Thursday, 15 March 2012 09:08

WASHINGTON — The Catholic Relief Services Collection prioritizes families, values their fundamental role in society and strives to protect them. The national date for this collection, which touches over 100 million lives through the six worldwide agencies it supports, is set for the weekend of March 17-18. The Catholic Diocese of Wichita contributes to this collection through United Catholic Stewardship.
“The Catholic Relief Services Collection keeps Jesus’ message of caring for the least of these in the forefront through the good works done for Catholics worldwide. Even though times are hard, I encourage Catholics throughout the United States to continue to donate and support this important collection,” said Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on National Collections.
The theme of the Catholic Relief Services Collection is “Jesus in Disguise: How will you help?” This year the focus continues to be on the family. The collection helps families by providing basic humanitarian aid and life-skills training to those in need, protecting poor families all over the world, advocating for policies that strengthen families abroad, and resettling and welcoming refugees forced from their homes.
Recently, collection funds helped Sipho Ncube, a widow and mother of three from Zimbabwe. Sipho was selected by Catholic Relief Services and the Organization for Rural Associations for Progress to receive assistance from a small livestock pilot project.
The initiative helps extremely poor families lift themselves out of poverty by giving them goats, pigs and poultry to build household wealth. Project staff showed Sipho how to properly care for, house and breed her animals.

Donation made through stewardship
The contribution to this collection from the Catholic Diocese of Wichita is made possible through the United Catholic Stewardship process. Perhaps you wish to send a special gift that will be added to what is contributed from the diocese. If so, you can send the check for your special gift in care of Bryan Coulter at the Chancery Office, 424 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202. Please make the check payable to the Catholic Diocese of Wichita and indicate the specific collection in the memo area of your check. Thank you for sharing with our less fortunate brothers and sisters.