Catholics can now donate online to eight charitable programs administered by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The eight ministries had been supported by annual collections at parishes. With fewer people attending Mass due to the coronavirus pandemic, the programs have seen their donations plummet.
To rectify the situation, and to help the programs continue to serve the needy around the world, the U.S. bishops created #iGiveCatholic Together, an online platform to encourage donations to the eight programs.
Catholics can visit https://usccb.igivecatholictogether.org and contribute to the program of their choice. The programs include:
- The Catholic Home Missions
- The Church in Central and Eastern Europe
- The Church in Latin America
- The Church in Africa
- The Catholic Campaign for Human Development
- The Catholic Communication Campaign
- Catholic Relief Services
- Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund
“These programs help those living on the margins of society and those who are spiritually isolated,” Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on National Collections, said April 15.
“The need is great because gifts to some of these programs plummeted by more than half in 2020 with the COVID pandemic,” he said. “These programs rely on the modest gifts that make a tremendous impact on the lives of people who are hungry, persecuted or in spiritual need.”
The new online platform is separate from #iGiveCatholic, the Catholic Church’s annual giving day which supports donations to many worthy charities on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The new platform, #iGiveCatholic Together allows Catholics to connect with the program of their choice to contribute year-round.
And today we celebrate...