Bishop's Appeal hits an all-time high

Donations from Catholics across the Albany Diocese have boosted the annual Bishop's Appeal to an all-time high, according to John Manning, director of the diocesan Stewardship Office, which oversees the campaign.

Mr. Manning reported that the 2004 Bishop's Appeal hit $6,661,000 this week, a three-percent increase over last year's total at the same time.

That increase represents nearly $203,000 in donations. The final report total for last year's Bishop's Appeal was $6,458,657.

The average gift for the 39,500 contributors was $169 per year, also a record high. A parish-by-parish tally of the giving appears on page 5.

Mr. Manning lauded diocesan and parish leadership for doing "an excellent job of sharing with the people the purpose of the Bishop's Appeal," which supports Catholic Charities programs that serve the elderly, homeless and poor, as well as unwed mothers, persons with disabilities and those with HIV/AIDS. The appeal also supports Catholic schools, religious education, training for laity and clergy, and Church administration and pastoral ministries.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the campaign. Mr. Manning believes the combination of that anniversary and the use of a new set of guidelines for giving encouraged Catholics to donate. In addition, he said, the upturn in the U.S. economy has enabled more people to give.

The director said that giving to the annual campaign has been up ever since it started in April, months before Bishop Howard J. Hubbard was cleared of all allegations of sexual misconduct in an independent investigation by former U.S. attorney Mary Jo White. "People put their credibility in what the Bishop said at the beginning," the director stated, referring to Bishop Hubbard's adamant denial of the accusations. "The people believed him because of his 27 years of sterling character, commitment and service to the Church."

Bishop Hubbard himself expressed "profound gratitude" to the Catholics of the Diocese for "their extraordinary stewardship commitment to the ongoing works of the Church throughout the Albany Diocese, and for their unwavering commitment to the mission, message and ministry of Jesus as it is lived out in our time."

Mr. Manning told The Evangelist he was "ecstatic" at the record amount of donations, and praised Catholics' generosity.

"It's a testament to the people's understanding of the vital connection between their diocesan and parish Church," he said.

(7/15/04)