Ash Wednesday Collection Invites Catholics to Share in Healing and Hope Across Central and Eastern Europe

(Photo: Pannonhalma Archabbey, courtesy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

As Catholics begin the penitential journey of Lent, the Church once again invites the faithful to unite prayer, sacrifice and generosity in a special way. On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, parishes across the United States will take up the Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, an annual appeal sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that has brought healing and renewal for more than three decades.

Now in its 35th year, the collection supports churches in nearly 30 countries that continue to recover from decades of militant atheism under communist rule. Today, that mission also includes responding to new wounds — especially those caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine — by providing pastoral care, humanitarian relief and spiritual support to communities facing immense suffering.

Catholic teaching calls the faithful to solidarity with brothers and sisters who endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel. This collection is one way Catholics in the United States live out that call, recognizing that the Body of Christ extends far beyond national borders.

Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of the Diocese of Salina, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, witnessed the fruits of this generosity firsthand during a recent visit to Ukraine. He described meeting families whose homes had been destroyed, children who lost parents to violence and veterans receiving therapy for post-traumatic stress.

“An elderly man who had survived a Siberian gulag told me, ‘What gives me hope is that, in the end, evil does not win,’” Bishop Vincke shared. “He is right — but that requires all of us to follow Christ’s call to build the Kingdom of God.”

The collection traces its roots to 1990, when Pope St. John Paul II urged Catholics in the United States to help rebuild the Church in lands newly freed from communist oppression — regions from which many American families trace their heritage. The bishops’ response was to create this annual appeal, which continues to bear fruit decades later.

In 2024 alone, donations funded 547 grants totaling more than $9.5 million, supporting projects such as evangelization, pastoral formation, outreach to vulnerable women and families, care for those with disabilities and training for lay leaders and clergy. From ministries serving children with Down syndrome in Kazakhstan to post-abortion healing programs in Bulgaria, the collection strengthens local churches as they bring Christ’s hope to wounded communities.

Those interested in contributing to the campaign are invited to make donations at their local parish, with "For the Church in Central and Eastern Europe" in the memo line. Parishes will collect these donations and forward them appropriately. Donations are also accepted via iGiveCatholic.

As Lent begins with ashes and repentance, this collection offers Catholics an opportunity to participate in the Church’s ongoing mission of restoration — helping rebuild lives, renew faith and proclaim hope where suffering has endured.

For more information about the collection and its impact, visit www.usccb.org/ccee.