Catholic Campaign for Human Development collection

According to a press release from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), on the weekend of November 21-22, nearly all US parishes will participate in their 2009 Campaign entitled: "Families are struggling. Faith is calling."

The CCHD holds a special collection every year, but this year the focus will be on aiding families who are suffering amidst the economic downturn the country is witnessing. The crisis has left many in the United States without jobs, health care, retirement funds, etc. U.S. Census poverty figures reveal that the number of people currently in poverty in the United States is estimated at 39.8 million, almost 3 million more people than the previous year’s readings. One out of every six children lives below the poverty line.

“The mission of CCHD is crucial in 2009,” said Bishop Roger Morin of Biloxi, Mississippi, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Subcommittee on CCHD, in a letter inviting parishes to be as generous as possible. “This year, our call as Catholics to bring glad tidings to the poor…to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free (Lk 4:18) is more important than ever before.”

The CCHD is a member of Caritas Internationalis and twenty-five percent of the proceeds from its once-a-year campaign go to support projects in the diocese where the funds are collected, while the rest is distributed on a global level. In 2008, CCHD-funded groups involved 776 Catholic parishes, 18 Catholic Charities agencies and 51 religious communities.