By Father Jerry Hardy

The annual affair known as the Archdiocesan Charities Drive shifted into a higher gear last Wednesday night at a meeting held at the Cathedral Center. As a warm-up for the March 3^rd one-day cash effort, the meeting was all important as strategy for the drive was outlined and parish goals were discussed. Aiming for a goal of $275,000 (the same figure sought successfully last year), the drive provides operating funds for programs and projects already functioning throughout the archdiocese.

Commenting on the drive’s purpose, Joseph Zwicknagel, co-chairman of this year’s program, said “the money goes directly toward helping people, through our various social service agencies for example. I think that factor makes the drive very appealing to our people.”

Zwicknagel, of Saint Thomas More Parish in Decatur has headed up the drive in his home parish a number of times before accepting the co-chairmanship for the archdiocesan program this year with Carl Mahoney.

Archbishop Donnellan addressed the priests and lay chairmen from parishes all over the archdiocese at the end of the meeting: “This drive, apart from its obvious financial benefit to the budgets for our programs, serves the good purpose of educating and reminding our people in our many parishes that they are part of and responsible for the whole Church of North Georgia. I am very grateful to all of you for your help in making this drive effective, both educationally and financially.”

The drive has two phases, a special gifts phase, during which parishioners who can afford to make more substantial donations are asked to do so, with the appeal being for a gift in excess of $100. That phase begins Sunday, February 3, and will run until the day of the regular gift phase which is March 3^rd.

Goals for each parish will be announced in next week’s BULLETIN.