On Laetare Sunday, or the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the USCCB holds a collection to help fund Catholic Relief Services, the USCCB offices of the Secretariat of Justice and Peace, the Department of Migration and Refugee Services, and the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, as well as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and the relief work of the Holy Father.

According to the 2024 Annual Report, this collection is a response to Jesus’ call to assist and protect the “least of these.” The largest share of the collection goes to Catholic Relief Services, which “equips people affected by war and natural disasters with the skills and assistance they need to rebuild their lives and support their families.”

Another recipient of funding from this collection is the USCCB’s office of Migration and Refugee Services, which helps newcomers who have navigated the U.S. immigration process to integrate successfully. Since 2023, this office has worked to address challenges faced by Catholic dioceses and other religious organizations that rely on the Religious Worker Visa Program (RWVP). Through this program, foreign-born priests, men and women religious, and others can come to serve communities throughout the United States. According to a recent study, the vast majority of U.S. dioceses rely on priests and religious who come through the RWVP, and the proceeds of this collection support these efforts.