Annual Report
Collection for the Church in Latin America (CLA)
The 2024 Annual Report of the Collection for the Church in Latin America (CLA), administered by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), emphasizes the transformative role of over $8 million in grants awarded to 344 pastoral initiatives, strengthening faith and communities amid poverty, violence, and economic hardship across Latin America and the Caribbean. Supported by $7.3 million in national contributions and investment income, the CLA funded projects such as a $20,000+ retreat for nearly 1,000 Haitian university students in the Diocese of Jacmel, focusing on prayer, Bible study, and societal issues like human rights and peace; $50,000 to cover seminary expenses for 149 priesthood candidates and 69 permanent deacon applicants in Brazil's Archdiocese of Uberaba; over $33,000 for a national evangelization conference in Colombia training 1,500 lay, clergy, and religious leaders to promote peace; and nearly $55,000 to sustain catechesis and Bible ministries in Cuba's Archdiocese of Havana, enabling retreats, workshops, and family activities. Chaired by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn, this effort during the Jubilee Year of Hope inspires renewed commitment to Christ, fostering solidarity and inviting ongoing donations to build a better world under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe.