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Descriptions for Special Collection Campaigns

Black and Indian Missions Collection

The Black and Indian Mission Collection was established in 1884, bringing Christ’s light to the Black, American Indian, Eskimo and Aleute communities of the United States. The funds are distributed as grants to dioceses throughout the country, supporting and helping to strengthen evangelization programs which otherwise would cease. The Diocese of Little Rock receives some of these grants each year which support certain ministries around the state who specialize in helping the Black and Indian communities.

Arkansas Catholic Subscription Drive

Arkansas Catholic, the diocese’s weekly newspaper, kicks off its annual subscription drive the first weekend of February each year. New subscribers can obtain a subscription envelope at their parish or in their collection envelope packet. Subscriptions are $20 a year for one year, $38 for two years or $55 for three years. A discount is given to parishioners 65 years and older. Also, there is a new online edition for only $17.95 a year. For more information, call (501) 664-0125 or visit www.arkansascatholic.org.

Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe

The countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union endured decades of communist oppression. Also emerging from the years of communist rule is the Church, which suffered grave wounds to its spiritual life and its ability to serve. Now it is vigorously involved in rebuilding the faith of its people. Proceeds from this collection, sponsored by the bishops of the United States, are used for things such as supporting religious education programs, training seminarians, expanding social ministries, and rebuilding churches, convents and schools.

Ash Wednesday Collection

On Ash Wednesday, a special collection is taken up to support those involved in ministry among African-American, Asian, Hispanic and other Catholics within our diocese. One hundred percent of this collection goes to direct ministry expenses.

Catholic Relief Services

The Catholic Relief Services Collection supports emergency relief, human development and peace initiatives in 99 countries around the world, where nearly half the population lives on less than $2 a day. The collection supports the ministries of five Catholic Church organizations: Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), Social Development and World Peace (SDWP) and the Holy Father’s Relief Fund.

Holy Land

Christians living where Christ walked, taught, lived and died, live in a land of war, death and destruction. The Holy Land Collection is a pontifical collection that supports the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities. Funds for this collection not only support the holy places, but also pastoral, charitable, educational and social works throughout the Holy Land.

Catholic Communication Campaign

This collection raises funds in order to reach hearts of people and spread the Gospel. Its essential mission is to contribute to the process of evangelization by contributing to activities in relation to television, radio and other media. Fifty percent of these funds are sent back to the national office where grants are then given. The remaining portion is retained by our diocese for our own local communication projects.

Church in Latin America

The collection for the Church in Latin America promotes solidarity throughout the hemisphere by providing for pastoral projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. The funds are used to make grants and partnerships that support catechetical and lay leadership programs, youth ministry, evangelization programs and formation programs for religious, priests and deacons. This collection allows the Catholic faithful in the western hemisphere to work together and help each other.

Peter’s Pence

The Peter’s Pence Collection enables the Holy Father to respond with emergency financial assistance to requests to aid the most needy throughout the world. This can include those who are suffering as a result of war, oppression and natural disasters.

Catholic Home Missions Appeal

The Catholic Home Missions Appeal strengthens the Catholic Church in the United States and its territories where resources are thin and priests are few. The funds collected help these Catholic communities survive and thrive, by underwriting evangelization, religious education, education for future priests, training for lay ministers and poor parishes that would have to close their doors without outside help. For many years Catholic Home Missions has given much support to the Diocese of Little Rock, which has enabled the diocese to help many parishes in need of special support.

Catechetical Sunday

Catechetical Sunday is a celebration for parishes across the country to recognize and thank those who give generously of their time and gifts in the work of catechesis. The collection taken up on this day helps to fund religious education. It is divided equally between the local parish religious education program and the diocese’s Office of Religious Education and Christian Initiation.

World Mission Sunday

By baptism, all Catholics are called to participate in the mission of the Church. This means they are called to share their faith as missionaries. The World Mission Sunday Collection gathers funds to be distributed in the pope’s name to support the pastoral and evangelization programs and needs of more than 1,150 mission dioceses in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America.

Catholic Campaign for Human Development

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development works to uphold the dignity of human life by breaking the cycle of poverty in the United States through grants to local community-based groups that create jobs, improve education and strengthen neighborhoods. Twenty-five percent of this collection remains in our diocese to fund our local anti-poverty projects.

National Collection for Retired Religious

The Retirement Fund for Religious distributes grants to religious institutes for the retirement needs of senior religious priests, brothers and sisters. The fund also helps religious institutes plan and manage their retirement needs and programs. In 2006, Arkansas alone received $79,482 in grants to support our local retired religious men and women.

Christmas Collection

This collection at all Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day supports the Clergy Welfare Fund. Our priests have dedicated their lives to ministering and serving our families. This fund allows us to give back by providing care for retired, senior and infirm priests in our diocese.

Go to Stewardship and Development Office.