On the weekend of Feb. 4-5, all in the diocese will be asked to support the Black and Indian Mission Collection. For the last 138 years, the mission has changed the landscape of evangelization and education efforts for Native Americans, Alaskan Americans, and African Americans throughout the United States. Each year, funds from the national mission collection provide monetary support to seven parishes, five schools, and four diocesan ministries in the Diocese of Birmingham.

The monetary assistance focuses on education, for it is fundamental in “changing the mores and morals of a society,” providing such things as opportunities for a solid Catholic education in schools, the purchase of catechetical materials and Bibles, and the formation of lay leadership.

In a letter announcing the collection, Bishop Raica wrote, “Together we build up the Church and announce the Good News of Jesus Christ. I ask everyone in our diocese to make a sacrificial gift to the 2023 Black and Indian Mission Collection. Your generosity to this collection reflects the depths of your faith and your willingness to help our brothers and sisters in need; it is an opportunity to evangelize and further the missionary cause of bringing the Gospel to our African American and Native American family.”