Partners in Charity kicks off, goes to the people

BY BILL DOYLE | CFP CORRESPONDENT

When people donate to Partners in Charity’s annual appeal, they realize that they’re supporting thousands of families and individuals in more than 25 charitable, educational and pastoral ministries in the Worcester Diocese.
Some, however, wonder exactly how their contributions affect these ministries. Now they’ll get their chance to find out.
Invitations have been sent for people to attend one of seven launch gatherings from Jan. 23 through Feb. 23 throughout the diocese.
There will be a meal and the opportunity to meet representatives of ministries that Partners in Charity supports.
Partners in Charity has held launch gatherings for pastors and chair couples in the past, but there was only one per year and donors were not invited. This year, Bishop McManus invited the donors and leaders from the 25 agencies and ministries supported by Partners in Charity to these seven launch gatherings.
“Allow our leaders to share with you the impact your gift makes for countless lives in our community,” Bishop McManus wrote in his invitation.
“Hopefully, they feel informed about all the ministries and agencies and the good work that’s going on,” said Michael P. Gillespie, the director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development who oversees the annual Partners in Charity appeal.
“A brochure can give you only so much information,” he said. “Nothing beats a conversation with a person who’s in the field, who’s helping people directly one on one, encountering people who are looking to the Church for help and hope and assistance.”
Bishop McManus will welcome everyone at the first launch gathering on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the St. Joseph Parish Center in Auburn. Donors from Worcester and 11 other communities will hear Timothy Messenger, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, who will speak. Leaders from other ministries will also attend and Partners will distribute promotional material and show a video.
“Hopefully, they will feel appreciated,” Mr. Gillespie said. “That’s a key thing and feel engaged so they’ll want to continue to support the ministries through Partners in Charity and they feel more connected with it.”
Msgr. Richard F. Reidy will lead the gathering on Thursday, Jan. 25, at St. John the Baptist Parish in East Brookfield for donors in eight nearby communities. Timothy McMahon, executive director of Catholic Charities, will speak. Msgr. Reidy will also oversee the gathering on Tuesday, Jan. 30, at St. Mary of the Hills Parish in Boylston for donors in 10 communities. Father Donato Infante, director of the Office for Vocations, will speak there.
Bishop McManus will lead the gathering on Thursday, Feb. 1, at Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Leominster for donors from 12 communities. Msgr. John Doran will speak about priest retirement.
Msgr. Reidy will oversee the gathering on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge for donors in seven communities. David Perda, superintendent of schools, will speak.
Bishop McManus will lead a gathering on Thursday, Feb. 8, at St. Joseph Basilica Parish in Webster for donors in seven area communities when Father Richard Trainor, minister to priests, will speak.
Invited guests who could not attend any of the prior gatherings can take part in the last one on Friday, Feb. 23, at St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester when Bishop McManus will lead, and Stephen Sycks will speak about the parish liaison ministry.
Donors will meet with leaders from ministries at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will follow at 6 p.m. for each of the first six launch gatherings. At St. Paul Cathedral, the meet and greet will begin at 12:10 p.m., followed by lunch at 12:45 p.m.
Mr. Gillespie said Partners in Charity would like to invite all of the nearly 12,000 donors from 2023 to attend a launch gathering, but that wouldn’t be practical, so the top 2,000 donors have been invited to attend.
Partners in Charity supports eight education agencies: 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 and Diocesan School grants. It also supports 13 ministries: African Ministry, Catholic Campus Ministry, Hispanic Apostolate, Minster 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, Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies, and Youth and Young Adult Ministries. In addition, Partners in Charity supports five charitable organizations: Catholic Charities, Pernet Family Health Service, Priests’ Retirement, Retired Priests Health Ministry, and the Diocesan Cemetery System.
Partners in Charity has once again set a goal to raise $5 million in 2024 after falling just short the past few years. Last year, $4,636,069 was raised, 93 percent of the goal. In 2022, $4,739,605 was raised, 94.7 percent of the goal. The goal was last reached in 2018 when $5,076,252 was raised.
Raising money for Partners in Charity became more challenging in 2019 after the diocese launched Legacy of Hope, its first capital campaign in more than 20 years, to repair aging churches and other parish buildings, fund priests’ retirement and custodial care, support Catholic education and fund parish-based charitable outreach. That campaign ended at the end of 2022 with the goal of $32 million attained, but some parishioners have three more years to make payments on their pledges.
“A number of our donors who have completed their pledges for Legacy of Hope,” Mr. Gillespie said, “have now returned to Partners in Charity.”
The pandemic and the merging of parishes also affected fundraising for Partners in Charity.
Despite the recent shortfalls, Mr. Gillespie said Partners in Charity has been able to fully fund all the ministries. He remains optimistic that the $5 million goal will be reached this year.
The 2023 appeal ended at the end of August and since then Partners in Charity has received 895 gifts worth $510,683 for the 2024 appeal. That’s $37,000 more than Partners in Charity had received by the same time the year before.
Parishes usually begin fundraising for Partners in Charity during Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 14.
Donations can be made online at https://partners-charity.net/donate, by texting DONATE to 84576, by calling 508-929-4366, by mailing a check to Partners in Charity Appeal, Diocese of Worcester, 49 Elm St., Worcester, MA, 01609, or giving one to your pastor. Checks should be made payable to “Partners in Charity Appeal” and the parish name should be noted in the memo line.