cla-annual-report

ANNUAL REPORT 2023 CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA

WWW.USCCB.ORG/LATIN-AMERICA

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, As a bishop, I am inspired when I see lay Catholics learning the gospel message of Jesus, discerning how it applies to the world around them, and then sharing their faith with their families, friends, neighbors, and even people in faraway lands. Catholics in dioceses throughout the United States empower this kind of ministry by supporting the annual collection that funds the US bishops’ Church in Latin America program. This program supports growth in spirituality and works of pastoral and social outreach, understanding that they are irrevocably intertwined. Jesus said that the greatest commandment after loving God was to love our neighbor—whom he defined as anyone in need. Grants from the Church in Latin America program equip Catholics throughout Central and South America as well as the islands of the Caribbean with the tools to carry out evangelization, pastoral care, social ministry, and vocational work in communities where faith is strong, but where many people earn barely enough to feed their families. In the following pages you will read about a few of the 252 grants totaling $6.2 million that your gifts to the collection made possible. One of many social action projects that you sponsored is a celebration of the World Day for the Poor in the Archdiocese of Sao Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. The day’s activities included a Eucharistic procession through city streets and a festival, where homeless and vulnerable people who live on the streets received medical care and haircuts while enjoying music and good food. In Honduras, leaders of all the parishes in one diocese are receiving intensive theological and practical training in Catholic social ministry, learning both the doctrine and the skills necessary to put that doctrine into action. And in Haiti,

more than 300 lay leaders are studying new agricultural methods to care for the earth, so that their gardening and farming are more productive and restore the fertility of damaged soil. The program is also helping 18 young Poor Clare nuns in the Dominican Republic to integrate their calling to pray with a deepening discernment of what social needs to pray for. In Ecuador, where Pope Francis is scheduled to celebrate Mass at an international Eucharistic congress, the collection is contributing toward equipment and services to help him spread the message of God’s love. Your gifts to the Collection for the Church in Latin America are financing the work that Jesus called his Church to do. On behalf of the US bishops’ Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America, and especially on behalf of the tens of thousands of people that you have helped this year, I thank you for your generosity.

You can read more about these impacts in the following report. To learn more about the Collection for the Church in Latin America, visit www.usccb.org/latin-america . In the name of Jesus, I thank you for all you have given.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Octavio Cisneros Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Brooklyn Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America

2023 USCCB SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA

Rev. Leo Perez, OMI, Director Mr. David Corrales, Grant Specialist* Mr. Juan Giraldo, Grant Specialist° Mr. Roy Molina, Grants Administrator†

Bishop Alberto Rojas, Diocese of San Bernardino Bishop Kevin Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami CONSULTANTS Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap, Archdiocese of Boston Bishop Mark Seitz, Diocese of El Paso Mr. Jacques Liautaud, Haiti Consultant STAFF Ms. Mary Mencarini Campbell, Executive Director

CHAIRMAN Bishop Octavio Cisneros, Auxiliary Emeritus, Diocese of Brooklyn SUBCOMMITTEE Bishop Ramón Bejarano, Auxiliary, Diocese of San Diego Bishop Oscar Cantú, Diocese of San Jose Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, SDV, Diocese of Fall River Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo, MSpS, Auxiliary, Archdiocese of Seattle Bishop Richard G. Henning, Auxiliary, Diocese of Rockville Centre

Ms. Ana Paola Gironas, Grants Administrator‡

* David Corrales’s tenure ended in August 2023. ° Juan Giraldo’s tenure began in September 2023. † Roy Molina’s tenure ended in January 2023. ‡ Ana Paola Gironas’s tenure began in March 2023.

FROM NORTHERNMOST MEXICO TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO AT THE SOUTHERN tip of Argentina near Antarctica, and throughout the islands of the Caribbean, the USCCB’s Church in Latin America program has helped countless Catholics renew their faith and share God’s love. Below are a few of the 252 projects funded by $6.2 million that Catholics in the United States gave to the annual collection that funds it in 2023. They make up a small sampling of the many ways that this collection strengthens the faith of Catholics who live in great poverty, helping them to realize their vocations to priestly and consecrated religious life, to love their neighbors, and to care for all of God’s creation. Desde el extremo norte de México hasta la Tierra del Fuego en el extremo sur de Argentina, cerca de la Antártida, y a lo largo de las islas del Caribe, el programa de la USCCB para la Iglesia en América Latina ha ayudado a incontables católicos a renovar su fe y a compartir el amor de Dios. A continuación, mencionamos algunos de los 252 proyectos financiados con los $6.2 millones que católicos en los Estados Unidos donaron a la colecta anual que los financió en el 2023. Ésta es solo una pequeña muestra de las múltiples maneras en las que esta colecta fortalece la fe de los católicos que viven en extrema pobreza, ayudándoles a cumplir con sus vocaciones al sacerdocio y a la vida religiosa consagrada, a amar a su prójimo y a cuidar de toda la creación de Dios.

streets. The archdiocesan Social Action Network is mobilizing hundreds of pastoral ministers, forming them in Catholic social teaching and skills such as fundraising and nonprofit management. A signature initiative enables people to save both money and the environment by recycling cooking oil to power vehicles, with oil collection points located in parishes and Catholic schools. For the World Day of the Poor, an archdiocesan festival offers music, haircuts, food, and medical care for the homeless; the highlight is a Eucharistic

BRAZIL In the Archdiocese of Sao Salvador de Bahia in northeastern Brazil, the program underwrites a robust approach to social outreach that helps parishioners respond to the call of Pope Francis and the Brazilian bishops to put church teachings into action, empowers them to work for public policy that prioritizes the poor, and gets all Catholics actively and respectfully engaged with homeless and vulnerable people living on the

procession that the archbishop leads through some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. BRASIL En la Arquidiócesis de San Salvador de Bahía, en el noreste de Brasil, el programa garantiza un sólido enfoque de alcance social que ayuda a los feligreses a responder al llamado del papa Francisco y de los obispos brasileños para poner en práctica las enseñanzas de la Iglesia que los empodera para trabajar en políticas públicas que dan prioridad a los pobres y que logran que todos los católicos se involucren en forma activa y respetuosa con personas vulnerables y aquellas sin hogar que viven en la calle. La Red de Acción Social de la arquidiócesis está movilizando a cientos de ministros pastorales, capacitándoles en la enseñanza social católica y en aptitudes como la recaudación de fondos y la administración de organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Una iniciativa emblemática que les permite a las personas ahorrar dinero y proteger el medio ambiente, es reciclando aceite de cocina para impulsar vehículos, con puntos de recolección de aceite ubicados en parroquias y en escuelas católicas. La arquidiócesis, durante la Jornada Mundial de los Pobres, realiza un festival ofreciendo música, cortes de cabello, alimentos y cuidado médico a las personas

sin hogar. El momento culminante es la procesión eucarística que lidera el arzobispo a lo largo de los vecindarios más pobres de la ciudad. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC The program supports 18 young women who have recently entered the convent of the Poor Clares in San Juan de la Maguana. Though the order is a contemplative one, in which members are cloistered from wider society, the sisters are embarking on a new, dynamic approach to their formation through mentorship. The program is intended to help the order become deeply engaged in understanding the world’s needs so its members can pray more intensively for those who are in material, spiritual, or emotional crisis. Older sisters will walk with the new sisters, guiding them into deeper discernment of their own calling and an ever-closer relationship with Jesus. In the words of the sisters’ application for this grant, “Each person, led by the Holy Spirit, has his or her own rhythm of understanding and

responding to the Lord’s call.” REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA

El programa apoya a 18 mujeres jóvenes quienes han ingresado recientemente al convento de las Hermanas Pobres de Santa Clara, en San Juan de la Maguana.

Aunque la orden es una orden contemplativa en la cual las hermanas están aisladas de la población en general, ellas están iniciando un nuevo y dinámico método para su formación a través de la tutoría. El programa tiene como objetivo ayudar a la orden a involucrarse profundamente en la comprensión de las necesidades del mundo para que sus miembros puedan orar más intensamente por aquellas personas que se encuentran en una crisis material, espiritual o emocional. Las hermanas mayores acompañarán a las nuevas hermanas, guiándolas hacia un discernimiento más profundo de su propio llamado y a una relación cada vez más estrecha con Jesús. Utilizando las palabras de las hermanas en su solicitud para esta subvención: “Cada persona, guiada por el Espíritu Santo, tiene su propio ritmo para comprender y responder al llamado del Señor”. ECUADOR While Catholics in the United States prepare for their National Eucharistic Congress, Ecuador is making final preparations to host the International Eucharistic Congress in Quito. The papal Mass is expected to draw 1 million people from across the world as the Holy Father commemorates 150 years of Ecuador’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Hosting such an event is an expensive

undertaking for the Church in a small nation with a fragile economy. Through the Church in Latin America program, the US bishops are contributing toward expenses such as erecting the stage and jumbo TV screens. ECUADOR Mientras los católicos en los Estados Unidos se preparan para el Congreso Eucarístico Nacional, Ecuador ultima los preparativos para ser la sede del Congreso Eucarístico Internacional en Quito. Se espera que la Misa papal atraiga a un millón de personas de todo el mundo mientras el Santo Padre conmemora los 150 años de la consagración de Ecuador al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Organizar un evento de este tipo es una tarea costosa para la Iglesia en una nación pequeña con una frágil economía. A través del programa para la Iglesia en América Latina, los obispos de los Estados Unidos están contribuyendo para gastos como la construcción del escenario y las pantallas gigantes de televisión. HAITI Amid grinding poverty in the Haitian Diocese of Hinche, 330 lay leaders are learning to care for the earth—a project that will help them become better growers. They will participate in workshops to learn about pollutants and will plant trees as part of a

reforestation project. A program grant will cover food, training materials, stipends for teachers, and the purchase of agricultural tools. HAITÍ En medio de extrema pobreza en la Diócesis de Hincha, en Haití, 330 líderes laicos están aprendiendo a cuidar la tierra—un proyecto que les ayudará a convertirse en mejores agricultores. Ellos participarán en talleres para aprender sobre los contaminantes y plantarán árboles como parte de un proyecto de reforestación. Un subsidio del programa cubrirá los alimentos, materiales para la capacitación, estipendios para los profesores y la compra de herramientas agrícolas. HONDURAS In the Diocese of Choluteca, Honduras, the collection is underwriting an intensive, collaborative approach to address local social issues. Seventeen

parishes will work together, learning to combine various ways of caring for the earth and its inhabitants—spiritually, socially, and materially. The parishes will offer five workshops on topics such as a Catholic understanding of social justice, how to organize social work, and effective and sensitive evangelization of the poor. HONDURAS En la Diócesis de Choluteca, en Honduras, la colecta garantiza un enfoque intenso y colaborativo para abordar los problemas sociales locales. Diecisiete parroquias trabajarán juntas, aprendiendo a combinar diversas maneras para cuidar la tierra y sus habitantes—espiritual, social y materialmente. Las parroquias ofrecerán cinco talleres sobre temas como la comprensión católica de la justicia social, cómo organizar la labor social y la evangelización de los pobres de manera eficaz y sensible.

COLLECTION FOR THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Other Changes in Net Assets for the Year Ending December 31, 2023 REVENUES National Collections Contributions $6,660,208 Income on Investments $109,870 Total Revenue $6,770,078

EXPENSES Grants and Donations*

$4,443,164 $470,875 $452,946 $267,005

77.60% 8.22%

Allocations-Internal Grants**

Program Costs

7.91%

Promotions and Fundraising Expenses

4.66% 1.61% 100%

Administrative Expenses

$91,957

Total Expenses

$5,725,947

Total Expenses, Excluding Internal Grants

$5,255,072 $4,914,039

Total Grants & Donations, Including Internal Grants

77.60% 8.22% 7.91%

4.66% 1.61%

TOTAL EXPENSES

Changes in Net Assets from Operations Non-Operating Activities: Unrealized Gains on Investments

$1,044,131

$1,444,584 $2,488,715 $8,622,720

Changes in Net Assets

Net Assets at the Beginning of the Year Net Assets at the End of the Year

$11,111,435

*Grants approved in 2023 totaled $6,227,608. Grants and donations in 2023 totaled $4,914,039, including payments and write-offs to grants approved in 2023 and prior years. **Internal grants include a distribution from the Collection for the Church in Latin America to the USCCB’s International Justice and Peace program. This grant funds US advocacy and policy advisory work for Latin American countries and issues.

2023 GRANT INFORMATION

PROGRAM AREA General Pastoral*

NUMBER OF GRANTS

GRANT AMOUNT

PERCENTAGE

172

$3,300,828 $1,716,092 $1,210,688

53.00% 27.56% 19.44%

Emergency Disaster Funds

9

Formation of Clergy, Religious, and Vocations

71

TOTAL

252 $6,227,608 100.00%

* Includes evangelization, religious education, and family and other pastoral ministries.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA

GRANT AMOUNT

PERCENTAGE

Caribbean

$2,293,745 $2,016,151 $978,666 $899,046

36.83% 32.37% 15.71% 14.44%

Andean Countries Southern Cone Central America

CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council)*

$40,000

0.64%

TOTAL

$6,227,608

100.00%

* Includes grants supporting human rights and educational initiatives of Latin American bishops.

CELAM

Southern Cone

Caribbean

Central America

Andean Countries

If you miss the collection or wish to give outside of the collection, #iGiveCatholicTogether (usccb.igivecatholictogether.org /organizations/usccb-church-in-latin-america) accepts funds online to support the good work of the Church in Latin America. Thank you for your support!

For more information about the USCCB’s work with the Church in Latin America and around the world, please visit www.usccb.org/Latin-America .

or write to: Office of National Collections 3211 Fourth Street NE | Washington, DC 20017

Copyright © 2024, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photos: Pedro Antonio Hernandez; Archdiocese of San Salvador da Bahia, Brazil; Conseil Pastoral Diocesain, Diocese de Hinche, Haiti; Monasterio Santa Clara Hermanas Clarisas Capuchinas.