Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the annual Labor Day statement on rebuilding after the devastation of the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.

Archbishop Coakley asked readers to examine their own purchasing choices, to ensure that the workers are “treated with dignity and respect,” are afforded safe working conditions, and “receive a just wage.”

To read the full statement from Archbishop Paul S. Coakley click here.

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The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the domestic anti-poverty program of the United States Catholic Bishops, works to break the cycle of poverty in America by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities, on local and national levels.

Each year in November, the Trenton Diocese participates in the national CCHD collection in which a percentage of monies are retained to provide grant funding to local organizations. The CCHD-DT grant monies are received from the collection that is taken up in each parish within the Diocese the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year’s collection will be Nov. 21-22.

Of the amount collected, 75 percent is sent to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops national office of CCHD and 25 percent is retained by the Diocese for grants to parishes or agencies that focus on both providing for basic human needs, but also building self-sufficiency. This year, the Diocese will award between three and five grants in the amount of $2,000 to $10,000 each.

Applications for 2020 are currently being accepted through Oct. 5. Prospective recipients may learn more about eligibility criteria and download an application at Dioceseoftrenton.org/catholic-campaign-for-human-development. Email completed application to Brenda Rascher, diocesan executive director of Catholic Social Services and acting CCHD director for the Diocese, at brasch@Dioceseoftrenton.org.

The 2020 CCHD awardees will be announced in early November, funded by the 2019 collection.  Previous grant recipients in the Diocese have included parish-based St. Vincent de Paul conferences and other diocesan agencies such as Mount Carmel Guild, a Trenton-based outreach agency; the Mercer County CYO, which provides athletic and educational programs for youth of Mercer County, and parish-based food pantries.

Find out more about this process at: https://dioceseoftrenton.org/news/diocese-opens-grant-application-process-to-assist-local-outreach-agencies

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We have been informed of an equipment breakdown at Evergreen Printing, which has resulted in a printing and mailing delay of The Monitor Magazine’s September issue.

Evergreen Printing has assured us that operations are now back online and that the new issue will soon be on its way to our subscribers. We will post any updates that may be necessary, and we thank our subscribers for their patience.