U.S. Catholic Bishops & Bishop Silva Support Special Collection for Middle East Refugees

August 28, 2014

Peace be with you!

Pope Francis recently wrote to the Secretary of the United Nations decrying how, in the Middle East, “Christians and other religious minorities have been forced to flee from their homes and witness the destruction of their places of worship.”

U.S. Catholic Bishops are expressing their solidarity with Christians and others suffering persecution in the Middle East by taking up a special collection to assist them. I am asking all parishes in Hawaii to join this effort by taking up the special collection on a weekend of the pastor's choosing before the end of October. The funds are to be sent to the Diocesan Finance Office in the usual manner.

Proceeds from the collection will support immediate humanitarian and pastoral needs, as well as the cost of long-term reconstruction. These funds will be used by Catholic Relief Services and other Catholic agencies working in partnership with the local Church to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs facing the people in Iraq, Gaza, Syria and surrounding countries where refugees have fled. These organizations are well-established in the region, and this allows them to respond quickly and efficiently to victims in some of the hardest to reach areas.

Our Christian brothers and sisters and other innocent victims of the violence in the Middle East urgently need the assistance of the Catholic community of Hawaii.

Mahalo for responding to the suffering of our brothers and sisters today by your financial support and for your continued prayers for the victims of this crisis!

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Larry Silva
Bishop of Honolulu