USCCB Awards $3.2 Million in New Grants to Support Church in Latin America and the Caribbean
WASHINGTON (Dec. 4, 2017) – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America has awarded nearly $3.2 million in grants to fund 183 pastoral projects and four disaster relief projects in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2018.
These grants, approved in November, bring the total awarded for 2018 to almost $7.2 million. The funds are made possible by the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America, which supports the pastoral work of the Church throughout the region.
“Each year the generosity of Catholics in the United States is transformed into programs that nourish the faith of our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America. “This generosity sustains the faith for many marginalized and vulnerable people, like migrants and victims of natural disasters.”
Grant Highlights by Category
Supporting Migrant Communities
In response to instability and increased migration from countries like Venezuela, Colombia, and Haiti, the Subcommittee funded several projects to support the pastoral care of migrants.
- Ecuador: A grant was awarded to the Hermanas Misioneras de San Carlos Borromeo to help integrate migrant families into Ecuadorian society through spiritual support, retreats, and catechetical formation, reaching an anticipated 1,500 people.
- Chile: The Archdiocese of Santiago’s Department of Migration received funds to provide formation for 250 pastoral ministers, teaching them about immigrants’ rights and evangelization.
Disaster Relief and Rebuilding in Haiti
The Subcommittee awarded grants to support the Church’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Matthew (2016) and the devastating 2010 earthquake.
- Hurricane Matthew Response: Funds from a 2016 emergency collection will be used to repair and reconstruct church buildings in the Diocese of Jérémie and the Diocese of Anse-à-Veau et Miragoâne.
- 2010 Earthquake Response: Funds from the Special Collection for Haiti, taken after the earthquake, will be used to rebuild a church destroyed in that disaster.
Funding for Other Pastoral Ministries
The grants also support a wide range of other pastoral initiatives, including:
- Seminarian and consecrated religious formation
- Prison ministry
- Youth ministry
- Lay leadership training
- Pro-life initiatives and environmental justice
- Ministry to indigenous and African-American communities
“As it proclaims the Gospel of joy, the Church is called to develop ministries to all those in need, whether materially or spiritually, and thus the Subcommittee supports all the ministries available to the faithful,” said Bishop Elizondo.
About the Collection
The grants are funded by the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America, taken in many dioceses across the U.S. on the fourth Sunday in January. For more information about the collection and the projects it funds, visit www.usccb.org/latin-america.