Parishes in the LA Archdiocese are being asked to hold an emergency second collection to help Christians in the Holy Land affected by the ongoing war in Gaza.
“In solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters, Archbishop [José H.] Gomez has asked all parishes to consider conducting a non-mandatory special collection during the weekends of March 2-3 and March 9-10, 2024,” read a Feb. 20 message to parishes and archdiocesan staff from Father Jim Anguiano, the archdiocese’s vicar general and Moderator of the Curia, and Msgr. Terrance L. Fleming, executive director of the archdiocese’s Mission Office.
Funds collected from parish masses on both weekends will go to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which collects relief money on behalf of the Holy See to be distributed for special causes.
According to a spokesperson for The Pontifical Mission Societies, the money will benefit Christians in Gaza, as well as the West Bank and other areas where the war between Israel and Hamas has had a devastating effect on the local economy.
“The fund is a concrete response to Pope Francis’ appeal to heed the cry for peace of the poor, the people, the children in the Holy Land,” said Father Anthony Andreassi, national director of The Pontifical Mission Societies. “We are called to take the side of peace, to pray and sacrifice for peace, and also offer concrete material help whenever possible.”
“We thank the generosity of Angelenos, who have long been strong supporters of the Church’s missionary efforts, as we saw last year, when the Archdiocese raised over $400,000 that have already been distributed among missionaries in Syria and Turkey to aid in the reconstruction following the devastating earthquake from February 2023.”
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of Vatican Dicastery for the Service of Charity, is pictured Dec. 23, 2023, in Jerusalem with a Christian family who gets support from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. (OSV News/courtesy Dicastery for the Service of Charity)
For Christians in the Holy Land, the local economy is largely driven by pilgrim visits to holy sites in places like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Galilee. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the tourism industry in the region has largely come to a standstill.
The Feb. 20 letter to the archdiocese also noted that the emergency collection is different from the annual “Holy Land Collection” held at parishes every Good Friday (March 29 this year).
Online donations for the collection can be made by visiting MissionsLA.org/product/donate, selecting “Society of Propagation of the Faith” and specifying “Emergency Relief for the Holy Land” in the special instructions box.
All checks should be made payable to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Memo: Emergency Relief for the Holy Land, #200475. Donations may be mailed to Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 3424 Wilshire Blvd – 3rd Floor, Los Angeles CA 90010.