Special Collection For European Church Is Ash Wednesday

Editor’s note – The annual Collection for the Church is Central and Eastern Europe will occur on Ash Wednesday, March 1. The Diocese of Evansville has received the following letter about the special collection from Blaise Cardinal Cupich of Chicago, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.

As the national date for the Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE) approaches, I thank you for your continued support of this important effort for the Church in this region, especially in former communist countries.

The people in these areas have faced many challenges as they work to restore not only their physical structures but their intellectual life and programs for pastoral care as well. By taking up this collection in the Diocese of Evansville, you are building a hopeful future for those living in places like Belarus, Romania, and Ukraine.

In Catholic school classrooms in the Russian city of Tomsk, teachers were not well equipped, and many children came to school with little parental support or involvement. With the support of your diocese to the Collection for CCEE, teachers attended training to improve the school atmosphere, learn effective discipline for students, and foster cooperation between teachers and parents. With donations to this collection, teachers are receiving expert training and students are gaining a better learning environment.

We rely on your help to promote this collection in parishes.

It is with your support that people in Central and Eastern Europe can rebuild their church communities and support the faithful there.

Thank you for your continued support to build the future in Central and Eastern Europe.