Dates and Descriptions for the 2021 Second Collections for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston

Jan. 31             Church in Latin America

The Collection for the Church in Latin America supports pastoral programs as awarded by the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Projects include the work of evangelization, formation of laity, religious and seminarians, as well as youth ministry and catechesis. Funding is limited to programmatic expenses and excludes building construction except in cases of emergency.

February 17           Church in Central and Eastern Europe

This collection provides aid by the Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe through bishops’ conferences of Central and Eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet Union to meet the needs of rebuilding the Church. It focuses on training seminarians and lay leaders, supporting social service programs, youth ministry, pastoral and catechetical centers, schools, church construction and renovation, and evangelization through Catholic media.

February 21         Black and Indian Missions

Mandated by the III Plenary Council in 1884, the 125- year-old National Collection for Black and Indian people continues as the embodiment of the Church’s concern for evangelizing the Black and Indian peoples of the United States. The funds are distributed as grants to dioceses throughout the United States, supporting and strengthening evangelization programs which otherwise would cease. The Collection was formerly known as The Black and Indian Home Mission Collection.

March 7           Diocesan Priests’ Retirement Fund

The collection for the Priests’ Health and Retirement Association (PHRA) gives the faithful the opportunity to help provide support for retired diocesan priests who have served God’s people so faithfully throughout their lives. Many priests—though retired—still assist the diocese in parishes and missions throughout the state. We remain indebted to our retired priests, both for their many years of service and for their continued willingness to serve to faithful in our diocese. The PHRA appeal gives us the opportunity to show our support for our retired priests and thank them for their ministry.

March 14         Catholic Relief Services

This collection provides funding for Catholic Relief Services, the USCCB Offices of International Justice and Peace, Migration and Refugee Services, and Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees, relief work of the Holy Father, and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

April 2        Holy Land Collection

This Pontifical is held for the support of the Holy Places, but above all for those pastoral, charitable, educational and social works which the Church supports in the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities.

April 4            Education of Seminarians

This annual collection supports our seminarians in their journey to the priesthood in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Funds collected help defray the cost of tuition, books and other materials at the seminary in which they are enrolled. In addition to our constant prayers for their vocation, our seminarians also need our financial support as they answer the call to the priesthood.

May 23          Peter’s Pence

The Peter’s Pence Collection enables the Holy Father to respond with emergency financial assistance to requests to aid the neediest throughout the world—those who suffer as a result of war, oppression, and natural disasters. It likewise provides the faithful with a tangible opportunity to not only empower the weak, defenseless, and voiceless, but also sustain those who suffer.

June 20       Pastoral Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa

July 18           Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC)

The essential mission of the CCC is to contribute to the process of evangelization by fostering activities in relation to television, radio, internet, and other media, and through special projects of the Catholic press. An annual collection is taken up in the dioceses, which remit 50% of the funds collected to the National Office. From these funds, grants are made by the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign. The remaining portion of the collection is retained by the dioceses for use in local communication projects.

Sept. 12             Diocesan Scholarship Association

Thanks to the generosity of parishioners from throughout the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, more than 30 students from our parishes and Catholic high schools currently receive scholarships to Wheeling Jesuit University through the Diocesan Scholarship Association (DSA). The DSA was established in 1961 by Reverend Daniel Kirwin and Archbishop Swint to encourage students from our diocese to attend Wheeling Jesuit University. Since its inception, the DSA has assisted hundreds of students who chose to attend Wheeling Jesuit University where they received an excellent education at West Virginia’s only Catholic institution of higher education.

Sept. 26           Catholic University of America

Provides funding for academic scholarships at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC in response to the commitment made by the bishops at its foundation in 1887. It is the only U.S. university with Pontifical faculties. Students are enrolled from all 50 states and almost 100 countries in 12 schools.

Oct. 24                       Universal World Missions

In 1926 Pope Pius XI instituted Mission Sunday for the whole Church with the first worldwide Mission Sunday collection taking place in October 1927. The Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to last Sunday during the month of October. That day is celebrated in all the local Churches as the feast of catholicity and universal solidarity so Christians the world over will recognize their common responsibility with regard to the evangelization of the world.

Nov. 7            Archdiocese for the Military Services

Currently, 285 Catholic military chaplains provide pastoral care to over 1.5 million Catholics on ships, in combat, on bases and in 153 VA hospitals. The Collection for the Archdiocese for the Military Services will fund their Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program, which identifies vocations within the military and is now educating 30 men for the priesthood and subsequent military chaplaincy.

Nov. 21           Campaign for Human Development

The Collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development addresses the root causes of poverty in America through promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and transformative education. Grants are awarded by the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development with the approval of local bishops.

Dec. 12              Retirement Fund for Religious

The Retirement Fund for Religious (RFR) provides funding to any religious institute in the U.S. that is listed in the religious institute section of the OCD with an identifying OCD number, and that has an unfunded past service liability. It distributes direct care, planning and implementation assistance from the fund to religious institutes based on a formula and criteria approved by the conferences of major superiors and bishops. Annual appeal begun in 1988 and approved through 2018.

Dec. 25            Catholic Charities West Virginia

If one suffers in poverty, we all suffer.  Throughout the Mountain State, Catholic Charities West Virginia (CCWVa) provides vital assistance to the forgotten elderly, the hungry children and the people struggling paycheck to paycheck.  Annual contributions to the second collection on Christmas directly impact the amount of assistance and quality of service CCWVa provides in our service region of which your parish is a part.