Washington: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced that more than $7.8 million in new funding will be distributed to mission dioceses across the country communities where the local Church cannot sustain itself without outside assistance.
The grants, approved by the USCCB Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions, will support 69 dioceses and eparchies during the 2025–2026 fiscal year. Applications were reviewed during the fall session, with the bishops prioritizing areas facing acute pastoral and financial challenges.
According to the USCCB, the funds come from the annual Catholic Home Missions Appeal, a nationwide collection in parishes that channels the generosity of everyday Catholics to regions where the Church struggles due to limited resources, sparse Catholic populations, or widespread economic hardship.
Bishop Chad Zielinski of New Ulm, Minnesota, who chairs the subcommittee, stressed the transformative power of even modest donations.
“When parishioners contribute to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal, they bring faith, hope, and love where it is most needed,” he said. “Their gifts have a profound, positive impact on Catholics who face poverty or the isolation of being a small, minority faith.”
The newly announced grants will bolster a wide array of ministries:
Standing Rock Reservation Ministry (Diocese of Rapid City): Serving the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, this mission team composed of three Franciscan sisters and a priest provides home visits, catechesis, and spiritual care to around 500 Catholics spread across four parishes. Their outreach extends far further, offering pastoral and social support to approximately 8,000 residents.
Office of Deliverance Ministry (Diocese of Brownsville, Texas): This ministry accompanies individuals facing deep spiritual difficulties, offering prayers of deliverance and pastoral guidance in one of the most economically challenged regions of the United States.
Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of St. Mary Queen of Peace: With 24 priests serving 11,000 faithful and no paid lay staff, the eparchy relies heavily on outside support. The grant will fund youth summer camps, family conventions, retreats, and vocations programs crucial initiatives for a diaspora community preserving its liturgical and cultural heritage.
Bishop Zielinski emphasized that these stories represent only a fraction of the needs nationwide.
“These examples show the breadth of spiritual and financial challenges addressed by the Catholic Home Missions Appeal,” he said. “Mission dioceses already give sacrificially despite their limited means. My prayer is that their witness will inspire all of us to dig deeper, helping our neighbors continue the mission entrusted to us by Christ.”
The Catholic Home Missions program remains one of the USCCB’s most significant efforts to strengthen the Church’s presence in underserved American communities, ensuring that the Gospel continues to reach even the most remote and impoverished corners of the country.