U.S. Bishops take up special collection for the Middle East

When Saint Paul wrote to the Church at Rome, he noted that the Churches at "Macedonia and Achaia have decided to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem" (Romans 15:26). When he wrote a second time to the Church at Corinth, the Apostle said:

We want you to know, brothers, of the grace of God that has been given to the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For according to their means, I can testify, and beyond their means, spontaneously, they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part in the service to the holy ones (II Corinthians 8:1-4).

This weekend the Bishops of the United States of America are asking the faithful - who are already very generous with so many of the Church's efforts - to make a contribution toward the Special Collection for the Middle East to "express [your] solidarity with Christians and other minorities in the Middle East in the face of ongoing violence and persecution."

This special collection may have already taken place in your parish last week; if it did and you missed it - or you would simply prefer to do so - you can make a contribution directly to the collection by mailing your donation to this address:

USCCB
Office of National Collections
P.O. Box 96278
Washington, DC 20090-6278

Please be sure to mark your check specially for the Special Collection for the Middle East 2014.

Also, if you would prefer, you can make a contribution to Aid to the Church in Need or to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, both of which do tremendous good.

Remember: We Are All N!