BRIDGEPORT,
Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - Taking to heart the theme,
"Sharing God's Gifts," Catholics across Fairfield County responded
with record generosity to the single most important fundraiser
of the Diocese of Bridgeport, donating $10.6 million
to the 2005 Annual Bishop's Appeal, the largest amount
in history. This is $2.4 million more than was raised by last
year's Appeal.
The Appeal,
which exceeded its goal of $10 million by 4 percent, funds
the many programs and ministries of the Catholic Church in
Fairfield County, including Catholic
schools, religious
education programs, new vocations
to the priesthood, ministries
to Hispanics, Haitians, and other ethnic groups; chaplains
in hospitals and nursing homes; the Safe
Environments program, and Catholic
Charities.
The Appeal
was launched in March to all 87 Catholic parishes throughout
Fairfield County, and concluded on August 16. The $10.6 million
result exceeded last year's record Appeal performance of $8.2
million.
Highlights
Among
the highlights of the 2005 Appeal:
- The
total number of gifts increased: 26,928, versus
26,531 in 2004.
- The
average gift increased $80 to $392, versus $312
in 2004.
- 75
of the 87 parishes in Fairfield County met or exceeded their
Appeal goal, seven more than in 2004.
- Credit
card giving increased 17% and totaled more than
1,400 gifts, with online
giving at the Diocesan website becoming more popular
and convenient.
- The
GE Foundation joined a growing list of corporations
which offered matching gift opportunities to people
who donated to the Appeal to support Catholic Charities.
"Typical
Generosity"
"We raised
the bar higher this year, because the needs continue to grow,
and our faithful responded with typical generosity," says
Bishop William E. Lori. "By 'Sharing God's Gifts,'
we can continue to express the Gospel message through the
many good works of the Church. Children will be educated and
grow in their love for and knowledge of the faith; future
priests will be trained; the poor and disadvantaged will be
given new hope. I am so very thankful to everyone for this
beautiful expression of faith."
Bishop
Lori had special praise for the leadership of both clergy
and lay people in achieving this record result in parishes
across the diocese.
Special
emphasis was made this year at the local level, with a grass-roots
campaign of receptions and speakers at parish Masses to spread
the word about the vital needs supported by the Appeal.
"Without
the cooperation of our 87 pastors, we would not have achieved
this tremendous result," says Msgr. Thomas J. Driscoll,
pastor of Notre Dame Parish in Easton, vicar general of the
diocese, and chairman of the 20-member Pastors Advisory Committee
of the Appeal. "Their diligent work made the difference, and
they deserve our great thanks."
Denis
J. Nayden of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Wilton, a managing
partner of Oak Hill Capital Management, served as chairman
of the 2005 Appeal's Lay Steering Committee, comprised of
dedicated parishioners who volunteered their time and talents
to achieve the goal.
"Each
day, throughout Fairfield County, thousands of people, young
and old, single and married, Catholic and non-Catholic, are
assisted in some wonderful, enriching way by a program which
is funded by the Appeal," Nayden says. "On behalf of each
and every one of them, I thank all the donors who contributed
this year to the Appeal. We appreciate every donation, from
the smallest sacrificial gift to the largest. Literally thousands
of people are helping thousands of their neighbors come a
little closer to achieving a dream.
"That's
what the Appeal is all about: participation in the mission
of our Church and its many good works which expand our faith
and uphold the dignity of life at all stages and levels,"
Nayden concludes.
Education
and Charities
This year's
Appeal increased funding to two areas of growing importance
to the people of Fairfield County, both Catholic and non-Catholic:
- $2.5
million is earmarked to expand and enrich Catholic
Education in Fairfield County, through 39
Catholic Schools which educate more than 12,000 students
in grades pre-K through 12, and 87 parish
religious education programs which prepare 31,000 children
to receive the Sacraments and grow in their knowledge of
the faith and love for God. In addition, $1 million will
provide a foundation for the six Catholic elementary schools
in Bridgeport (the "Cathedral
Education Cluster"), located in some of the city's poorest
neighborhoods. The Cathedral Education Cluster is the model
for a reorganized regional structure which will be extended
to all Catholic Schools in the diocese.
"We
are thrilled with the Appeal results," says Dr. Margaret
Dames, Superintendent of Catholic schools. "Every one
of our 39 schools will receive special funding for facility
upgrades and professional development."
- $1.5
million (nearly double the 2004 allocation) will enable
Catholic
Charities, in the wake of cuts in state and federal
funding, to continue to function as the largest private
social services agency in Fairfield County, as well as to
expand its initiatives, including abstinence education,
early-childhood assessment and youth services, and housing.
Catholic Charities has 27 programs with offices centered
in Bridgeport, Danbury, Stamford, and Norwalk. Its programs
include case management to the chronic mentally ill, behavioral
health and counseling programs, senior services, and a wide
variety of services to women and children.
"The
support from the Appeal makes it possible for us to put
our faith into action as we reach out to the needy and vulnerable
of our region," says Al Barber, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Catholic Charities.
Parish
Pride
At the
local level, 87 parish
faith communities celebrated their participation in the
wider mission of the Catholic Church.
At Immaculate
Heart of Mary Parish in Danbury, a Portuguese community
of 520 families, the pastor, Father Antonio Carvalho De
Azevedo, was pleased by the parish's $21,000 result, 103
percent of its goal.
"Although
our people are poor and immigrants, they are very generous,"
he says. "They want to help the Church, just as they reach
out to help each other and their neighbors. Everyone pulls
together."
Father
made an effort to promote the Appeal in his Sunday bulletin
and at every Mass, noting that support for new priests was
popular.
In Greenwich,
Father Michael Moynihan was also proud of his parish,
Saint Michael the Archangel, which had one of the highest
totals, raising $340,000, or 183 percent of its goal.
"I'm so
pleased that the people of this parish view the response to
support the Church; not just the parish, but everything the
Church means: the diocese, the Universal Church, the missions,
vocations, retired religious," he says. "They have a healthy
view of the Church, and realize the needs are great."
Needs
Continue to Grow
Looking
ahead to next year, fundraising remains a priority for the
Catholic Church as the needs of the poor, the disadvantaged,
and the young continue to grow in Fairfield County.
The 2006
Annual Bishop's Appeal, which will be launched in March, will
be overseen by a group of dedicated parishioners who form
the Lay Steering Committee. The 2006 Committee will be chaired
by John and Jody Myers of Saint Pius X Parish in
Fairfield. John Myers is president and CEO of GE Asset
Management in Stamford.
Serving
as Vice-Chairs of the Committee will be Paul and Patricia
Kuehner of Saint Mary Parish in Ridgefield. Paul
Kuehner is Chief Financial Officer of Building and Land Technology
in Norwalk.
(To
learn more the Annual Bishop's Appeal, the many programs and
ministries that support thousands of people, and to make a
donation, click here.)
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