The annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development will be held at all Masses the weekend of Nov. 18 and 19, which coincides with the Church’s celebration of the first World Day of the Poor.
Seventy-five percent of the monies collected in the Diocese of Trenton is sent to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ national office of CCHD, while the remaining 25 percent is retained and redistributed in three to five grants to Catholic social service agencies in the Diocese that focus upon providing basic human needs to the poor or marginalized.
Nearly 41 million people live in poverty in the United States, defined as an annual income of $24,600 for a family of four and $12,600 for a single person. This collection supports the work of groups that empower low-income people to participate in decisions that affect their lives and work to break the cycle of poverty in their own communities. Many of the projects supported by CCHD embody the corporal works of mercy, including the protection of worker rights, expanding access to healthcare and reforming the criminal justice system.
CCHD is the official domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. This national collection is the primary source of funding for CCHD’s community and economic development grants and education programs aimed at fostering a culture of life and hope in communities across the nation. Learn more about the collection, here.
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Jesus, Bread of Life Catholic Cemetery, the first diocesan Catholic cemetery in Burlington County, will welcome visitors attending an open house from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 18 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at 3055 Fostertown Road, Mount Laurel.
Attendees will learn more about the cemetery and the available options for interment, inurnment and entombment. They will also have the opportunity to tour the cemetery mausoleum while it’s under construction and select a specific crypt or niche on the spot. A discount will be offered to those who make a purchase during the open house.
Families considering ground burial options may choose from an abundant inventory in both flat marker and upright headstone sections. There is also a 600-niche outdoor garden columbarium available for use.
Mark Wilson, director, diocesan Department of Cemeteries, noted that Jesus, Bread of Life serves all Catholics, and, because it is a diocesan cemetery, there is no need for a specific parish affiliation. Most importantly, Wilson, stressed, “We are not a secular cemetery with a ‘Catholic’ section. What makes that distinction is the ability to celebrate Mass and to have prayers daily for those interred, as well as their families. Interment in a Catholic cemetery completes one’s life cycle as a Catholic. We are gathered in one place while we await the resurrection.”
Find more information in this story from The Monitor, or contact Deacon Ed Heffernan, cemetery manager, at 856-317-6400 or eheffe@dioceseoftrenton.org.