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Why should I give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal?

Dear Families,

The Gospel mandate, and an unwavering emphasis of Pope Francis, is that our love for God must be reflected in our love for one another, especially the weak and vulnerable. In response to that call, our Diocese remains fully committed to increasing our outreach to feed, clothe, educate and pray with those in most need of assistance.

The Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal is the combined effort of all parishes and parishioners in the Diocese of Rockville Centre to provide this outreach. With the help of God, our combined efforts can have a tremendous impact in responding to those who depend on our help.  The theme chosen for the 2016 Catholic Ministries Appeal is One Faith, Family and Community.  This theme is consistent with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, as promulgated by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who proclaimed that “the mercy of God is the beating heart of the Gospel.” The Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal is an instrument of God’s mercy by virtue of the many ministries it supports.

What should I give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal?

God has given each one of us gifts, graces, talents and abilities which are to be shared responsibly and wisely with others. Faithful stewardship is more than occasional acts of charity and service. It is a way of life, a commitment to the giving of our time, talent, and treasure in gratitude for all the blessings we have received. We are continuously challenged to make our financial gifts from substance, not abundance, in proportion to the blessings we have received. As a guide, many people use the Biblical tithes, giving one tenth or 10% of their income. Often they break it down to 5% to their parish, 1% to the Catholic Ministries Appeal, and the remaining 4% to other favorite charities. For some families 10% is right, for other families 10% may be too high or low. Your decision on how much to give needs to be personal and prayerful.

Is it important to give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal even though I am already giving to my parish?

The programs of local parishes are very important because much of the work of the Church and the Diocese takes place at the local level. But, there are certain specialized services such as counseling and intervention services, shelters and transitional housing for which the Diocese has to take responsibility. These are services no one parish can provide such as:

  • Affordable and safe housing for seniors and mentally disabled adults
  • Food programs for seniors and low-income families
  • Youth and campus ministry for our young people
  • Priests and Deacons education and formation
  • Faith Formation, including parish baptismal, pre-Cana, and RCIA programs
  • Hospital ministry to more than 300,000 people each year
  • Prison ministry
  • Chemical dependence services and day treatment programs
  • Dominican Republic Mission
  • Catholic Diversity Initiatives

Does our parish benefit in any way from the Appeal?
Resources contributed to the CMA are distributed in a way that allows our Catholic faith to be lived and shared throughout our 133 parish communities. Parishes that reach goal receive a 20 percent rebate and any paid gifts raised over that goal generate an 80 percent rebate to parishes on those gifts.  The rebate our parish received over the past two years has enabled us to offset the cost for the construction of a new ADA-compatible restroom in the vestibule of the church and a new boiler in the school building.  We plan to use the rebate from the 2016 appeal to replace the windows in the north wing of the school.  The new windows will be energy efficient and thus provide a cost savings on heating and cooling. 

I respectfully ask for your prayers and support of the 2016 Catholic Ministries Appeal.  May Our Lord Jesus bless you, and may Mary Our Mother watch over you and your loved ones.

God Bless You –  Fr. Valentine