WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America has announced January 23-24 as the weekend for the 2021 Collection for the Church in Latin America. For more than 50 years, the annual collection has been a sign of solidarity between Catholics of the United States and those in Latin America and the Caribbean. It supports the Church in the region by funding pastoral programs, seminarian and religious formation, and youth and family ministries.

Federación San José de Guadalupe is a network of 37 monasteries of Carmelite nuns throughout 21 states in Mexico. It is just one example of the collection for the Church in Latin America at work. As a beneficiary of collection funds, Federación San José de Guadalupe helps cover the cost of food, clothing, and healthcare for women at all stages of initial formation at Carmelite monasteries in Mexico. Their contemplative prayer is at the heart of the Church’s prayer of intercession for the many needs of humanity and the world.

“The Collection for the Church in Latin America is a tangible sign of solidarity and fraternity among different nations in the Americas that share one faith,” said Bishop Octavio Cisneros, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Brooklyn and chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America. “I am grateful to all who have contributed to the collection and who pray for our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

In November 2020, the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America awarded $3.2 million in grants to support the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean, including areas ravaged by natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Information about the Collection for the Church in Latin America, including the most recent annual report may be found at www.usccb.org/latin-america.

The fourth Sunday in January is the national date for this annual collection. While a majority of dioceses participate on the national date, some set a different date to avoid conflicts with local activities.

Access to promotional resources in English and Spanish for use in parishes to promote the collection are located at 2021 Collection for the Church in Latin America Resources | USCCB.

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