Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has designated one weekend every year as the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. In our diocese, the collection will take place on the weekend of June 3 and 4. The program was established to guarantee continued funding for the mission dioceses in the United States, which cannot continue to exist without financial help from Catholics elsewhere.
Financial assistance is offered to the scattered and isolated churches in the vast wilderness of Alaska, in the Deep South, the Rocky Mountain States, the Appalachian regions, the Southwest, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and distant Pacific Islands such as American Samoa and the Marshall Islands. Funds from the appeal extend and strengthen the presence of the Catholic Church in these areas by providing basic pastoral services.
Our prayers and support for the appeal help meet the faith needs in these dioceses. Helping satisfy the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters across America unites all of us as a Catholic family. I invite you to respond generously to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal.
May the Lord grant blessings and success to our efforts to expand and strengthen the presence of the Church at home.
Grateful for your collaboration in this important work of the Church and assuring you of my prayers, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes
Bishop of Columbus