The 2015 Collection for the Church in Latin America will be taken up in most U.S. parishes on the weekend of January 24-25. The collection, which has “Share Your Faith” as its theme, is intended to assist the pastoral needs of the region by supporting dioceses, parishes and other Catholic institutions.

Like many modern families throughout the world, families in Latin America and the Caribbean face numerous challenges as they strive to live and share their faith. Without marriage and family life ministries to offer help and support, both in joyful times and in times of stress, families struggle to live their faith daily. Yet, throughout the hemisphere, the Church continues to point the way to Christ as the source of hope and healing, both within the family and in society. Many family and catechetical ministry projects funded by the Collection for the Church in Latin America offer families and communities a way to strengthen, affirm and celebrate their life together in faith, offering a different and hopeful  vision of relationship with one another and with God.

In Nicaragua, the Diocese of Juigalpa saw a need to train more staff and volunteers in marriage and family life ministry. Through a grant from the Collection for the Church in Latin America, the Diocese was able to build its capacity for sharing the faith by forming family catechetical teams in all of its 22 parishes. Forty-eight weekly gatherings in each of the Diocese’s three pastoral zones provided the training and support needed to establish the teams. Each zone had between 60 and 80 participants, and the teams received training on the New Evangelization and practical topics related to daily family life. The training program ended with a retreat for all participants. The program organizers have reported that, through the training they received, the teams are now able to accompany married couples in their journey of faith and assist couples preparing for marriage.

Through projects like these, the Collection for the Church in Latin America empowers the people of Latin America to deepen their faith and share it with the world.

For more information on the collection, visti www.usccb.org and search key words “Church in Latin America.”