Catholics across the United States are once again invited to support the annual Catholic Home Mission AppealMost dioceses are scheduled to hold collections the weekend of April 25–26.
The nationwide effort provides essential financial support to dioceses and eparchy that are unable to maintain core pastoral and evangelization ministries on their own due to limited financial resources, small Catholic populations or communities spread over wide geographic areas.
Coordinated by the United States Conference of Bishops (USCCB), the appeal supports approximately 75 Latin-rite dioceses and Eastern Catholic eparations in the United States and its current and former territories. These mission dioceses are often located in rural areas or small towns where priests often serve several parishes separated by long distances.
Seasonal employment, economic challenges, and changing demographics can further complicate efforts to maintain consistent parish life and diocesan ministry.
The appeal aims to help bridge those gaps by supporting core areas of diocesan life, including priest formation, catechesis, evangelization and parish-based ministry. Grants also support practical needs that vary by region, such as transportation for clergy serving remote communities and resources for dioceses responding to changing cultural realities.
Announcing this year’s appeal, Bishop Chad W., chairman of the Bishops’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions, said: Zielinski pointed to the missionary pattern of Christ’s own ministry.
Catholic faithful participating in the Catholic Home Mission Appeal are reflecting Jesus, who “spent little time in cities but built his ministry in fishing villages and rural areas,” Zielinski said in one. April 9 statement.
He also highlights the spiritual dynamics at the heart of mission, based on the gospel account of the Samaritan woman at the well, commonly known as St. Photina in the Eastern Christian tradition.
“The work of the Catholic Home Mission Appeal depicts Jesus’ encounter with the ‘woman at the well,’ whom Eastern Christians call St. Photina,” Zielinski said. “She was ostracized in a community that was considered heretical and from which many followers of Jesus avoided. After speaking with her, Photina preached Christianity to her neighbors (john 4).”
He said that many mission dioceses today show the same openness to the Gospel despite difficult circumstances.
“Most of our mission dioceses are in remote, rural areas or communities with economic and social challenges,” he said. “Yet they are filled with people like St. Photina, who thirst for the gospel and are eager to spread its life-changing message.”
The USCCB said recent funding of the Catholic Home Mission Appeal has provided more than $8.1 million in assistance to mission dioceses. The grants support a wide range of pastoral needs that reflect the diversity of Church life in the country and its regions.
In Alaska, the aid helps cover the cost of fuel for seaplanes used by priests traveling to island villages, making access to the sacraments possible in remote communities. In the Diocese of Dodge City in Kansas, the funding has supported the expansion of Spanish-language ministry, including printed resources, diocesan retreats and bilingual staff serving the growing Hispanic population, according to the release.
Other dioceses have used grant-in-aid to strengthen targeted pastoral initiatives. For example, the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, has deepened its outreach to vulnerable expectant mothers through the USCCB. Walking with Mothers in Need Initiative, involving parishes in local support. The Diocese of Belleville in Illinois supports a full-time college campus minister who accompanies students in faith formation and vocational discernment, including encouragement toward the priesthood.
In American Samoa, the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago continues to operate five Catholic schools across seven islands, providing educational opportunities in a region where geographic isolation and economic pressures remain significant challenges.
As parishes prepare for the collection, church leaders are encouraging Catholics to see the appeal as a practical expression of solidarity with mission dioceses that depend on shared support to sustain parish life and evangelization efforts.
“Your generosity shows Catholics in remote areas that the Church stands with them,” Zielinski said, “and that Jesus is calling them to embrace his mercy and share his message like St. Photina.”
