Collection for the Church in Latin America: 50 Years of Spreading Faith, Evangelization

WASHINGTON—From Mayan communities in Guatemala breaking language barriers that bring them closer to the Catholic faith, to at-risk youth and young adults in poverty stricken communities in Colombia and Peru becoming faith leaders in their neighborhoods, these outcomes are possible because of the faithful in the United States who contribute to the Collection for the Church in Latin America (CLA). The next collection will be taken in most parishes the weekend of January 23-24.

In 2015, the Collection allocated over $6.8 million through more than 425 grants distributed to 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Collection supports a broad range of pastoral programs throughout the region aimed at deepening the faith. Programs include evangelization, family ministry, formation of laity, prison ministry, youth ministry, and catechesis.

Pope Francis recently commended the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Collection for the Church in Latin America for its work throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.

Shareable resources can be found at: www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/latin-america/collection/index.cfm. A blog post on the work of the collection is available at: www.usccb.org/media/blogs-and-columns/entre-amigos/english/collection-for-the-church-in-latin-america-2016.cfm.
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Keywords: Latin America, youth, clergy, Collection for the Church in Latin America, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, catechesis, family ministry, lay leadership training, prison ministry, grants, Pope Francis
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Norma Montenegro Flynn
O: 202-541-3202