Catholic Communication Campaign funds local efforts

The annual collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign, which helps fund the Clarion Herald and communications efforts in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, will take place in all churches of the archdiocese on the weekend of Sept. 14-15.

The annual national appeal supports efforts in the U.S. and around the world to use the media, internet and print publications to help people connect with Christ.

One half of all funds collected remain in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to support local communication efforts. The other half is used to support national projects in the U.S. and in developing countries around the world.

The Clarion Herald, for example, recently launched an e-edition (clarionherald-la.newsmemory.com), making available every issue of the paper on smart phones and other electronic devices.

“We hope readers will take advantage of having local Catholic news and inspiration in the palm of their hands,” Clarion Herald executive editor Peter Finney Jr. said. “This is something that’s important to younger readers, especially our students, while keeping the print version accessible every week in church. It’s not an ‘either-or’ approach to getting out the Catholic message – it’s a ‘both-and’ approach.”

“The mission to proclaim the Gospel, entrusted by Jesus to the apostles, has been carried to us today through our baptism,” said Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Communications’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign. “We continue to share the Good News and help one another encounter Christ through all available means – whether it be through the internet, radio, television or another form of communication.

“Thanks to the generosity of the faithful in the United States, the Catholic Communication Campaign helps people around the world connect with Christ.”

The Catholic Communication Campaign supports the production of daily video Scripture reflections featured on the USCCB website that are viewed daily by millions of people and a YouTube channel that has 23,000 subscribers. The USCCB’s website served 17.5 million users last year and is also supported by the campaign.

The subcommittee oversees the collection and an annual grants program as part of the USCCB Committee on Communications. Shareable resources for the collection are available online. More information about the Catholic Communication Campaign can be found at www.usccb.org/ccc.