Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. has asked that all 219 parishes in the five-county Archdiocese of Philadelphia consider taking part in a national initiative spearheaded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB) to support victims of religious persecution and terroristic violence in the Middle East.

“Christians are among the most persecuted religious communities in the world, and the brutal violence directed at Christians in the Middle East continues to be of grave concern for all people of good will,” said Archbishop Chaput. “This special collection will provide much needed support of our fellow Christians suffering greatly at the hands of brutal extremists in Iraq and Syria.”

Voluntary, special collections may be taken up in parishes at Masses during the weekends of September 6-7 and September 20-21. Funds will be remitted directly to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to assist their efforts in providing urgent humanitarian needs and pastoral support to those suffering religious persecution and violence in the Middle East. Alternately, individuals may contribute direct to Catholic Relief Services by visiting http://emergencies.crs.org/iraq-crs-response-strategy-during-displacement-crisis/.

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Editor’s Note: CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States. For information on CRS please visit www.crs.org.

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