WASHINGTON— On May 11-12, Catholics across the United States will have an opportunity to support the communications ministry of the Catholic Church, both locally and globally through the Catholic Communication Campaign.
“The many means of communications today allow the Catholic Church to use these tools with love, for good and to the glory of God by inviting people to engage more fully in the faith and using them as a means for evangelization. The Catholic Communication Campaign helps to make this a reality,” said Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., of Atlanta, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign.
Most dioceses take this annual collection in their parishes on the weekend of May 11-12, though some use other dates. Half of the gifts to the diocesan collection stay in the participating diocese where they support the local diocese’s communications programs. The other half supports communication activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and some projects across the United States and abroad.
The Catholic Communication Campaign provides vital funding for the collective communication efforts of the U.S. bishops. More than $3.6 million in campaign funds supported both national and international Catholic media outreach in 2022, as shown in the campaign’s most recent annual report. About 35% of those funds supported evangelization through media, such as podcasts, videos and documentaries. A nearly equal amount underwrote Catholic News Service in Rome, which has provided the Catholic Church in the United States with accurate, in-depth coverage of the Vatican and the Holy Father since 1950.
Smaller amounts subsidized a wide range of projects, such as equipping Church-related social ministries with the digital tools to promote concerns such as ecology, human life and dignity, social justice, and immigration reform. The campaign sponsors Catholic Current, a weekly news show on YouTube and some Catholic television and radio stations that explores the activities of the U.S. bishops. The collection also supports the USCCB’s popular video reflections on the daily Mass readings, which feature lay and religious leaders of diverse cultural backgrounds and pastoral experiences.
In the Diocese of Providence, the collection in support of Catholic communications will take place on the weekend of June 8 and 9, 2024. For more information, and to donate visit www.dioceseofprovidence.org/catholic-communication-campaign.
