The annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human
Development (CCHD) will be held in the Diocese of Arlington the weekend of Nov.
18-19, on the celebration of the first World Day of the Poor instituted by Pope
Francis.
In his statement establishing the World Day of the Poor on the 33rd
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Pope Francis called for Christian communities to mark
the occasion with “moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete
assistance” with people living in poverty.
“Poverty challenges us daily in the United States, but it also
presents an opportunity for true encounter with the suffering flesh of Christ.
CCHD is a concrete sign of the church’s solidarity with people living in
poverty and its commitment to bringing hope and the joy of the Gospel to our
sisters and brothers in need,” said Bishop David P. Talley of Alexandria, La.,
and chair of the CCHD Subcommittee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’
Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
Nearly 41 million people live in poverty in the U.S. — that’s
$24,600 for a family of four and $12,600 for a single person. This collection
supports the work of groups that empower low-income people to participate in
decisions that affect their lives and work to break the cycle of poverty in
their own communities. Many of the projects supported by CCHD embody the
corporal works of mercy, including the protection of worker rights, expanding
access to healthcare and reforming the criminal justice system.
CCHD is the official domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic
bishops. This national collection is the primary source of funding for CCHD’s
community and economic development grants and education programs aimed at
fostering a culture of life and hope in communities across the nation.
Twenty-five percent of funds collected remain in each diocese to support local
anti-poverty projects.
