Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, is asking for widespread support of this weekend’s special collection for the needs of people in the Global South during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has changed all of our lives – everyone has suffered – but it has also shown us that those who were marginalized to begin with have suffered the most,” he said in a video message released Oct. 9.
“How can you wash your hands when you don’t have access to soap or clean water? How can you practise physical distancing when you live in a refugee camp? How can you get medical attention when there’s no access to health care?”
The Oct. 11 collection will support the Development and Peace campaign Recovering Together, a response to the immediate effects of the pandemic on the vulnerable as well as an effort to deal with the long-term effects of the “global climate crisis.”
In a statement, the international development and aid organization said this is a “critical moment” and our actions in 2020 will “determine the future of life on our planet.”
The second collection will be held at Masses Oct. 11 and, for those viewing Masses virtually, online.
“This virus has taught us how interconnected our human family is,” said Archbishop Miller in his video appeal. “It has taught us that we cannot recover alone.”
