Catholic Extension Announces Advent Alms for America Initiative

CHICAGO, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To support poor faith communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic Extension is launching "Advent Alms for America," a program that aims to match able parishes with a poor parish in another part of the U.S. The initiative is seeking 1,000 faith communities to raise $1,000 each during the Advent season.

Such monies would be transformative to the parishes supported by Catholic Extension, which were barely surviving economically prior to the pandemic. These are areas where a $1,000 gift is the equivalent of 10 weeks of Sunday collections. The funds will allow pastoral leaders to do the core spiritual work of the Church among the poor as well as share the corporal works of mercy with those who are suffering.

"It is our prayer that parishes will join us in this national expression of 'Catholic Kinship' with the poorest parishes in America," said Fr. Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension. "I thank all who participate in advance for your kindness and for 'extending yourself' in solidarity with those on the margins of our society in the 'little towns of Bethlehem' across our land."

Examples of communities that will receive funding from the Advent Alms for America include:

• Villages of the Alaskan "bush" country
• Native American reservations in the West
• African American missions in the Deep South
• Migrant farm worker camps in farmlands
• Shanty towns along the U.S.-Mexico Border
• Remote communities in Appalachia
• Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

For more information, visit the Advent Alms for America page on the Catholic Extension website at http://www.catholicextension.org/advent-alms-across-america.

About Catholic Extension:  Founded in 1905, Catholic Extension works in solidarity with people in America's poorest regions to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities. For more information visit www.catholicextension.org; follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/catholicextension or on twitter at @CathExtension.

Contacts:
Lisa Gunggoll (National Media)
[email protected] 
708.829.8669

Trey Salinas (Texas Media)
[email protected] 
512.925.1688

SOURCE Catholic Extension