New Materials For Advent

"For unto us a child is born." Isaiah 9:6

As we prepare to receive the Christ child anew in this season of Advent, our faith compels us to hear the cry of children born to us, especially the poor children. Advent is an opportunity to listen, learn, pray, and advocate for the poor of the world as members of parishes, dioceses, schools, and universities.

Catholic Relief Services, working in collaboration with USCCB and Bread for the World, have developed a variety of resources on global poverty for the upcoming Advent Season. The new resources will be on the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty web site within the next week. If you have any questions, please call Kathy Brown at CRS (410) 951-7232 or Kim Mazyck (410) 951-7424.

1. Bulletin quotes
2. Hunger banquet
3. Hunger-quiz
4. Intercessions
5. Prayer sessions
6. Small group scripture reflections

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World AIDS Day

Observe 2005 World AIDS Day on December 1

This year join people around the world in planning 2005 World AIDS Day activities at your school, parish or diocese to spread the word about the devastating impact of this disease on individuals and communities.

CRS' 2005 World AIDS Day web portal provides resources you can use to plan your events like fact sheets, bulletin quotes, activities to do with a group, prayer resources, lesson plans, Church statements, etc.

Today the global picture on HIV/AIDS is bleak: in the two decades since the epidemic began, over 20 million people around the world have died. In 2004, 39 million people were living with HIV/AIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa is hardest hit, with 25 million people living with this disease. Other regions including Asia and Latin America are seeing a rapid increase in new infections. Women are infected at about the same rate as men. They account for nearly half of those living with the disease around the world. On the up side, since 2001, global funding for HIV/AIDS has increased from roughly US$ 2.1 billion to an estimated US$ 6.1 billion in 2004. This year, through its HIV AIDS programs, CRS will help nearly 12 million people affected by the pandemic--nearly 2 million directly and 10 million indirectly.