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Parishes throughout the Albany Diocese will take up a second collection March 9-10 to benefit Catholic Relief Services, the Church's international humanitarian agency, and five other Catholic agencies that build up the Church's worldwide social ministry.

The theme of this year's CRS collection is, "Jesus in disguise."

"Across the globe, war, natural disasters, political strife, extreme poverty and human trafficking combine to affect families in ways often unimaginable," wrote Bishop Kevin Farrell, chair of the U.S. bishops' committee on national collections. "Families are separated by migration for long periods of time, sometimes indefinitely. A decrease in the availability of visas makes prompt reunification unrealistic. Unaccompanied minors are exploited. The difficult and expensive legal system keeps families apart.

"The Catholic Relief Services collection values families," he continued. "It works to provide for their basic humanitarian needs, protect vulnerable children, reunite families and encourage legislation that reflects the importance of family in society."

CRS saves lives and promotes human dignity around the world through emergency response to natural disasters; food aid and water purification; community health programs; and public policy analysis and advocacy that addresses root causes of poverty, conflict and marginalization. Its programs alleviate hunger, illness, displacement and lack of employment in 100 countries.

Currently, the agency is assisting tens of thousands of refugees in places like Syria and Mali and opening schools in rural Afghanistan.

The other agencies supported by the collection are:

•  the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), which collaborates with the U.S. bishops to advocate with the U.S. government to improve immigration policies and practices and provide legal and other support to Catholic programs representing poor immigrants;

•  the U.S. bishops' Migration and Refugee Services, which resettles about a quarter of all refugees admitted to the U.S. annually, helps victims of human trafficking and develops public policies for newcomers and migrants;

•  the U.S. bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, which promotes public policies that address global poverty, world hunger, pandemic disease, human rights, just trade relations and peace building;

•  the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, which reaches out to immigrants, migrants, refugees and others on the move and supports pastoral centers, consultants and diocesan personnel who minister to such communities; and

•  the Holy Father's Relief Fund, which assists victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.[[In-content Ad]]

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