Subcommittee On Church In Latin America Awards $3.1 Million In Grants

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Subcommitteeon the Church in Latin America approved funding for 132 projects in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, worth over $3.1 million, to aid pastoral work inthat region. The funds also will allow young people to attend World Youth Day(WYD) in Brazil, July 23-28.

On March21, the subcommittee approved a total of 129 grants for projects in 19countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and three for reconstruction effortsin Haiti. The amounts awarded were a little over $2 million from the Collectionfor the Church in Latin America, and $1.1 million from the Special Collectionfor the Church in Haiti, which funds the reconstruction projects.

Some conferences of bishopsreceived funding to strengthen youth ministry programs in preparation for WorldYouth Day. For example, the Conference of Bishops of Ecuador received a $30,000grant to hold their third National Youth Congress. This event will help gatheryouth who are unable to go to WYD and prepare those who will attend the eventin Brazil. "We are very glad to continue helping youth across the hemisphere toattend World Youth Day and have an opportunity to see Pope Francis," said BishopEusebio L. Elizondo, M.Sp.S, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of theUSCCB Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America.

"Weare committed to supporting migrants and helping provide pastoral care to themnot only in our country but also across the Americas. With this in mind, projectsrelated to the pastoral care of migrants and refugees also received funding atthis meeting," said Bishop Elizondo.

InPeru, the conference of bishops received a grant of $15,000 to strengthenPastoral de Movilidad Humana, the conference's official organization for thepastoral care of migrants.

Thesubcommittee also supports the pastoral care of migrants at the regional level.Members approved funding for Latin American Church leaders to attend thisyear's Consultation on Migration, which will take place in Los Angeles. Theconsultation brings together Church leaders from the United States and over tencountries in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Representatives willwork to understand the impact of migration and to improve the pastoral care ofmigrant workers.

InHaiti, reconstruction grants are showing results. "We are pleased to see ourefforts beginning to pay off as reconstruction is finally gaining momentum forthe Church of Haiti. Our approval of new reconstruction grants helps maintainthis momentum," said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, a member of the Subcommitteeon the Church in Latin America. "We also are pleased to continue supportingpastoral projects throughout Haiti."

The subcommitteeapproved $575,000 for the reconstruction of the church of Sainte Genevieve desOrangers, in a poor and rural suburb of Port-au-Prince, near Croix desBouquets. The church, built in 1978, was damaged by the 2010 earthquake, and mustbe demolished and reconstructed. This grant, combined with a $50,000 gift froma parish in Hartford, Conn., will allow for reconstruction.

TheSubcommittee on the Church in Latin America oversees the Collection for theChurch in Latin America as part of the USCCB Committee on National Collections.More information on the Collection for the Church in Latin America and the projectsit funds can be found at: www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/latin-america/

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Keywords: Subcommitteeon the Church in Latin America, Collection for the Church in Latin America,USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, BishopEusebio L. Elizondo, World Youth Day, Latin America, pastoral, evangelization,migrants, WYD, Haiti, reconstruction

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