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The Catholic Relief Services Collection
THE CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES COLLECTION is an important opportunity to express Christian compassion and generosity.
The Collection is scheduled for March 25 & 26, 2017 in our diocese.
The Collection theme, Help Jesus in disguise, reminds us of the presence of Christ in every one of our brothers and sisters in need. The Collection helps build the church’s international social ministry by funding the work of six agencies:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) – the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, has been saving lives and promoting human dignity around the world for more than 60 years. Its programs alleviate suffering, foster community development, and help build more just and peaceful societies in 100 countries on the basis of need, not race, creed, or nationality. Through education and advocacy programs here in the United States, CRS provides opportunities for Catholic in this country to live their faith as one human family with their brothers and sisters overseas by making financial contributions and by working to remove the root causes of poverty.
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) – provides legal and other support services to Catholic programs directly representing poor immigrants. Each year, CLINIC helps more than 400,000 vulnerable immigrants who seek family reunification, citizenship, and protection from persecution and violence.
Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) – resettles approximately one quarter of all refugees admitted to the United States annually. Migration and Refugee Services develops and promotes just public policies for newcomers and migrants, and helps victims of human trafficking, while also responding to their spiritual needs.
Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development (JPHD) – shares and applies Catholic social teaching on issues of international justice and peace. The department promotes public policies that protect the poor and vulnerable and advance peace and justice throughout the world.
Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church – has as part of its mission the outreach and pastoral care to immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move. The SCDC supports a network of national pastoral centers, pastoral consultants, and diocesan personnel who minister to various ethnic groups and migrant communities.
Holy Father’s Relief Fund – assists victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.
For more information, visit the website: www.usccb.org/crscollection
Frequently Asked Questions
CRS Rice Bowl (CRS RB) and the Catholic Relief Services (CRSC) Collection
Important Difference between CRS RB and the CRS Collection
The CRS Collection was established 61 years ago as the Bishops’ Welfare Emergency Relief Fund. It is a second collection which supports five different agencies working to advance the international social mission of the Church. The CRS Collection is the only official national second collection that benefits Catholic Relief Services during the year, and is an important source of undesignated revenue for the agency.
CRS RB was founded in 1975 as a Lenten program inviting communities of faith to pray, fast, learn, and give. CRS RB is not a collection, but rather a solidarity and education program with a monetary contribution component. Full participation in CRS RB would include participation in all four components of the program. Proceeds from CRS RB benefit both CRS development projects overseas, and local needs in our diocese, raising awareness of the connection between local and global poverty issues.
Beneficiaries of CRS RB and the CRS Collection
75% of CRS RB contributions are sent to Catholic Relief Services, and help fund development projects overseas that help increase and maintain communities’ access to food. These food security projects include agriculture, water, microfinance, education, mother and child health, and HIV/AIDS projects. 25% of CRS RB contributions remain in the Albany Diocese and are used to fund local poverty and hunger alleviation programs.
The CRS Collection benefits organizations that work for the social mission of the Church. The proceeds from the collection are divided between six organizations: Catholic Relief Services, the USCCB’s Justice, Peace, and Human Development, USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, and the Holy Father’s Relief Fund.
Why Lent
Lent is a time to be reflective and prayerful. CRS RB connects us with our Eucharistic call to share ourselves with others, and offers participants the opportunity to participate in the Lenten tradition of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving while learning more about the social mission of the church. The dating of the CRS Collection to Laetare Sunday goes back to the first Bishops’ Welfare and Emergency Relief appeal. The date is set by the USCCB for the annual collection for overseas needs.
CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten solidarity program. It begins on
Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017 and ends on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017.
The Catholic Relief Services Collection is the annual parish collection taken up by the
U.S. Catholic Bishops on the Fourth Sunday of Lent – the weekend of March 25 - 26, 2017.
Bulletin - Pulpit Announcement.doc
Frequently asked questions sheet.doc
homily-parish appeal-who helps-CRS.doc
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