Bishop's Appeal records increase

Catholics in the Albany Diocese have rallied to the annual Bishop's Appeal, lifting its total by one percent over last year's donations at a similar point in time, according to initial reports from parishes.

The Appeal began after Easter and concludes in June. The one-percent increase represents $38,000 in gifts and pledges.

"This is a remarkable and encouraging response," said John Manning, director of the diocesan Stewardship Office, which oversees the annual campaign. "I think Catholics know the Appeal is about continuing the mission, ministry and message of Jesus. They want to be part of that and have come through."

The Bishop's Appeal funds Catholic schools, charities, assistance to the elderly, religious training for clergy and laity, and a host of other programs.

As of this week, Catholics throughout the Diocese have donated or pledged more than $3.8 million to the campaign, a one-percent jump over last year's total at the same point in time. The 2002 Appeal finished with a seven-percent increase over 2001.

"The state of the economy, the jobless rate and people's reaction to the abuse scandal are all factors that people consider when they decide how much to give," Mr. Manning noted. "It seems to me that Catholics in the Albany Diocese have weighed those factors against the needs of the poor, the aged and children -- and decided to dig deeper so that the needy continue to get the help they deserve."

The increase is all the more encouraging, he added, because of the Capital Campaign, conducted in 2000. It could have been a factor in reducing donations as people continued to pay off their pledges to that special appeal for Catholic schools, charities and other long-term needs.

"The people of this Diocese have always displayed an outstanding generosity," Mr. Manning said. "I hope this first report is a sign of more good things to come and that the next report demonstrates the same sort of increase. The news so far is very good."

The increase comes at a time when other charities have experienced drops in donations. An April poll by Catholic Charities USA showed that nearly three-fourths of Catholics across the nation were hesitant to give more money to charity because of concerns about their own personal finances and about the abuse crisis. Catholic Charities USA is a national umbrella organization for more than 1,600 local Catholic agencies and institutions that assist more than seven million people a year.

Several other dioceses have announced cut-backs on budgets and personnel:

* The Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, plans to cut its budget by $2 million and reduce its work force by 12 percent;

* The Denver Archdiocese informed about 30 staff members that they were being laid off in an effort to trim the budget by $1.3 million;

* The Diocese of Rochester announced the lay-offs of nine employees and salary freezes for the remainder of its pastoral center staff;

* The Cleveland Diocese reached only $9.6 million of its $11.4 million goal; and

* The Boston Archdiocese, the epicenter of the abuse scandal, last year got only $8.6 million of the $17 million goal for its annual Cardinal's Appeal.

(5/29/03) [[In-content Ad]]