2017 Catholic Campaign For Human Development Collection To Be Held On First World Day Of The Poor

October 31, 2017
WASHINGTON—The annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) will be held in most parishes the weekend of November 18-19, on the celebration of the First World Day of the Poor instituted by Pope Francis.

In his statement establishing the World Day of the Poor on the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Pope Francis called for Christian communities to mark the occasion with “moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete assistance” with people living in poverty.

“Poverty challenges us daily in the United States, but it also presents an opportunity for true encounter with the suffering flesh of Christ. CCHD is a concrete sign of the Church’s solidarity with people living in poverty and its commitment to bringing hope and the joy of the Gospel to our sisters and brothers in need,” said Bishop David P. Talley of Alexandria, chair of the CCHD Subcommittee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

Nearly 41 million people live in poverty in the United States – that’s $24,600 for a family of four and $12,600 for a single person. This collection supports the work of groups that empower low-income people to participate in decisions that affect their lives and work break the cycle of poverty in their own communities. Many of the projects supported by CCHD embody the corporal works of mercy, including the protection of worker rights, expanding access to healthcare, and reforming the criminal justice system.

CCHD is the official domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. This national collection is the primary source of funding for CCHD’s community and economic development grants and education programs aimed at fostering a culture of life and hope in communities across the nation. Twenty-five percent of funds collected remain in each diocese to support local anti-poverty projects.

Easy-to-use resources for the collection can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development/collection/collection-resources.cfm.

Additional resources to learn about poverty in the United States can be found at www.povertyusa.org. Materials include a “Poverty USA Tour” video, a Poverty Map, Stories of Hope from groups supported through the annual collection. To access a Pastoral Aid for the 1st World Day of the Poor, visit www.usccb.org/cchd.


Keywords: National Collections, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop David P. Talley, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, CCHD, poverty, education, healthcare, ministry, evangelization, First World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis

###

Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

http://usccb.org/news/2017/17-198.cfm