Appeal runs April 20-May 5, with a goal of $15.5 million
As the Annual Catholic Appeal kicks off in parishes across the archdiocese, Catholics are called to consider how they can generously support ministries and services that bring Christ’s love to those in need.
This year’s theme is “For the Life of the World,” inspired by John 6:51: “I am the living bread that comes down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The appeal will be conducted in parishes the weekends of April 20-21, April 27-28 and May 4-5. This year’s goal is $15.5 million; about 91 cents of every dollar goes back into the community in the form of direct services.
“Every year, the Annual Catholic Appeal provides us an opportunity to come together to share the saving hope and love of Jesus Christ by funding the life-giving ministries and good works of our local Church,” Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said. “As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus’ example of love, so that others may come to know and love Him.”
The appeal funds programs including support for active and retired priests; adult faith formation and evangelization efforts; Catholic education assisting children with a sense of purpose and value; parish food pantries serving people who are hungry; medical and dental care for uninsured low-income residents in rural areas; programs that teach respect for human life; vocations programs, which help youth and young adults discern a vocation to the priesthood or religious life; support for youth ministry; and more.
“Because of your support, the Annual Catholic Appeal has helped many people to understand their value and to know, often for the first time, that they are loved,” Archbishop Rozanski said. “This is our mission, and we do it for the life of the world.”
The Annual Catholic Appeal makes ACA chairman Mike Heck proud to be Catholic by “the scope of it, the breadth of it, the depth of it, how it touches people in so many areas … so many different types of people with so many different needs,” he said. “It allows me, and those who participate, to do what Jesus asked us to do: to love Him and love one another.”
There are many real financial strains facing parishioners around the archdiocese, including inflation, medical costs, job losses and more, said Heck, who attends Mary Mother of the Church in Mattese. But “the deeper I go into what the ACA provides, the more I realized how important it is to be sacrificial.”
He sees the Annual Catholic Appeal as a way to increase our awareness of the good things the Church is doing for people in need and share that with others. He recalled chatting with a bank teller recently about the Rural Parish Clinic and the ways it brings medical and dental care to people without insurance.
“There’s so much good that goes on, and it’s necessary not only to serve others, but it also inspires the rest of us,” he said.
The eucharistic theme “For the Life of the World” is especially appropriate in the context of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival, Heck said. “We realize that all the noise that’s going on in the world just distracts us from the Life of the World, and what we’re really supposed to concentrate on — our ultimate salvation,” he said. “If we can realize that a little more each year as the Annual Catholic Appeal comes around, then we’ll all be better for it.”
>> How to donate
The financial goal of the 2024 Annual Catholic Appeal is $15.5 million. Approximately 91 cents of every dollar goes back into the community in the form of direct services. The appeal will be conducted in most parishes the weekends of April 20-21, April 27-28 and May 4-5. To learn more about the Annual Catholic Appeal, visit aca.archstl.org.
SERVING OUR PARISHES DIRECTLY
Elementary School Assistance $2,000,000
Stewardship and Development Support for Parishes, Schools and Agencies $425,000
Office of Peace and Justice $140,000
Parish Emergency Assistance Fund $100,000
Parish Food Pantries $75,000
Basilica of St. Louis, King of France $50,000
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis $50,000
SERVING OUR YOUTH
Archdiocesan and Parochial High Schools $1,416,000
Archdiocesan Seminary $500,000
Vocation Programs $380,000
Newman Centers on College Campuses $265,000
One Classroom $210,000
Religious Formation $200,000
Special Education $200,000
Today and Tomorrow Educational Fund $150,000
High School Stewardship Essay Program $55,000
Office of Youth Ministry $40,000
SERVING THE PEOPLE IN OUR PARISHES
Respect Life Apostolate $450,000
Evangelization and Discipleship $400,000
Adult Faith Formation $370,000
Natural Family Planning $221,000
Hispanic Ministry $200,000
Office of Racial Harmony $130,000
Catholic Deaf Ministry $112,000
Catholic St. Louis Magazine $80,000
Catholic Renewal Center $77,000
Elementary Teachers Educational Fund $75,000
St. Charles Lwanga Center $25,000
SERVING THOSE IN NEED
Catholic Charities $1,650,000
Rural Parish Clinic $325,000
Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service $155,000
Criminal Justice Ministry $75,000
Bridge of Hope Lincoln County $50,000
Rural Parish Workers $50,000
Archbishop’s Charity Fund $30,000
Messengers of Peace Mission Work $25,000
Meals Program and Sts. Peter and Paul Church $15,000
SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE US
Care for Active and Retired Priests $974,000
Regina Cleri Priests Retirement Home $370,000
Continuing Formation for Priests $280,000
Permanent Diaconate $100,000
Support for Religious Orders $50,000
OTHER
Annual Catholic Appeal Expenses $1,500,000
Reserve for Unpaid Pledges $930,000
Archdiocesan Services $465,000
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None of the money raised by the Annual Catholic Appeal is used to defend or settle criminal or civil lawsuits related to the clergy abuse scandal.
