This Sunday (1-28) we will take up a collection for the Church in Latin America

Christ calls his disciples to love God and to love our neighbor. We Catholics can show love for our neighbors by performing corporal works of mercy, which include feeding those who are hungry, giving shelter to those who are homeless, and visiting prisoners.

For more than 50 years, the US bishops’ program to aid the Church in Latin America has helped the Church carry out its pastoral mission of mercy among those with both spiritual and material needs across Latin America and the Caribbean.

In Mexico’s Diocese of Iztapalapa, much of the population lives below the poverty line and has trouble meeting basic needs. The crime rate is high. Offenders who complete their jail sentences face rejection and isolation and risk reoffending upon their return to society. With grant support from the Collection for the Church in Latin America, the diocese created the Cristo Redentor evangelization center, where persons released from prison can receive job search help, group therapy, spiritual

direction, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And they can participate in recreational activities such as theater, games, and music, all at no charge.

In Venezuela, economic hardship and political turmoil have caused food shortages and a migration wave that has left behind vulnerable people, such as seniors. Without adequate resources, the elderly are particularly vulnerable to health problems, malnutrition, and homelessness. The Diocese of Carúpano, with help from the Collection for the Church in Latin America, established a social dining room at its Casa de la Caridad Santa Ana, where it provides nutritious lunches and spiritual and

medical care to 100 people every day. The diocese also delivers bags of food and supplies to an additional 80 people every week. These works of mercy are made possible through the generosity of Catholics in the United States to the Collection for the Church in Latin America.

For more information about the Collection for the Church in Latin America, visit http://www.usccb.org/latin-america.