Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, announced that the Archdiocese has raised $700,000 for relief assistance for Kosovar Albanians who have suffered as a result of the conflict in the Balkans. "It is a testimony of the compassion and love of the faithful of this Archdiocese for those who suffer and are most in need," said Cardinal Bevilacqua. "This appeal surpasses any special or extraordinary collection conducted within the Archdiocese in my 11 years as Archbishop. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the faithful for following the example of Jesus Christ by assisting the people of Kosovo."

In April, Cardinal Bevilacqua asked parishes in the Archdiocese to conduct a special collection to support the work of Catholic Relief Services in the Balkans. Collections were made throughout the months of April and May.

Cardinal Bevilacqua also announced that two previous Archdiocesan special collections have received $110,000 in additional contributions to the victims of El Nino and Hurricane Georges.

This brings the total contribution to people in need around the world from the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to $1,450,000 in approximately 12 months. The other collections are:

* $127,500 for the victims of El Nino in Central America
* $222,500 for the victims of Hurricane Georges in Puerto Rico
* $400,000 for victims of Hurricane Mitch in Central America

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