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February 11, 2022BY RAYMOND L. DELISLE
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Banner up?Video on the website?
Brochures ready to stuff in bulletins?
Letters going out to past donors?
That is the checklist for the 22 parishes kicking off their parish appeals for Partners in Charity this month.
Why just 22?
“Last year we tried a phased-in approach so we could work more closely with each parish,” said Michael P. Gillespie, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development, which oversees the annual appeal. “Pastors appreciated the approach, so we are using it again this year.”
That means the majority of the 96 parishes and three missions in the diocese will begin their appeals in March.
“We are excited to announce that we have already received 1,612 gifts amounting to $616,538 or 12% of our $5 million goal, thanks to early gifts and year-end giving at the end of 2021,” Mr. Gillespie said. “That means virtually none of our parishes have to start their appeal from zero, which gives everyone a good momentum.”
St. Joseph the Good Provider Parish in Berlin is in the group of parishes getting underway in February. On Monday, Mr. Gillespie said that St. Joseph’s already had a handful of advance gifts logged.
“We’ve always started early anyway, whenever the diocese opened it up,” said Father Thomas M. Tokarz, pastor.
Times are tough, and even Sunday collections are way down, he said, but “we hope we can come close to our goal.” Father Tokarz added that they haven’t reached the goal in recent years.
“I hope we can accomplish something for the diocese and Partners in Charity,” he said.
The theme for this year, “Be the Face of Christ,” continues to build on a theme introduced last year, according to Mr. Gillespie. “It was an effective way to ask people to see this as part of our mission as baptized Catholics,” he said.
The theme is graphically represented in this year’s banner using the face of Christ from a stained-glass window at St. Paul Cathedral.
Bishop McManus reflects on how Pope Francis helps us understand our mission as “missionary disciples” in both the Partners in Charity video and the brochure. All materials are produced internally by the diocesan Communications Ministry working with various recipient agencies, including Partners in Charity, St. Paul Diocesan Junior/Senior High School, Hispanic Ministry and the Office for Vocations.
The appeal also launched a new website this week at www.Partners-Charity.net to help make it easier for parishes to find resources, for donors to make online donations, and for people who are new to the appeal to learn more about the impact it makes in Central Massachusetts communities.
Parishes also have the option of using Flocknote to communicate with parishioners about the appeal via email.
“We know that videos are awkward to show in many churches, and with winter weather, illness and family commitments, many parishioners are not at a Mass on the weekend a parish may conduct its in-pew solicitation,” noted Mr. Gillespie. “When parishes use Flocknote, the video and brochure are already packaged for them to share with parishioners along with a secure online donation link that credits their parish with the gift.”
“I think people at St. Mark’s have always been very generous to Partners in Charity,” said Father Michael A. DiGeronimo, pastor of St. Mark Parish in Sutton, another early parish. “I’m looking forward to them being just as generous this year. We’ve always made our goal.”
St. Mark’s is off to a strong start and already had 23 gifts totaling $9,350, Mr. Gillespie said Monday.
The other 20 parishes starting this month are:
•
St. John, Guardian of Our Lady, Clinton•
St. John the Baptist,
East Brookfield•
St. Francis of Assisi,
Fitchburg•
St. Aloysius/St. Augustine Mission, Gilbertville•
Our Lady of the Lake, Leominster•
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Milford•
St. Mary of the
Assumption, Milford•
St. Joseph, North
Brookfield• St. Roch, Oxford
•
Mary, Queen of the
Rosary, Spencer•
St. Richard of Chichester, Sterling•
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Webster•
St. Joseph Basilica,
Webster•
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, West Brookfield•
St. Edward the Confessor, Westminster•
Christ the King,
Worcester•
Our Lady of Lourdes, Worcester•
Our Lady of the Rosary, Worcester•
St. Christopher, Worcester•
St. John, WorcesterPartners in Charity supports the following
• Catholic Charities
•
McAuley Nazareth Home for Boys•
Pernet Family Health Service• Priests’ Retirement
•
Retired Priests Health
Ministry•
St. John Diocesan
Cemetery System•
Advanced Studies for
Clergy and Laity• Catholic Schools Office
•
Communications
Ministry• Grant-in-Aid for Schools
•
Office of Religious
Education•
Ongoing Priestly
Formation•
Seminarian Education•
Stewardship Office• African Ministry
• Catholic Campus Ministry
• Hispanic Apostolate
• Minister to Priests
• Office for Divine Worship
•
Office of Hispanic/Latino Ministry•
Office of Marriage and Family• Office of the Diaconate
• Respect Life Office
• St. Paul Cathedral
• Vocations Office
• House of Studies
•
Youth and Young Adult
Ministries
