WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and
Eastern Europe approved $4.9 million in funding for 209 projects in 22
countries in Central and Eastern Europe at its meeting on June 12 in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.

Projects approved for funding
include:

● Refurbishment of St. Luke
Social and Rehabilitation Center for children with cancer in Belarus. This
Caritas-run facility in Minsk, Belarus, offers free lodging and psychological
support to more than 50 poor families annually as their children undergo
examination, treatment, and rehabilitation. This center is an important expression
of how the Church, whose activities were previously forbidden, today continues
to renew its capacity for social ministry and outreach to the poor.

● Expansion of a center for the
homeless and the marginalized run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de
Paul in Rijeka, Croatia. For many years the Sisters of Charity have worked on a
voluntary basis to help the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness
in Rijeka, where many live among abandoned buildings in the city. This grant
will help the Sisters of Charity continue their ministry to aid the homeless
and marginalized at a full-day center, engaging volunteers and social workers
in managing individual cases and so mobilizing the local church to address
underlying issues of homelessness.

● Development of a leadership
course for youth ministers in Romania. Since independence, the Archdiocese of
Alba Iulia in Romania has been in the process of renewing pastoral work in more
than 250 parishes. However, ministry to youth is still developing and, to date,
only one-third of those parishes have youth activities. This grant will support
a seven-week youth formation program to develop leadership skills and further
develop youth programs for the Church in Romania.

● Support of summer camps for
children and youth from families internally displaced by war in Ukraine. Since
war broke in 2014 in the East of Ukraine, children of internally displaced
persons and children of soldiers have been among those most affected
psychologically by the events. This grant will allow Caritas Donetsk to conduct
two summer camps for 100 affected children and youth, where they will have the
opportunity to interact with each other and receive rehabilitation and
spiritual care with the assistance of mental health professionals, priests, and
volunteers.

“As the people of Central and
Eastern Europe continue to build a new future after decades of repression, we
are all inspired by the example of great hope they give to the world that it is
possible to bring healing to the wounds of the past. We can take pride that our
steadfast support makes a significant contribution to all their efforts in
renewing their communities and passing on the faith of their ancestors to the
next generation,” said Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, chairman of the USCCB
Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.

Other projects approved by the
Subcommittee include scholarships and formation for church leadership, church
and pastoral center construction, Catholic education renewal and development,
and evangelization programs. Grants approved by the Subcommittee support the
Church in countries previously oppressed by communism.

Grants are funded by the annual
Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. The national date for
this collection is Ash Wednesday, although dioceses may take it up on different
dates. The Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe
oversees the collection and an annual grant program as part of the USCCB
Committee on National Collections. More information about the collection and
who it supports can be found at www.usccb.org/ccee.

—

Keywords: Central and Eastern
Europe, youth, lay formation, Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern
Europe, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, catechesis, grants,
Cardinal Blasé Cupich.

Media Contact:

Judy Keane

202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops