For the next few weeks, you will hear about the Catholic Ministry Appeal through information shared at the parish, as well as via mail directly from Bishop Parkes.

The Catholic Ministry Appeal is an invitation for us all to take an active role in supporting the Church beyond the borders of our parish. Through our appeal, we can support:

• ministries such as Catholic Charities, who served 202,650 meals and housed or sheltered 5,009 clients.
• programs such as the Good Samaritan Project, who in 2024 gathered 313 high school students from 17 parishes and Catholic schools to serve those in need at 12 different service sites in our five counties.
• ministries such as the Diaconate Office who invited 20 men and their wives to begin the discernment process for the Diaconate, anticipating a possible ordination in the Fall of 2029.
• ministries such as the office of Vocations can continue serving its largest seminarian class since 2019, allowing these men to continue embracing God’s call to serve by expressing God’s saving love within us as we help give shape to the world.
• protection for our children and vulnerable adults through the Safe Environment program which averages 5,000 fingerprint screenings and 7,500 trainings each year to diocesan, parish and school staff and volunteers

The Catholic Ministry Appeal is 100% voluntary and 100% of donations will go to these and other focused ministries. This appeal provides the means to continue the mission that Christ has entrusted to us: to serve, to educate, to care for the poor, and to be a beacon of hope for all. We are all invited to make a gift, a courageous gift, that demonstrates how as disciples we are living the Gospel and sharing it with those we encounter. Now more than ever, it is vital for us to do what we can, when we can and to act as a people who put their faith in God and do good works in his name.