Partners ends appeal with 95%

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

Bishop McManus has expressed his gratitude for the support given to this year’s Partners in Charity appeal, which officially concluded on Aug. 31, reaching 95 percent of its $5 million goal.  (See Parish Results)
More than half the parishes met or surpassed their goal, and others worked hard to come close. These parishes especially impressed Michael P. Gillespie, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development, which organizes the campaign to support ministry, education and charity.
“Now that our annual Partners in Charity appeal has officially ended, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude and profound appreciation to the clergy, religious, lay faithful, and all the benefactors of this annual appeal, for their very generous financial support,” Bishop McManus said.
This year’s total was $4,739,605 from 12,257 gifts. The total raised from one-time donations and pledges comes close to the pre-pandemic collection in 2019 of $4,760,000 from 14,657 gifts.
Last year’s appeal raised $4,469,175 from 13,290 gifts, and in 2020 the total was $4,379,895 from 12,541 gifts, Mr. Gillespie said. Each year the goal was $5 million.
Fund raising has suffered the negative effects of COVID-19 for the past two years. Also, the diocese has been involved in a $32 million capital campaign called Legacy of Hope. Blocks of parishes have had staggered campaign start times since the end of 2019. The final group completed its campaign in December 2021. The pledge collection period extends into 2025.  
The bishop said the amount raised by Partners this year is “truly remarkable,” given that many donors are still fulfilling their pledges to the diocese’s Legacy of Hope capital campaign, and many have financial restraints due to inflation.
“My fervent prayer is that our good God will abundantly bless and reward all those who contributed,” Bishop McManus said. “Thank you for being ‘the face of Christ’ to those less fortunate than ourselves.”
The appeal banner displayed outside the churches urged people to “be the face of Christ.”
This year 58 parishes reached their goal, compared with 46 last year and 36 the previous year, Mr. Gillespie said.
He highlighted a few parishes for their efforts and achievements and credited the development office team for working with the pastors.
St. Francis of Assisi in Athol and St. Peter’s in Petersham “haven’t reached goal in ages,” but did this year, Mr. Gillespie said. St. Francis raised 104% of its $5,300 goal and St. Peter’s raised 100% of its $6,000 goal.
These smaller parishes share a pastor, Father Mateus Souza, with Our Lady Immaculate in Athol, which made 100% of its $23,800 goal.
“It’s such a renewal up there; I’m so impressed,” Mr. Gillespie said. “It’s very refreshing to see them bring Partners in Charity back to the forefront.” Father Souza worked closely with the development office, he said.
“I personally believe that it’s a very important campaign and it has to start with the pastor” believing in it and promoting it, Father Souza said. He said he told parishioners about the importance of the campaign and explained what it supports, including seminarian education, which benefited him when he prepared for the priesthood.
Every Mass, every weekend, “I would let them know where we were in the collection,” by reporting the number of donors, amount raised and amount still needed, he said. “And I would tell them there were envelopes in the pew” for donating. “I think that was the big thing that helped us.” He kept the envelopes there, in case visitors or people who hadn’t heard of the appeal came.
He said he tried to keep his message simple, “like a little reminder, and people appreciated that.” They didn’t feel like he was begging for money, he said.
“I was confident that, if we pushed it in a nice way,” the parishes would reach their goals, he said. But “it was a nice surprise” that they did. “I’m very thankful, and proud of the three communities.”
Mr. Gillespie noted that St. Anne and St. Patrick Parish in Sturbridge also worked with his office. “They gave it their best shot,” and raised 83% of their $53,800 goal, he said.
“For us the timing wasn’t great,” said Julie Glavin, business manager at St. Anne and St. Patrick. The parish finished the Legacy of Hope campaign, for which parishioners were “so generous,” last December, and started the Partners appeal around February this year, she said. She said some people who contributed to Legacy of Hope did not give to Partners this year like they had in the past.
“What we tried to do was talk about the impact locally of Partners in Charity,” she said. “People have to see the impact on parish life and our local community.” Among those effects are the parish’s “wonderful deacons” and faith formation, and the outreach of Catholic Charities in neighboring Southbridge, she said. Such ministries benefit from donations to the appeal.
“What I tried to do was really stay on top of who made gifts,” and not send letters seeking donations to those who had already given, Ms. Glavin said.
“Nothing worse,” she said. If a parish does that, donors ask, “Didn’t you get our gift?” So, she asked the diocesan development office weekly for reports about which parishioners made online donations directly to the office.
Asked why the parish did as well as it did, Ms. Glavin said, “People understand the importance of Partners in Charity; they know that it funds the day-to-day operations of the diocese. They show their support as much as they can.”
She said she doesn’t think their population differs from other parishes; “we’ve got people who can afford to give a lot,” and those who can’t. And their situations change.
The parish had an in-pew solicitation and promoted the appeal by giving weekly updates in the Sunday bulletin, comparing figures to last year, she said. The pastor, Assumptionist Father Alex Castro, and others talked about it at Masses.
Another place Mr. Gillespie highlighted was St. Aloysius Parish in Hardwick/Gilbertville and its mission, St. Augustine, which raised 102% of the $13,800 goal.
“We haven’t made a goal in a long time,” said Father Richard A. Lembo, pastor. “We usually come close to the goal.”
He shared his approach.
Each week he put the goal and the amount raised to date in the parish bulletin, he said.
“I never talk too much about money,” he said. “I talked the first weekend, and maybe the second. … Toward the end I would mention it” more, at different Masses different weekends.
Mr. Gillespie provided him with material for a final push, and Father Lembo told parishioners he was sending them a letter with his own signature, in case they had forgotten to contribute or been absent. He presented it as “just a thought” about an “opportunity,” and encouraged parishioners, “Let’s see if we can make it,” he said.
“The people here are very generous if I present something,” he said.
– For more go to www.partners-charity.net.

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