Bishop's Appeal kicking off; aids ministries

In 1954, the Albany Diocese instituted the Bishop's Appeal to fund and foster pastoral services for Catholics and social services for those in need.

This year, the Bishop's Appeal is celebrating 50 years of donors' "unwavering commitment to Christ's call to service," said John Manning, director of the diocesan Stewardship Office, which oversees the campaign.

The annual Appeal kicks off at Masses this weekend when Catholics will be asked to "be, do and live the Church" by pledging their sacrificial gifts, he said.

Giving and getting

The $6.7 million raised last year supported scores of essential ministries, such as Catholic schools and religious education classes, programs for unwed mothers and their children, food services for the hungry, visitations to homebound senior citizens, and marriage preparation.

"Catholics are really the recipients of their own generosity" when they donate to the Appeal, Mr. Manning explained, because most of the funds go to the "programs and services that directly serve parishes: schools, family life, religious education -- all the things that are essential in a parish."

In addition, the Bishop's Appeal supports training for seminarians, sustains continuing education for clergy, and buttresses formation programs for lay and religious parish life directors.

Helping others

The Bishop's Appeal funds ministries and programs that have a wide-ranging impact in the pews of the Diocese's 179 parishes.

"These services are not ethereal," said Mr. Manning. "They are flesh and blood. They help people -- and that's the essence of it: Real people are affected by real services. It impacts every single parishioner."

Among the programs are:

* Formation for Ministry, which has trained nearly 1,000 men and women to be catechetical leaders, members of pastoral councils and bereavement teams, visitors of the sick and homebound, and full-time pastoral associates for liturgy or service in parishes;

* The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, which sends teenagers to the National Catholic Youth Conference, certifies catechists and oversees the religious education of tens of thousands of children who do not attend Catholic schools;

* Catholic Charities, which has offices in the 14 counties of the Diocese that offer a constellation of services, such as adoption, chemical dependency counseling, housing for the disabled, Hispanic ministries, homeless shelters and emergency assistance;

* The Family Life Office, which prepares couples for marriage through Pre-Cana classes and hosts Project Rachel, a counseling program for women who have had abortions;

* The 38 Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese, which receive funding to improve their curricula. (In 2003, 91 percent of fourth-graders in diocesan elementary schools met or exceeded state standards on the New York State mathematics tests.)

Amid crisis

Mr. Manning expressed his appreciation for the ongoing commitment of Catholics to the goals of the Appeal during the sexual abuse scandal of the past two years.

"The Bishop's Appeal is for the programs and services that we offer to each other as Church," he said. "It is about togetherness, partnership -- the fundamental call to love. We can't just walk away from that."

He noted that no funds from the Bishop's Appeal pay any costs associated with the sexual abuse scandal or the independent investigation of current allegations against Bishop Howard J. Hubbard. Those needs are covered by the diocesan self-insurance fund, which is separate from the Appeal.

Despite the scandal, proceeds from the Bishop's Appeal have increased in recent years, leading Mr. Manning to be confident that Catholics will respond again to this year's call for aid.

"We are called upon to give, to support, to be an active member of the Church," he said. "This is a time to celebrate and be thankful for this 50-year tradition of being Church. I am very optimistic that people will support the Bishop's Appeal."

(4/22/04) [[In-content Ad]]