We are called to be heralds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The root of this call is to serve the needy.
A collection to help the Church in Latin America will be taken up in the Diocese of Columbus on Aug. 5-6. Last year in our diocese, the faithful contributed $53,597.98 during this collection. On behalf of Bishop Earl Fernandes and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops committee in charge of the collection for the Church in Latin America, I thank you.
This collection helps to fund evangelization, catechesis, lay leadership development and youth ministry in more than 20 countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The Gospel teaches us: “Give and it will be given to you.” (Luke 6:38) Our support and gifts will bring the Gospel to the Universal Church. With no limits to charity, it becomes an apostolate for the salvation of souls.
Your gifts and prayers will be a great blessing for the poor who will benefit from your generosity. The work of the Daniel Comboni Youth Center in Quito, Ecuador is an example. It provides hope for impoverished and marginalized youth by preparing them to be good members of their community. Father Dareo Pravato, director of the center, said, “Where there are dreams, there is hope.”
The Church in Latin America needs help to restore lives and bring them into God’s comfort and presence. Through your financial help, you soothe their pain, listen to their stories of violence and hunger and grant them faith-filled hope for the future.
St. Oscar Romero said, “When the church hears the cry of the oppressed, it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises.”
Your faith-filled financial support for the Church in Latin America will strengthen the sharing of the Good News and also provide shelter, food, medical assistance and spiritual guidance for the poor. People are suffering because of ongoing political oppression in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua. There is extreme poverty in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Pope Francis said, “Very often we hear it said that the Lord is present on our path, that He accompanies us. … He is there, in our daily work, in a chance encounter, in the face of someone in need, even when we face days that seem gray and monotonous, it is right there that we find the Lord, Who calls to us, speaks to us and inspires our actions.” (Angelus, Nov. 27, 2022).
Some people are hungry for food and shelter, and others are hungry for acceptance, friendship and freedom from persecution. Those you help through this collection are victims of hunger, poverty and strife. Pope Francis encourages us to hear the whisper of God’s calling through His mission message. Jesus is lavishly giving graces and blessings to us from His fullness.
When we witness God’s love through our Catholic identity, we become missionaries. We strongly believe there is a divine eye that sees what we do for the least among us. Our generous contributions will be seen in God’s treasury.
It is a tremendous opportunity for all the faithful to participate actively in the evangelizing mission and ministries of the Church. Trust in God’s promises and know that no gift will go unrewarded. Remember, “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Let us continue to grow in sharing the Gospel, serving the poor and looking forward to the new opportunities to make the Missions alive and active in our daily lives. Through the prayers of the Virgin Mary, may the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean be abundantly clothed with power from on high to spread throughout this continent and the world the holiness of Christ.
