WASHINGTON—The
annual Catholic Relief Services Collection will be held in many dioceses across
the country on Laetare Sunday, March 11.

The Catholic Relief Services Collection supports Catholic
organizations that carry out international relief and solidarity efforts.
Programs include relief and resettlement for victims of persecution, war, and
natural disasters; development projects to improve living conditions for the
poor; legal and support services for poor immigrants; peace and reconciliation
work for people suffering from violence; and advocacy on behalf of the
powerless.

“Christ
is standing at the door of our hearts, knocking, seeking relief from pain and
suffering around the world. He comes to us bearing the disguise of vulnerable
immigrants and refugees, the poor and marginalized, the sick and lonely. The
Catholic Relief Services Collection is an opportunity to respond and comfort
Christ as we see him in our brothers and sisters,” said Archbishop Thomas J.
Rodi of Mobile, Alabama, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’
(USCCB) Committee on National Collections. “This collection represents our
community of faith at work in the world, saving souls and improving lives.”

Entities
within the USCCB that receive support include the Secretariat
of Cultural Diversity in the Church, the
Department
of Justice Peace and Human Development,
and the Department
of Migration and Refugee Services. Other Catholic
organizations that receive funds are Catholic
Relief Services, Catholic
Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and the Holy Father’s
Relief Fund. The USCCB Administrative Committee is responsible for grant-making
from this national collection.

More
information about The Catholic Relief Services Collection is available at www.usccb.org/catholic-relief.
Resources for the collection can be found at: www.usccb.org/catholic-relief/collection.

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Keywords:
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, The Catholic Relief
Services Collection, Laetare Sunday, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, National
Collections, Migration and Refugee Services, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity
in the Church, Department of Justice Peace and Human Development, Catholic
Relief Services, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Holy Father’s Relief Fund,
immigration, international relief, U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops,
stewardship

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Media
Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops