Local News
2004 Archdiocesan Appeal Goal Is $5.6 Million
Published: October 9, 2003
ATLANTA—The 2004 Archdiocesan Annual Appeal has set a goal of $5.6 million needed to support the diverse ministries of the Catholic Church in North Georgia, which extend across education, special ministries, vocations and the needs of immigrants, the poor and the elderly.
Funds for the appeal come from the donations of Catholics across the archdiocese. Every parish and mission in the archdiocese has an individual goal, and as members of the parish give to the appeal, their parish moves closer to its goal.
Each parish is responsible for reaching its goal, and all parishioners are encouraged to make a donation. If the parish goes over its goal, the overage is divided evenly between the parish and the archdiocese.
The combined efforts of all make reaching the archdiocesan goal a reality.
A letter from Archbishop John F. Donoghue and a brochure providing information on the programs and ministries that benefit from the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal are being sent to all the families of the archdiocese at this time. Catholics are asked to prayerfully consider their donation to support the archdiocese. All levels of support are vital to reaching the goal for 2004.
Parishioners can make a one-time donation or pledge an amount to be given over a 10-month period. A $50 gift can be given as five dollars a month or a $100 gift as $10 a month for 10 months.
Envelopes and donor cards are being sent to the households of the archdiocese in the mail, but they may also be obtained at all parishes and missions.
On Sunday, Oct. 26, parishes and missions will hold Treasure Commitment Sunday, when Catholics are asked to consider the support of their parish and of the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal and make a commitment to help both arms of the church over the coming 12 months.
Catholics are encouraged to reflect on and apply the teachings in Scripture concerning generosity, which emphasize that everything in life is a gift from God and which call on Christians to offer 10 percent of their earnings back to God in gratitude.
In the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Catholics are asked each year to prayerfully consider giving a tithe of their income to charity and within that tithe, to offer five percent to their parish, one percent to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, and four percent to other charities and organizations that they choose to help.
“Every year I feel very strongly that our good Catholic people be asked to support the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal because of the many important ministries sustained through this effort,” Archbishop Donoghue said Oct. 3.
Citing as examples the work of vocations, Catholic education and religious education, campus ministries, and Catholic Charities, he said every area of archdiocesan Christian outreach benefits from the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal.
“The reason we have so many good priests serving in this archdiocese is because we have a good vocations program,” he said. “This vocations program is largely supported through the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal.”
Through Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Services, “many poor people are taken care of. Many people who need only one-time assistance come to us for help and we’re able to help them through funds generated in the appeal.”
Immigrants who arrive in the archdiocese are of special concern, the archbishop said, and programs that assist them are under the umbrella of Catholic Social Services.
The growing Catholic school system in the archdiocese is given assistance in a variety of administrative areas through the archdiocesan Office of Catholic Schools, and the parish religious education programs are assisted through the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, which has bilingual staff to work with catechists. Both these offices receive financial support through the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal.
In addition, Catholic campus ministry “is a program that deserves our help,” he said. “Many young people attend secular colleges in the archdiocese. They need to have viable programs on campus to help keep them close to their faith during these important years when they make major life decisions affecting their values.”
The archdiocesan programs that will receive support through the 2004 Archdiocesan Annual Appeal include:
—The Office of Vocations, which is currently sponsoring 49 men studying for the priesthood and facilitating the ongoing discernment process for those interested in becoming candidates for priestly formation. The vocations program will receive $1.7 million.
—Catholic Charities/Catholic Social Services, which is comprised of Catholic Personal Care Homes; Office of Child and Youth Protection; Pro-Life Office; Office of Family Concerns; HIV/AIDS ministry; Catholic Retirement Facilities; Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption Services; Counseling Services; Immigration Services; Migration and Refugee Services; Community Connection and Parish Social Ministry program; and Community Outreach Centers. These programs will receive a total of $1.6 million.
—The Office of Religious Education/Faith Formation, which assists parishes with age-appropriate religious education and sacramental formation. This office also provides direct programs for some age groups, including Young Adult Ministry and Youth Ministry, and offers catechetical formation and certification, all in Spanish and English. This office will receive $739,200.
—The Office of Catholic Schools, which assists 15 archdiocesan elementary schools and three archdiocesan high schools by sponsoring a range of administrative, in-service and special support services on an ongoing basis. The office will receive $462,000.
—Mission Development, through which the archdiocese subsidizes financially struggling missions and smaller parishes on an as-needed basis to help them meet the needs of their communities. This program will receive $339,900.
—The Campus Ministry Program, through which the archdiocese subsidizes the operating costs of four Catholic centers located on area college campuses. This program will receive $205,700.
—The Hispanic Apostolate, which fosters unity within the Hispanic and Anglo communities of the archdiocese and serves as a resource for parishes to meet the pastoral and social justice needs of the Hispanic population around their areas. This apostolate will receive $198,000.
—The Office for Black Catholic Ministry, which provides a work of evangelization, supporting the clergy in efforts to enhance the spiritual life of the black Catholic community and that of the larger Catholic community. This office will receive $126,500.
—The Permanent Diaconate Formation Program, which is currently preparing 78 men to be ordained as permanent deacons for parishes and missions of the archdiocese through a five-year school in the archdiocese, in addition to the 137 deacons already serving in the archdiocese. This program will receive $79,200.
—The Ministry With Persons With Disabilities, which advocates for Catholics with disabilities to be fully included into the life of the church by providing individualized services and programs. This ministry will receive $72,600.
—The Eucharistic Renewal, which is a partial contribution to the program costs of the annual Eucharistic Congress held by the archdiocese. This contribution will be $61,600.
The funds raised for the appeal will be used solely for the programs and ministries listed, Archbishop Donoghue said.
In his letter to the people, Archbishop Donoghue summarized the need for the appeal by saying, “We are so incredibly blessed in our archdiocese with wonderful parishes staffed by loving and dynamic priests. Our parishes are the local expression of God’s Church, but we know that there are needs that are beyond their capabilities and resources.”
“The 2004 Archdiocesan Annual Appeal supports the basic operating costs of the archdiocese’s programs and ministries,” he continued. “God bless you for your support and for all you do to make the work of the Church possible in North Georgia.”
Click here to view the individual parish goals.
For additional information, contact your parish or mission or contact the archdiocese at (404) 888-7801. Information on the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal may also be viewed at www.archatl.com.
