Collection for Earthquake Relief in
Haiti to be taken up Aug. 28-29

A second collection will be held at Masses in parishes across the Diocese of Rockford the weekend of Aug. 28-29 to provide humanitarian relief for Haitians suffering from the recent natural disasters in that country. Funds will assist places like St. Famille du Toirac Church in Toirac, Haiti (right) where 20 people died in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake during a funeral Mass there, Aug. 16.

Checks should be made out to your parish and one check from each parish will be sent for the total collected to the diocesan Finance Office for “Haiti Natural Disaster Collection 2021.”

The total from all the parishes will be sent by the diocese as follows:

The funds collected in this special appeal will become part of the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund and will be used to support the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church as well as the efforts of Catholic Relief Services and/or Catholic Charities USA, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church, as they and their local agencies respond to immediate emergency needs and aid in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts.

Funds will be used in response to the earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace calamities in Haiti and any other disasters that occur and will be distributed where they are most needed.

However, if such purpose(s) become unnecessary, impractical, or impossible to fill, USCCB may use such contributions for other emergency disaster relief where it is most needed as determined by the Committee on National Collections using its emergency response protocol.

Photo credit: CNS photo/Laura Gottesdiener, Reuters