PROVIDENCE —The Catholic Communication Campaign “relies on the generosity of Catholics across the country to help us continue to spread the good news, especially during these challenging times,” said Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign.
U.S. Catholics support the campaign through a national collection, which this year in the Diocese of Providence is set for June 12-13.
“Ever since Jesus told his disciples to take his message to all nations, the Church has done so using the best communications methods of the day,” said Archbishop Hartmayer.
The collection has both local and national impact: Half of the gift stays in the donor’s diocese, supporting local projects “to inspire, enlighten, and draw people closer to Jesus,” a USCCB news release said. The other half supports Catholic communication activities that are national in scope or that aid Catholic outreach in developing nations.
According to the USCCB release, the COVID-19 pandemic presented the “perfect storm” with increasing demand for support from the Catholic Communication Campaign while at the same time most parishioners were unable to attend Mass due to COVID-19-related restrictions the weekend of the collection. “That situation resulted in a significant decline in giving to the CCC, which is trending down by more than half,” it said.
“We have seen the importance of staying spiritually connected in a time of physical distancing,” Archbishop Hartmayer said in a statement about the collection.
“From local parishes streaming their Masses online for parishioners, to dioceses hosting special opportunities of prayer with their bishops in the midst of fear and uncertainty,” he said, “the Catholic Communication Campaign provided crucial assistance throughout the COVID pandemic to keep our faith family connected.”
Consider Supporting Communications in the Diocese of Providence this June.
To learn more or to donate, visit givecentral.org/dioprovccc.
