority is given to evangelization and catechetical programs as well as mission related activities that promote the encounter with Jesus and help us to respond to his call to be disciples and missionaries so that our people can find life in Him.