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Jean-Paul and Gerrie Musicco have been named Chair Couple of the 2010 "Living Our Faith" Annual Bishop’s Appeal.
The New Canaan couple, members of St. Aloysius Parish, bring a deep and renewed faith along with their commitment to building a more compassionate community.
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The Diocese of Bridgeport has an email newsletter, Living Our Faith, in addition to our periodic e-mail updates on the Appeal and other areas. Sign up for our e-newsletter today!
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<< Back to Article Index
With Two Months to Go, Appeal Tops $8 Million
Article Appears in the May 9, 2009 Edition of the Fairfield County Catholic
BRIDGEPORT – As the 2009 Living our Faith Annual Bishop’s Appeal crosses the halfway mark and moves into its final seven weeks, the Development Office of the Diocese of Bridgeport reports that more than $8 million has been pledged, towards the goal of $12 million, from more than 18,000 donors.
Generosity
“We are very pleased and grateful for the continued generosity of parishioners across Fairfield County,” says Jeff Machi, executive director of development. “We have noticed that, in this difficult economic year, the Appeal has attracted more than 3,000 new donors. Many of our repeat donors from last year have increased their gifts this year by as much as 8 percent.”
The Annual Bishop’s Appeal is the primary fundraiser for the essential programs and ministries of the Catholic Church in Fairfield County.
The Lord’s Work
“Our prayers are being answered. Next week we will see the ordination of six men, and we now have 28 seminarians. It’s an example of how the Annual Bishop’s Appeal has been working toward the very things we pray for, and our people understand that when they make a gift.”
“With the assistance of parishioners throughout the diocese, the Appeal feeds the hungry; provides shelter to the
homeless; educates and forms our youth in the faith; creates momentum for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and sustains the elderly,” says Bishop William E. Lori. “We simply could not do the Lord’s work without the participation of our family of faith through the Appeal.”
Thanks to funds from the Appeal, Catholic Charities is the largest provider of social services in Fairfield County to people of all faiths, after the government. The Appeal also supports 39 diocesan Catholic schools, the largest private educational system in the county.
Involvement
Machi credits the Appeal’s success to the pastors for their leadership and support, as well as the encouragement and enthusiasm of the Appeal co-chairs, Jan and Robert Dilenschneider.
“We know our early success is directly related to Jan and Bob’s level of involvement,” he says. “They have been active in so many ways, from hosting receptions for donors and being community advocates, to their column in Fairfield County Catholic”.
To date, four parishes in the diocese have already gone over their Appeal goal, and 66 of the 87 parishes have raised more than 50 percent of their goal. Two of the parishes are in Bridgeport: Blessed Sacrament and Saint Peter’s.
Getting the Message
To the west in Fairfield, persistence on his part and “generosity and commitment” on the part of his parishioners have helped Msgr. Blase Gintoli to quickly lead Our Lady of the Assumption Parish past its $127,000 Appeal goal.
“I’ve been talking about it for years and I think the message has sunk in,” says Msgr. Gintoli. “Without the Appeal, many diocesan programs for the poor and needy would be curtailed throughout the year. In this current economic time, I think everyone really knows that now, it’s more important than ever to give.”
Increased Giving
Msgr. Gintoli says that many households in his parish of 1,700 families have been affected by the downturn, with people requesting financial assistance and other forms of help. This year, he says, fewer people in the parish gave overall, but those who did give increased their amounts over past giving.
“They know things are tough, they may even be watching their own budgets, but they know it’s more important than ever to give when so many people are in need,” he explains.
He says that people see the tangible results of the Appeal in many ways, whether its housing or nutrition programs supported by Catholic Charities, Catholic schools, or any of the scores of charitable and service programs at work daily throughout the diocese.
“Our prayers are being answered,” Msgr. Gintoli says of the Appeal’s impact on themany programs it supports. “Next week we will see the ordination of six men, and we now have 28 seminarians. It’s an example of how the Appeal has been working toward the very things we pray for, and our people understand that.”
In Need of Help
Further north, Saint Elizabeth Seton Parish in Ridgefield has also gone over its $75,000 goal. The pastor, Father Joseph Prince, notes that while many people think of Saint Elizabeth Seton as an affluent parish because of its location, many parishioners live on fixed incomes or come from surrounding, less affluent,
towns.
Father Prince says some of his parishioners have lost their jobs in the downturn and that for this first time, the parish has created a job networking group to help them find new employment. But it hasn’t dimmed their volunteer spirit and their willingness to help those in greater need.
Saint Elizabeth Seton parishioners can be found actively working in the Dorothy Day soup kitchen in Danbury, collecting medical supplies to send to Haiti, and maintaining their own “Sunshine Fund” to help other parishioners get through tough times.
Father Prince is proud of the parish’s response to the Appeal, and he says it’s just one more expression of their deep faith and commitment to charitable acts. “They know the Appeal helps and they want to share their blessings with other people who are in need,” he says.
June 30 Close
The 2009 Appeal closes on June 30, which means those who have not given have less than two months to make a gift.
“There still remain more than 5,400 donors who gave in 2008 and have not yet made their pledge,” says Pam Rittman, Appeal director. “Every gift is essential, and every single one makes a big difference.”
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