June 30, 20248:30am

Peter’s Pence Collection

Each year the Church takes up a collection
known as Peter’s Pence. This was begun in
the 6th and 7th centuries (5 and 6 hundreds)
with the conversions of the Anglo-Saxons
(English) connected to the Feast of St. Peter.
This is a donation to the Successor of St. Peter
(The Pope) for his personal charities around
the globe.

As the centuries unfolded it became a custom
to have a collection of Peter’s Pence in
many other European countries. It is a donation
of charity and gratitude to the Pope’s
charities as a deep expression of our unity
with him as Catholics.

Originally known in Latin as “Censo” or an
unusual contribution to the Holy See by the
states and local lordships under the sovereignty
of the Pope.

Please understand that nations did not exist
in the 5th and 6th centuries. Mostly, they
were known as states and Lordships. These
are especially Medieval terms. Nations began
to rise in the late 1400’s and 1500’s when
there was a significant rise in a mindset
called “Nationalism”. The Protestant Reformation
really ended the Medieval feudal system.
At that time relations between monarchies
and the Popes came to an end.

Catholics took up Peter’s Pence to comfort
those in need at the request of the Pope. The
Pope, in turn, took care of those who were
most needy such as the victims of the Croatian
earthquake of 1881. Also, the San Francisco
earthquake of 1906 was a recipient of
Peter’s Pence. Incidentally, in the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake the Diocese of Hartford,
CT. (Hartford became an Archdiocese
in 1953) collected $10,000.00 for relief to the
victims of the earthquake. The equivalent of
$10,000.00 in 1906 to 2024 is $248,847.00.
No doubt, this Holy Father, Pope Francis
will distribute Peter’s Pence to the ravished
Gaza Strip, where people suffer from thirst
and hunger and no medical aid. He may distribute
Peter’s Pence also to Ukraine where
people need shelter, food, water and hospital
care. Won’t you please be generous to this
year’s Peter’ s Pence collection on June 30,
2024.

Additional Information

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/obolo_spietro/documents/actual_en.html

and https://www.peterspence.va/en.html

To donate online, please visit www.peterspence.va