This week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) convened to collaborate on the "One Church One Mission" initiative, aiming to raise and allocate millions of dollars donated by dioceses nationwide. The funds were raised through four collections last year: Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Collection for the Church in Latin America, Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa, and the 2022 Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund.

"St. Paul wrote that when one Christian suffers, all Christians suffer -- because we are all part of one Body of Christ. That unity is the heart of these collections. They bring faith, hope, and love to people in despair, often in some of the most harsh and remote places on earth, and to disaster victims in our own nation," Diocese of Gallup Bishop James Wall.

According to a press release issued by the USCCB on July 20, the millions of dollars that were raised will be distributed by the bishops to those most in need, particularly in specific areas, or those affected by disasters and other types of crises. The emergency disaster fund allows dioceses to raise funds to support "pastoral and reconstruction" relief efforts carried out by Catholic Relief Services and/or Catholic Charities USA.

The allocated millions were distributed as follows: The Subcommittee on the Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa approved 34 grants, totaling more than $1.1 million. The Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions awarded a $1.38 million grant from the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund to the Diocese of Venice in Florida, in response to the damages caused by Hurricane Ian throughout the diocese. The Subcommittee on the Church in Central and Eastern Europe distributed over $5.1 million to 196 ministry projects, while the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America awarded 122 grants, amounting to $2.65 million, for various projects, according to the USCCB.

"Whether we are working to build peace and bring essential relief to victims of war and disaster or trying to help souls reach heaven through evangelization and cultural outreach, each of these national collections respond to Jesus’ call to care for him in the person of our suffering neighbor,” Bishop Wall said, according to the USCCB. “On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives will change because of these ministries, I express my deepest gratitude to every parishioner who gave to these collections.”

The "One Church One Mission" initiative seeks to fulfill the core Christian principles of compassion and unity by providing essential support to those facing hardships worldwide.