A letter from Bishop Edward Weisenburger:
BLACK and INDIAN MISSION COLLECTION
March 9-10, 2019
BUILDING OUR MISSION to the MISSIONS
Feb. 22, 2019
Dear Pastors and Pastoral Associates,
"The future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a 'you' and themselves as part of an 'us.' We all need each other."
- Pope Francis – April 27, 2017 – TED Talk
These words of Pope Francis remind us that we are all members of one global family, called to respond to the needs of each other. It is in this spirit that I ask you to consider responding generously to the collection for the Black and Indian missions in our country. Through the 2018 collection, the Diocese of Tucson received grants totalling $70,000.00 from the national office, to be distributed to our parishes serving Native American and African American Catholics.
Within these communities, this grant money helps in a number of parish ministries: promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life; developing lay leadership; funding parish programs and events; educating over 4,000 children in their schools and religious education programs.
Each year the Black and Indian Mission Collection is taken up in our diocese and all throughout the United States on the first weekend in Lent, March 9-10 this year. Perhaps your contribution could be the beginning of your observance of Lent, as we are all called to prayer, fasting and alms/service to the poor during these 40 days. Fasting can take on many forms, including “giving up” of our abundance in the form of alms to those in need.
Additional information and resources related to this ministry can be found at
www.blackandindianmission.org/nationalcollection
Thank you for prayerfully considering a financial contribution to our brothers and sisters in faith, many of whom are our neighbors in our own Diocese of Tucson.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Edward J. Weisenburger
Bishop of Tucson