Liturgy of the Hours Assistance Fund

Need Based Financial Support for Clergy, Religious, Seminarians, and Houses of Formation

Financial Support for Catholic Institutions

As the Church prepares to welcome the new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, many clergy, religious communities, and seminaries face the significant expense of replacing the volumes they rely on daily for prayer. Ascension’s Liturgy of the Hours Assistance Fund was created in response to requests from these individuals to help eligible Catholic institutions obtain high quality volumes of the new edition, ensuring that those entrusted with this daily prayer are not hindered by cost as they make this important transition.

Your gift helps place these essential volumes into the hands of priests, religious, and seminarians across the country.

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Why Is This Fund Needed?

A New Edition of the Liturgy of the Hours

For the first time in more than 50 years, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is releasing a new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours—a set of daily prayers that consecrate particular hours of each day to God. All priests, deacons, and religious are obligated to transition to these updated volumes as part of their liturgical life.

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A Significant Financial Burden

For many dioceses, religious communities, seminaries, and houses of formation, this transition represents a substantial financial challenge as they must obtain copies for multiple members at once. These costs can quickly add up, especially for larger communities operating within limited or fixed budgets, and many institutions have reached out to ask us for help.

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Volumes Crafted for a Lifetime of Prayer

These new volumes are not designed for temporary use, but for a lifetime of daily prayer. Ascension is helping make this transition more accessible by applying bulk purchasing discounts to eligible Assistance Fund orders. But many communities still face a real financial burden in obtaining the new edition for all those who need it. Your contribution helps close that gap and places these lasting books of prayer into the hands of those who will use them every day.

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Supporting the Whole Body of Christ

This program will allow communities to preserve their time, energy, and resources for the mission and ministry with which they have been entrusted. It also reflects the communal nature of the Liturgy of the Hours itself—inviting the wider church to support the prayer that faithfully sustains her life each day. Through this initiative, the faithful are given a unique opportunity to strengthen the Church’s daily prayer and participate in a shared work that unites the whole Body of Christ.

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Why is Ascension creating this fund?

The new edition of The Liturgy of the Hours is the first new English edition for the United States in more than 50 years. Many dioceses, religious communities, seminaries, and houses of formation will need to obtain copies for multiple members at once. The cost of this can be significant and many organizations have reached out to ask us for help.

In response, Ascension created this fund to help those with the means to contribute to support communities with genuine financial need, allowing them to make this transition with less burden. In addition, Ascension will cover the resources allocated to administer this program and apply a discount to eligible Assistance Fund orders.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Liturgy of the Hours Assistance Fund?

The Liturgy of the Hours Assistance Fund is a need-based assistance program created to help eligible Catholic institutions obtain the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition for clergy, religious, seminarians, and others who are required or expected to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

Assistance is not paid as cash. Instead, approved assistance is applied directly to eligible Ascension orders.

Is the fund a cash grant?

No. Funds will not be paid directly to organizations as cash. Assistance is instead applied by Ascension toward eligible purchases of The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition.

Is this a charitable giving program or charitable fund?

No. It is an Ascension-administered assistance program created in response to organizational needs and not a formal charitable giving program.

Contributions are held and tracked separately and are applied only to eligible orders for approved organizations. Ascension supports the program by applying discounts to orders eligible for assistance and covering ordinary administration costs.

May I contribute to the fund by mailing a check?

Yes. Please send the check with “LOTH Assistance Fund” in the memo line to the following address:

Ascension Publishing Group, LLC
Lockbox
PO Box 70179
Newark, NJ 07101

Is this the same as a discount?

No. The Assistance Fund may provide additional need-based assistance beyond any applicable discounts, depending on available funds and approved need.

Can I designate my gift for a specific organization?

Contributions are made to a shared Assistance Fund and are not designated for a specific organization. This allows Ascension to apply assistance according to the program guidelines, stated needs, available funds, and the timing of eligible applications.

If you are interested in being connected directly with an organization in need in order to make a contribution or possible tax-deductible donation directly to that organization, please complete this form and a member of our team will follow up.

Some direct contributions to eligible organizations may be tax-deductible, but Ascension cannot provide tax advice or guarantee the tax treatment of any direct contribution.

Why should contributors support this fund instead of giving directly to a monastery, seminary, or diocese?

Ascension encourages contributors to support Catholic organizations directly. The Assistance Fund is designed for those who want to help multiple eligible communities, especially ones in which they may not have a direct relationship, obtain the new edition through a simple pooled program.

How much of my contribution will be applied to assistance?

Contributions will be tracked and applied toward eligible purchases of The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition. Contributions may also be used to cover standard shipping for eligible orders, as well as standard payment-processing fees, applicable taxes, and bank fees associated with collecting or applying the funds. Ascension will cover the costs of ordinary program administration.

How will the program and fund be reviewed for compliance with the program guidelines?

Ascension has engaged Wipfli, a top-20 U.S. accounting and business consulting firm, to perform a third-party accounting review of records showing contributions received and assistance applied under the program guidelines.

This review is intended to help confirm that funds are tracked and applied consistently with the stated purpose of the program. If a discrepancy is identified, Ascension will correct the records and, where appropriate, adjust the application of funds consistent with the program guidelines.

Will Ascension share the results of the Assistance Fund?

Ascension expects to share aggregate updates, such as the number of organizations assisted, approximate number of volumes or sets supported, and total assistance applied. Organization names, photos, and stories will be shared only with permission.

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