Parishes to Hold In-Pew Phase of Annual Appeal

Having completed the March 3-4 Announcement Weekend for the 2007 Annual Catholic Appeal, the parishes of Brooklyn and Queens, many of which showed a video promoting the effort, are preparing for the In-Pew solicitations set for March 17-18 and March 24-25.

From the experience of past years, the In-Pew phase is expected to contribute substantially to the $8 million goal of the appeal, said Thomas Flood, director of the Stewardship and Development Office.

Pastors and administrators are looking forward to achieving strong responses in their parishes since funds received over their individual goals are earmarked for parish needs and projects, he said.

Flood also noted that close to 140 firms participate in matching gift programs, enabling donors who work for them to double their contributions. The primary beneficiary in the Diocese of Brooklyn is Cathedral Prep Seminary in Elmhurst.

The appeal theme is: “Living Our Faith. Loving Our Neighbor. Doing the Work of Our Father.” Calling it “a noble theme,” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said the faithful of the diocese “embody and breathe life into these words.”

Six areas of diocesan ministry will benefit from the funds contributed by donors from 216 parishes in Brooklyn and Queens: Catholic Charities, Catholic Education, Catholic Migration Services, Faith Formation, Vocation Support and the Parish Share and Assistance Fund.

Catholic Charities will receive $2 million for its child care centers, parish and community services, Apostolate for the Deaf, Center for Pregnant Women, services for the elderly, pastoral care of the sick, prison ministries and addiction services. Support for the appeal is important “because it is really the Church in action,” said Robert Siebel, Charities’ executive director.

Two million dollars will also be allocated for Catholic education programs – $1.5 million for need-based scholarships to children in parochial schools and $500,000 for school program support initiatives.

In order to strengthen the financial underpinnings of parishes, the appeal allocates $1,750,000 to them through the Parish Assistance Fund and the Parish Share Fund. Selected parishes that are in difficult fiscal circumstances benefit from the assistance fund.

Parishes that go over their goal receive the overage as part of the parish share component of the appeal.

The strong emphasis the diocese is placing on the formation of parishioners in the Catholic faith is underscored by the commitment of $1 million of appeal moneys to that work. The elements of the faith formation program include programs for children, adolescents and adults, youth ministry, catechist training, family support, evangelization communications, Pre-Cana, Respect Life education, marriage preparation and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

For the promotion of vocations, the appeal has designated $750,000. The funds will help support the Vocation Office, Cathedral Prep Seminary, Cathedral Residence of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston and the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, L.I., and scholarships for seminarians.

The diocese’s widely admired Catholic Migration Office, a model for dioceses across the country, will receive $500,000 from the moneys donated to the appeal, so that it can continue to maintain its legal and educational services and Pastoral Services Department.

The video produced for the appeal included comments by Bishop DiMarzio, the three recently ordained Auxiliary Bishops, Guy A. Sansaricq, Octavio Cisneros and Frank J. Caggiano, Siebel, two elementary school principals – Sister Dorothea Jurkowski, C.S.F.N., of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Brooklyn, and Sister Maureen Ahlemeyer, P.B.V.M., of St. Raphael’s, Long Island City – and two school parents, Helen Bailey of St. Raphael’s and Irene Beltran of St. Stanislaus Kostka.

In 2006, the appeal received $9,996,462.59 from 49,543 contributors – parishioners and friends of the diocese. It was an increase from the appeal in 2005, which drew $9,271,306.98 from 46,029 donors.

In his comments for the appeal video, Bishop DiMarzio said “much has been done, and is being done” in the diocese, “in our Father’s name. But the needs are ever present.”

The Bishop’s closing words asked parishioners to “be as generous as you are able,” adding: “I will be grateful for all you do. And the Lord will bless you.”

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