January
21, 2004
NEWS
RELEASE
Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal takes place February 15
The theme for the 2004 Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal is “Blessed are they who Hope in the Lord.”Commitment weekend for the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal (ACA) will be February 15.The mission statement for the Appeal states it was “established to raise the consciousness of every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon that we are more than members of individual parishes…we are members of the Church universal.”The Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal helps to support more than 80 vitally important ministries and programs in the Archdiocese.The Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal is a charitable trust in which donors make contributions for specified programs.
Reflecting
on the theme of hope, Archbishop John G. Vlazny said, “Hope is not being
Pollyanna, but having a real trust in God’s plan and His will.”He
continued, “I hope the appeal continues to be unifying.The
People of God of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon are spread over
30,000 squire miles, but this appeal helps us recognize that we’re in this
together---evangelizing the larger world of Western Oregon, bringing the
Lord Jesus and his values and his hope to others.”
The
goal for the 2004 Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal is $2,865,000.Last
year parishioners
in the Archdiocese showed their hope for the future of the Church in
The
Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal provides support for ministries that serve
the local parishes.The Office for
People with Disabilities extends pastoral support to disabled Catholics
and their families.Dorothy Coughlin,
Director of the Office for People with Disabilities, reflected on the importance
of this ministry for many families:
So many families are anguishing, feeling abandoned.When they call the archdiocese, they are at a crisis point.We offer pastoral love for people, assuring them that we’re not meant to carry our suffering alone.
The
hope we bring is that we speak the language of their pain.We
grow in hope as we share our stories of how we live with the unfolding
of our lives, particularly the unfolding of the events in our life that
we would never had hoped for – yet accepting our life and living in faith,
knowing that God is with us.Just
the existence of our office is a sign of hope to families; and without
the ACA, that sign of hope would not be there.
The
2004 ACA will provide support for Pastoral Care ministries such as the
Office for People with Disabilities, Family Life Ministry, Ministry Formation,
Pro-life ministry and Church organizations in the wider Church.The
Appeal also provides support Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.There
are 43 elementary and 9 secondary Catholic schools serving more than 14,160
students.Last year’s ACA helped
to provide tuition assistance grants for 538 families – families that would
not have been able to
The
Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal supports the future of ministry in the Archdiocese
by its support of vocations and seminary education.Father
Kelly Vandehey, Director of Vocations, noted, “The financial dimension
of the ACA --- the support for seminarians --- is very practical.Much
larger is the fact that when people from the Archdiocese of Portland donate
money, they’re doing so in part because they want to help these men study
to become priests. The sense of support for seminarians that comes from
the people really is the hope.”In
addition to seminary education the Appeal provides support for the Continuing
Education of Priests, support for the formation of permanent deacons, and
provides supplemental care for priests who are ill and retired.
Other
areas of ministry supported by the ACA include Campus Ministry to students
attending nine colleges and universities in western Oregon, support for
evangelization, religious education and youth ministry, and ministry to
ethnic groups in our parishes.The
Appeal provides support for the Oregon Catholic Conference, which advocates
and promotes the pastoral teaching of Oregon’s Catholic Bishops on various
issues at the state and national levels in service to the Catholic people
in Oregon.
Parishes
and groups of parishes receive direct support through the ACA Parish Grant
program.Parishes apply for grants
that “support the mission of this local Church by funding special parish-based
efforts, programs, and projects that ordinarily would remain unfunded because
of fiscal and budgetary constraints.”In
all more than 80 ministries and programs are supported by the ACA.
“The
ACA helps the local Church be all that we hope it can be,” said Archbishop
Vlazny.He continued “I’m truly grateful
to those who lovingly and faithfully support the Church’s mission---even
when things are rough.Please join
me as we launch this appeal that brings hope to so many in Western Oregon.”ACA
commitment Sunday is February 15.
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