Insert - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe
Office of National Collections
3211 Fourth Street NE • Washington, DC 20017-1194
202-541-3400 • fax 202-541-3460 • www.usccb.org/nationalcollections
“Christ is the light which illumines the way.”
—Blessed John Paul ii
Dear Father,
The Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe not only provides support for basic
pastoral programs, scholarships for students working to support their local churches, and other important
initiatives, but also helps fund Catholic organizations that ease the burdens facing those who live in
the region.
Many elderly residents of the former Soviet region of Georgia awoke one morning to find their pensions
and life savings gone. Former doctors, lawyers, and musicians now receive the equivalent of only $50 a
month to live on. This stipend doesn’t even cover the cost of one loaf of bread per day, leaving nothing
to pay for transportation, clothing, or medicine. Collection funds help keep medical dispensaries and
shelters open to ensure that the people in the region receive care.
Under similar circumstances, in the neighboring Republic of Azerbaijan, Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s
Sisters of Charity run a homeless shelter with aid from the Collection. In addition to providing bread,
medical care, and transitional housing, the sisters visit the poor and elderly who are bedridden or too
sick to travel to the shelter, helping to bring the light of Christ to those living in the darkness of poverty,
illness, and loneliness. The sisters combat the destruction brought on by 70 years of state atheism,
which undermined Christian ideals and contributed to an increase in alcoholism, domestic abuse, and
deterioration of the family unit. The Collection works to provide everyday necessities so that the light of
Christ can illuminate the way, fostering hope for the Church.
The most important thing you can do to help us promote the Collection is to tell your parishioners about
it from the pulpit. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Mencarini Campbell, promotions
director in the Office of National Collections, at 202-541-3365 or mcampbell@usccb.org. Thank you for
your support and for helping to shed Christ’s light upon the region.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia
Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee on the
Church in Central and Eastern Europe
Albania • Armenia • Azerbaijan • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Estonia
Georgia • Hungary • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Latvia • Lithuania • Macedonia • Moldova • Montenegro • Poland
Romania • Russia • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Tajikistan • Turkmenistan • Ukraine • Uzbekistan
Simple Steps
Here are five simple steps for promoting the
Collection for the Church in Central and
Eastern Europe:
Use the bulletin announcements,
u
parish appeal, collection envelopes,
and posters that have been provided
to educate parishioners about the
Collection and the people it supports.
about the troubles facing the
w
people in the region and the work being
Preach
done by the Church in Central and
Eastern Europe to combat them.
the Collection from the
x
pulpit. This is the easiest and most
Announce
effective way to help make the
Collection successful.
for the Church in Central and
Insert the flier for the Church in
y
v
Eastern
Europe: let the words of Blessed
Central and Eastern Europe into all the
Pray
bulletins on the weekend before and
the weekend of the Collection.
John Paul II, “Christ is the light which
illumines the way,” guide the Church
and the people in the region.
of poverty and lack of access to medical and
pastoral care. Your donations help strengthen
the Church of this region through grants to
Catholic organizations that help those in need
receive food, shelter, medicine, pastoral care,
and compassion through the light of Christ.
Please be generous in the Collection.
Spanish
Parish Appeal
English
Blessed John Paul II said, “Christ is the
light which illumines the way.” For many in
the Church in Central and Eastern Europe,
the aftermath of 70 years of Soviet rule and
atheism are still evident every day in the forms
El Beato Juan Pablo II dijo: “Cristo es la luz
que ilumina el camino”. Para muchas personas
en la Iglesia en Europa Central y Oriental, las
secuelas de los 70 años de gobierno soviético y
ateísmo aún se evidencian a diario en la forma
de pobreza y en la falta de acceso a atención
médica y pastoral. Sus donativos ayudan a
fortalecer a la Iglesia en esta región por medio
de donaciones a las organizaciones católicas
que ayudan a los necesitados para que reciban
alimentos, albergue, medicinas, cuidado pastoral
y compasión a través de la luz de Cristo. Por
favor, contribuyan generosamente a la Colecta.
Bulletin Announcements
ENGLISH
SPANISH
Week Before the Collection
Semana antes de la Colecta
Next week we will take up the Collection for
the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. This
Collection supports Catholic organizations that
provide food, shelter, medical care, catechesis,
and companionship for the lonely in a region still
struggling in the aftermath of atheistic Soviet rule.
Your donations help to restore the strength of the
Church in the region. Please give generously to
the Collection next week. Visit www.usccb.org/
nationalcollections to learn more.
La próxima semana realizaremos la Colecta para la
Iglesia en Europa Central y Oriental. Esta Colecta
otorga fondos a las organizaciones católicas que
proporcionan comida, albergue, atención médica,
catequesis y compañía a las personas solitarias en
una región que aún lucha contra las secuelas de un
gobierno soviético ateo. Sus donativos ayudan a
restaurar la solidez de la Iglesia en esa región. Por
favor, contribuyan generosamente a la Colecta
la próxima semana. Para informarse más, visiten
www.usccb.org/nationalcollections.
Week of the Collection
“Christ is the light which illumines the way”(Blessed
John Paul II). The Collection for the Church in
Central and Eastern Europe illuminates the way
for the people of the region by helping Catholic
organizations provide food, shelter, medical care,
and compassion for the depressed and lonely, in
addition to pastoral care and catechesis. Your
donation today helps to reinforce the Christian
ideals of charity, family values, and kindness in
a place struggling in the aftermath of 70 years of
atheistic Soviet rule. Please be generous to the
Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern
Europe. Visit www.usccb.org/nationalcollections to
learn more about the important projects funded by
the Collection.
Week After the Collection
Thank you for your generous contributions to the
Collection for the Church in Central and
Eastern Europe. Your generosity helps provide
not only daily necessities for those in the region
but also pastoral care and catechesis that restore
the strength of the Church there. Please visit
www.usccb.org/nationalcollections to learn more
about what your donations have accomplished.
Semana de la Colecta
“Cristo es la luz que ilumina el camino”(Beato Juan
Pablo II). La Colecta para la Iglesia en Europa
Central y Oriental ilumina el camino para las
personas de esa región ayudando a organizaciones
católicas a proveer comida, albergue, atención
médica y compasión a las personas deprimidas y
solitarias, además de brindarles cuidado pastoral
y catequesis. Sus donativos de hoy ayudan a
fortalecer los ideales cristianos de la caridad, los
valores familiares y la bondad en un lugar que
lucha contra las secuelas de un gobierno soviético
ateo. Por favor, contribuyan generosamente
a la Colecta para la Iglesia en Europa Central
y Oriental. Para informarse más acerca de los
importantes proyectos financiados por la Colecta,
visiten www.usccb.org/nationalcollections.
Semana después de la Colecta
Muchas gracias por sus generosas contribuciones
a la Colecta para la Iglesia en Europa Central y
Oriental. Su generosidad no sólo ayuda a
satisfacer las necesidades diarias de las personas
en esa región sino también el cuidado pastoral y
la catequesis que restauran la solidez de la Iglesia
allí. Para más información sobre lo que se ha
logrado con sus donativos, por favor visiten
www.usccb.org/nationalcollections.
Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe | Office of National Collections
3211 Fourth Street NE | Washington, DC 20017-1194 | www.usccb.org/nationalcollections
Copyright © 2012, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photos: © Donald Weber/VII Network/Corbis; iStockphoto.
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