March 31, 2005
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Bud Bunce (503) 233-8373
bbunce@archdpdx.org
Collection for the Catholic Home Missions
The annual collection to assist the Catholic Home Missions will be taken the weekend of April 23 24. The Home Missions collection provides support to fellow Catholics in rural dioceses. Approximately 85 of the 195 dioceses including the Eastern Rite Dioceses need and receive assistance from the Catholic Home Missions collection. From eastern Tennessee to Wyoming to Alaska to Baker, Oregon to American Samoa to the Marshall Islands, the Catholic Home Missions collection provides needed financial assistance so that the Gospel is proclaimed and the Church is able to serve the needs of rural Catholics.
Catholic Home Missions reports that in the Diocese of Baker, the pastor celebrates Mass twice a month at St. Mary's Parish, Elgin, Oregon. On the other Sundays, a deacon leads a Communion Service because the pastor goes to parishes in two other towns, La Grande and Union. There are only 33 diocesan priests for 36 parishes and 28 missions in this 66,900 square mile rural diocese. Encompassing 409,849 square miles of northern and western Alaska, the massive Diocese of Fairbanks serves 17,100 Catholics through its 41 parishes and 7 missions. Travel is very difficult as 9 of the parishes are on the road system and the remaining 39 are located in bush Alaska. These bush parishes and missions can only be reached by bush plane, and then all travel is at the mercy of the weather. Similar hardships are found in the Anchorage and Juneau dioceses.
The Catholic Home Missions collection is dedicated to strengthening the Church in rural America and its territories. In 2003 2004, Catholic Home Missions provided more $10,550,000 in grants to needy dioceses. Catholics in the Archdiocese of Portland are encouraged to be as generous as possible in their support for the Catholic Home Missions collection.
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