Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At this time of year we have the opportunity to reflect on how we have responded to the gospel call to serve Jesus through the poor and vulnerable around the world. The theme for the Catholic Relief Services collection which is held on March 12-13 is to help Jesus in Disguise.
The collection supports six Catholic organizations:
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international Catholic humanitarian overseas relief and development agency of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). CRS provides emergency relief and long-term assistance to help people become more self-sufficient.
• Migration and Refugee Services of the USCCB helps dioceses and churches to resettle refugees and actively helps victims of human trafficking.
• The Holy Father’s Relief Fund assists victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.
• The Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the USCCB advocates for poor and vulnerable people throughout the world and works for international justice and world peace.
• The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) is a dedicated network of legal immigration programs that promote the dignity and protect the rights of immigrants. It provides technical assistance and training to dioceses with immigration programs like ours in the Diocese of Davenport which offer counseling to immigrants who qualify for family reunification or legalization but need assistance in completing their federal applications.
• The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church of the USCCB supports a network of national pastoral centers and diocesan personnel who minister to various ethnic groups and migrant communities.
For more information on the Catholic Relief Services collection and the organizations it supports, please visit www.usccb.org (search “Catholic Relief Services Collection”).
We continue to pray and learn how to help Jesus in Disguise through the distress of our brothers and sisters who are served by CRS. Please generously support the Catholic Relief Services collection on March 12-13.