Holy Family Parish

Why Have Second Collections?

 

As Catholics, we are part of a universal Church that extends well beyond our own parish boundaries. Jesus calls us to “make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).

 

Through the second collection, we have a ready opportunity to give to those causes held up by our Church leaders as important in fulfilling that call of Our Lord. Second collections develop international awareness of the needs of those beneficiaries—whether an Indian child on a North Dakota reservation or a pilgrim to the Holy Land.

 

The bishops in the United States created the national collections so that by combining our resources we can more effectively carry out our mission as Catholics. Each of the collections is worthy of support and represents our community of faith at its best—working in the world, improving lives, and saving souls.

 

“Discipleship means that we care about one another. Discipleship means that the needs of the Church touch our hearts and inspire us to tend to the needs of others—whether those impacted by local floods and hurricanes that destroy the lives of people in our own nation or in lands that we have only just read about. It seems that all we require is a reminder of the need, and we open our lives in concern for other. It is a tradition that Paul began for the ancient Church, and we have been having ‘second collections’ since then—with no end in sight, as long as there is a need that we find!” – Archbishop Wilton Gregory