THE SECOND COLLECTIONS: What they are and when they are taken
The second collections that are taken each year are described below. The date for each of these collections is also shown. If you choose to use offertory envelopes, there will be a envelope for each of these collections in your envelope set -- second collection envelopes will have a red border. If you give electronically using WeShare, you are able to schedule automatic and recurring donations for these second collections.
The collections appear in the order in which they occur -- the first one is taken up in January and the last one is taken up in December.
The Oakland Seminary Collection
2021: January 10
This diocesan collection helps offset the cost to educate seminarians who are enrolled in graduate theological studies and are studying for the priesthood.
The Bishop's Appeal
2021: Committment Sunday to be announced -- to be in February or March
The Bishop’s Appeal funds the day-to-day programs that people in our Diocese rely on. Programs funded by the appeal are pastoral ministries and services (such as liturgy, Respect Life and Justice, ethnic ministries, Marriage and Family Life, youth ministries), religious education and formation, clergy formation and support (including the Permanent Diaconate, seminarian education and formation, and priest retirement and long-term care), support for school and parishes in need, and the Safe Environment Program.
Each year the diocese sets an overall goal for the appeal, and this goal is apportioned to each parish based on each's parish's income.
Parishioners can make a one-time donation to the appeal, or make a pledge to be paid monthly over a ten-month period. Pledges can be automatically deducted by the diocese through a checking, savings, or credit card account. A pledge envelope is placed in the Parish Bulletin the week before the appeal's "Commitment Weekend," and will also be placed in the pews during Commitment Weekend.
Catholic Relief Services
2021: March 14
Catholic Relief Services, also known as "CRS," is the international relief agency of the Catholic Church. It assists impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas based solely on need, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity.
Operation Rice Bowl
2021: March 28 (the date on which filled Rice Bowls are collected at Mass)
Operation Rice Bowl funds Catholic Relief Services’ food security projects supporting agriculture, nutrition, education, and self-sufficiency around the world.
Operation Rice Bowl is an appeal that takes place during the season of Lent. Parishioners will pick up a cardboard bank-like box called a "Rice Bowl" when they attend Mass on Ash Wednesday. During Lent, family members will place money in their Rice Bowl. They can put the spare change they find in their pockets at the end of each day in the Rice Bowl. Families can also make family rules or determine certain events that will cause a family member to place a donation into the Rice Bowl. There is also a Rice Bowl calendar/guide, and information on the Rice Bowl website that offers other ideas to encourage a gift to the Rice Bowl. Hopefully, by the time Lent comes to an end, the Rice Bowl will be filled. Rice Bowls are returned to church on Palm Sunday.
Catholic Charities Annual Appeal
2021: May 16
The Catholic Charities Annual Appeal supports Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB), the local charitable organization of the Diocese of Oakland. Some of the services that Catholic Charities provides are related to refugee support, immigration, crisis response, housing, financial stability and family literacy. CCEB also has a safe house for sex trafficking victims.
Parishioners can make a one-time donation to the appeal, or make a pledge to be paid monthly during the course of a year. Pledges can be automatically deducted by Catholic Charities through a checking, savings, or credit card account. A pledge envelope is placed in the Parish Bulletin the week before the Catholic Charities collection, and will also be placed in the pews on the Sunday of the collection.
Catholic Communications Campaign
2021: May 23
The Catholic Communications Campaign is a national collection that helps bring the message of the Gospel to people from all walks of life and all around the world through television, radio, the internet and other media.
The Holy Father (Peter's Pence)
2021: June 27
This collection enables the Holy Father to respond to requests for aid from those throughout the world suffering from war, oppression and natural disasters.
Mission Cooperative Plan
There is no fixed date for the Mission Cooperative Plan (also known as "Mission CO-OP") collection, but it normally takes place on a weekend during the summer months.
Each year the diocesan office for the Propagation of the Faith pairs a domestic or foreign mission, or an order of priests or sisters, with each parish. A representative from the mission or order comes to the parish on a weekend during the summer to share the work that is being done in the ministry with those attending Mass. If the representative is a priest, he will more than likely also preside at the Masses that weekend. The second collection that is taken at the Mass is given to the mission or order to help support its work.
Diocesan Priests' Retirement Trust
2020: September 13
2021: September 12
This collection helps build the diocese's retirement fund to meet anticipated rising priests’ retirement expenses for an increasing number of retired priests.
The Catholic Voice / El Heraldo Católico
2020: October 3
2021: October 4
The Catholic Voice is the diocesan newspaper that is mailed to all registered parishioners in the diocese. Throughout most of the year The Catholic Voice has two issues a month. El Heraldo Católico is the Spanish-language diocesan newspaper. It has one issue a month, and is distributed to parishioners at Mass.
This collection is scheduled by the diocese, but the proceeds remain in the parish. The Catholic Voice and El Heraldo Católico are provided to our parishioners at no cost. Each parish is billed on a monthly basis by the diocese for its share of the publication costs. The proceeds of this collection helps to cover a portion of the parish's expense.
World Mission Sunday and Catholic Home Mission Appeal
2020: October 18
2021: October 24
This collection supports young mission dioceses in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe – an area covering half of the globe.
Campaign for Human Development
2020: November 22
2021: November 28
The Campaign for Human Development, also known as "CHD," breaks the cycle of poverty by funding community programs that encourage independence. CHD offers local non-profit community-based organizations the opportunity to apply grants in an effort to help achieve its objectives. COR, the predecessor of Faith-in-Action East Bay, is one of the organizations that have received CHD grants.
Retirement Fund for Religious
2020: December 13
2021: December 12
The Retirement Fund for Religious helps religious communities care for their senior members, today and tomorrow. A gift to this collection is a gift to those who have given a lifetime to the Church.
