Print Issue: October 10, 2002

Archdiocesan Annual Appeal Kicks Off Oct.12

By Rebecca Rakoczy - Staff Writer

ATLANTA - The letter is in the mail. So is a brochure detailing the numerous ministries and programs of the archdiocese.

October signals the official kick off of the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, "Our Church, Our Future," with a goal of raising $5 million. All money raised by the appeal goes directly to help run programs and ministries that help aid, evangelize, serve, teach and spread the message of Christ and help its people.

And it's a diverse people that spans a geography of north Georgia that includes 69 counties - from the northernmost tip of the state with Our Lady of the Mount in Lookout Mountain; to the southwest and St. Elizabeth Seton Mission in Warm Springs. As Catholicism continues to grow in the South, the Atlanta archdiocese has boomed to include more than 100,000 registered families in 95 parishes and missions.

Programs that directly benefit from the appeal include Catholic Charities - which encompasses Catholic Housing Initiatives, Catholic Personal Care Homes and the Village of Saint Joseph. It helps finance the Office of Family Concerns, which runs hundreds of Pre-Cana, as well as Marriage Encounter and Natural Family Planning, workshops. The money raised underwrites a new ministry with persons with disabilities, and also goes to fund campus ministries at area colleges and universities.

Catholic Social Services, including counseling, pregnancy/parenting and adoption, parish social ministry, immigration services and migration and refugee services, receives funds through the appeal. So does the vocations program that seeks to bring new priests into our growing archdiocese. The Religious Education and Faith Formation program is also funded through the annual appeal.

Although the economy is currently in a downturn, "the church is still growing and there is still a great need for these programs and ministries," said Ansley Murphey, archdiocesan development director. Parishioners throughout the archdiocese will be called to participate Oct. 26-27 in treasure commitment weekend by filling out pledge cards. The actual period to fulfill pledge commitments is January 2003-October 2003, she said.

"Regardless the size of the gift, if everyone participates, we could meet or even exceed our goal."