CLA Annual Report 2015

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

reetings in the Lord! I am pleased to present to you

this annual report for the year ending December 31,

2015, from the United States Conference of Catholic

Bishops’ Collection for the Church in Latin America. As a

Mexican native and US citizen, I am particularly honored to

serve as the chairman for the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin

America and to see concretely how the faith is shared throughout the

cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This collection has been in existence for 50 years as a way for those

of us in the United States to stand in solidarity with our brothers and

sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the 2015 fall General

Assembly of Bishops in Baltimore, we were honored with a letter from

Pope Francis in which he shared his warm regards for this collection.

In his letter, Pope Francis said:

I have seen rst-hand the good that the continuing generosity of the

faithful in the United States has accomplished throughout the world and

particularly in Latin America. Through your support, many lives have

been touched by the Good News of Christ’s merciful love, especially for

the poor.

Your faithfulness and generosity to this collection has helped share

Christ’s merciful love with countless people across many generations

and has served as a means to support our brothers and sisters as they

grow in the faith. The programs that we fund are diverse, but they all

help deepen the faith of the Church. Please read this report, and see

the many ways that your gifts have been put to work. And as you read

it, be sure to plan on helping the next Collection for the Church in

Latin America in your parish. To learn more about the collection and

how you can help, visit

Thank you for your dedicated support of this collection. We truly could

not do this work without you and the help of so many Catholics from

around our country. May God bless you and your loved ones abundantly.

Gratefully in Christ,

Most Reverend Eusebio L. Elizondo, MSpS

Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle

Chairman, Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America