Subcommittee On The Church In Latin America Approves Over $4.9 Million In Grants

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops' (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America approvedfunding for 160 projects worth nearly $2.3 million in grants to aid thepastoral work of the Church in countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.The decision was made during thesubcommittee's meeting at the USCCB's Fall General Assembly in Baltimore,November 12-15.

"Iam very humbled to lead a subcommittee that provides critical assistance to theChurch in countries experiencing sometimes tough and traumatic times.Allocating this money donated by our generous parishioners through the Churchin Latin America collection is important work. Supporting pastoral projects ispart of our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Latin America," saidArchbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the subcommittee. "We alsohave worked diligently to support the Church in Haiti, in Chile, and now inCuba as they begin to rebuild infrastructures for the communities of faith thatwere impacted by severe earthquakes and hurricanes."

The subcommittee also approved $2.6million in grants for reconstruction projects of the Church in Haiti. Projectsinclude the damaged IDEPH School in Jacmel and the design and reconstruction ofthe church of Sacré-Coeur in the heart of Port au Prince. All USCCB aid forreconstruction work in Haiti goes through the Partnership for Reconstruction ofthe Church in Haiti (PROCHE), the Haitian Bishops' Conference constructionentity developed for this purpose. The first grants for reconstruction projectsof the Church in Haiti were approved last year.

"It took us some time to 'prime thepump' and set effective mechanisms for reconstruction," said Archbishop ThomasWenski of Miami, chairman of the subcommittee's Haiti Advisory Group. "But weare now seeing results as major reconstruction starts to happen." The bishopsreceived a briefing on the status of reconstruction in Haiti on November 13.

The subcommittee also approvedfunding for reconstruction of several churches in Cuba damaged by HurricaneSandy and other pastoral projects. Funding to assist the formation ofreligious, seminarians, clergy and permanent deacons totaled more than $1.6million awarded to date. Funding to assist countries participating in WorldYouth Day 2013 in Brazil was also approved.

The Subcommittee on the Church inLatin America oversees the Collection for the Church in Latin America as partof the USCCB Committee on National Collections. It primarily provides supportfor the USCCB grant-making programs.More information on the Collection for the Church in Latin America and theprojects it funds can be found online: https://www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/latin-america/

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Keywords: Latin America, evangelization, clergy, layformation, Haiti, Chile, PROCHE, Collection for the Church in Latin America,Archbishop José Gomez, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops

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