Catholic parishes throughout the United States will request collection funds for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and other charitable groups during Masses on Sunday, March 15, and the vigil Masses on Saturday evening, March 14.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced the annual collection for the fourth Sunday in Lent. It will benefit six Catholic agencies and offices that provide charitable services, which primarily focus on support for migrants domestically and relief abroad.
“The Church in the United States was built on ministry among immigrants,” Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg of Reno, Nevada, chair of the USCCB Committee on National Collection, said in a statement.
“We help all who are marginalized, including victims of war and disaster overseas,” he said. “The Catholic Relief Services Collection combines all these kinds of assistance. Our Lord tells us to love our neighbors — those we know, those we don’t, and those we think are very different from us. The Catholic Relief Services Collection is one way that we show that love. Today it is more vital than ever.”
Along with CRS, the collections will support the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), the USCCB Secretariat of Migration, the USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, the USCCB Secretariat of Justice and Peace, and the Holy Father’s Relief Fund.
According to the USCCB, the CRS funds support international development and relief efforts, which include those affected by war and disaster.
Funds for CLINIC help provide training and support for more than 400 community-based and Catholic immigration law providers in 49 states. Donations to the Secretariat of Migration will assist ministries for migrants and refugees, publish education resources, and promote policies that affirm their lives and dignity.
The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church funds will support two initiatives. One focuses on pastoral ministry for migrant workers, travelers, and seafarers. The other focuses on pastoral needs for Asians and Pacific Islanders.
Funds for the Secretariat of Justice and Peace support advocacy for the poor in other countries, which includes work with government officials to end violent international conflicts abroad. The Holy Father’s Relief Fund provides aid to areas in crisis.
“Together, these agencies help victims of war and natural disaster, support sustainable economic development overseas, advocate for international peace and human rights, help refugees and immigrants in the United States to obtain legal support, offer pastoral support to a wide variety of people who migrate for work and build cross-cultural understanding,” Mueggenborg said.
The bishops said the Church received nearly $13.5 million from the collections in 2024 and $8 million supported CRS to support international relief and development efforts in places affected by war and natural disasters.
