Faith to Move Mountains

Parish Rebates Received

For the period ending 6/30/22
 

Last week (the week of August 1), we received another rebate check in the amount of $288 for the period ending 6/30/22. The following report was provided from the campaign office:

For the period 2020-21

A Campaign Recap:

For the period ending 7/31/20

Thanks to all those who have been so faithful in keeping their financial commitment to the Diocesan Faith to Move Mountains Campaign.

I am pleased to report that our parish received a check in the amount of $6,401, as part of the “parish sharing” component of the appeal.

A Campaign Recap:

 

For the period ending 7/31/19

Last week, the parish received a check in the amount of $12,992, a rebate from our parish contributions to the Faith to Move Mountains Endowment Campaign. This will be used to defray the cost of the capital repairs and improvements being made to our buildings this summer.

The rebate is part of the parish sharing component of the endowment appeal. It is based on the total cash payments of $785,228 less any previous rebates received. Our next rebate will be determined based on cash payments received as of December 31, 2019. Our rebates have now totaled:  $235,568!

Parish Campaign Recap:

Thanks to all our donors for their extraordinary generosity and for their fidelity to their pledges! The rebate is indeed a blessing for our parish!

For the period ending 12/31/18:

We are pleased to inform you that our parish received a rebate check from the Diocese of Trenton in the amount of $15,320. This is part of the parish sharing component of the “Faith to Move Mountains” Campaign for the period ending December 31, 2018. The rebate is based on the total cash payments of $741,923 less any previous rebates distributed.

These funds have been applied to our diocesan bills for assessment and property and general liability.

Parish Campaign Recap:

Thanks to all those whose generosity and sacrifice to the campaign have made this rebate possible!

God Bless You!
Msgr. Gervasio
 

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To all the good people of Our Lady of Sorrows - Saint Anthony Parish,

As you may have heard, a major endowment campaign is currently underway at OLS-SA and throughout the Diocese of Trenton. The campaign focuses on 5 special endowment funds:

• Catechesis and Evangelization
• Parishes
• Ordained Ministry
• Catholic Schools
• Social Services

How is this campaign different than the Annual Catholic Appeal?

The Faith to Move Mountains campaign is a response to long-term and extraordinary needs, while the Annual Catholic Appeal helps to fund the day-to-day operating expenses of the Diocese. A major objective of the campaign is to establish new or increase existing endowments to offset anticipated increases in expenses over the long-term. For instance, 44% of our current priests will be eligible for retirement over the next 10 years alone! Meeting this increase in retirement needs (e.g. maintaining Villa Vianney) is an expense that our Diocese's ordinary income cannot address.

These endowments, on the other hand, will strengthen our Church to serve future generations of Catholics. This requires an extraordinary campaign which involves a commitment that is in addition to a Catholic's regular parish support and one's gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal.

1) Catechesis and Evangelization:

In order to effectively raise our children in the Catholic faith in all of the parishes across our four-county Diocese, the Diocese of Trenton will create an endowment fund that will support and expand our Catechesis and Evangelization programs in the following ways:

Catechists and Catechetical Leaders: Currently, only 30% of catechists have participated in the Diocesan catechetical certificate program. Funds from the campaign will provide full certification for all of our catechists, and expand educational advancement for parish catechetical leaders so that all serving in this role will have or be pursuing a master's degree in theology or religious education.

Parish Adult Faith Formation: Additional funds will be directed toward the organized training of adult formation teams, strengthening existing programs, or creating new ones at each parish.

New Evangelization: The Diocese intends to build a comprehensive network that incorporates the best of parish evangelization ministries in order to empower every parish community across the Diocese to deepen the spiritual lives of its people, reach out to those who have left the Church, and invite and prepare all those who are coming to the faith for the first time.

2) Parishes:

30% of the funds raised will remain with the parishes to address their own local needs (you will be hearing about OLS-SA's parish needs in the coming weeks). In addition to the 30% share, the Diocese will also create the following endowment fund:

Diocesan Parish Assistance Fund: Over the past ten years, the Diocese has provided financial support to 40% of all parishes that have been unable to fund their parish and school employee healthcare, pensions, retirement, and other costs. This endowment will ensure that these and other vital resources will continue to be available for any parishes in need of immediate assistance in order to effectively serve their parish communities for years to come.

3) Ordained Ministry

With approximately 170 priests serving more than 800,000 Catholics within our Diocese, every priest is essential, and building the number of priests in active ministry has never been more important. Below is how the Diocese plans to ensure that every one of our parishes within all four counties has the pastoral support they need to serve future generations of Catholics:

Retired Priests: One of the greatest needs of the Diocese is the care for retired priests, especially the infirm and those requiring acute care, which costs the Diocese over $50,000 per priest. In the next 10 years alone, 44% of our current priests will be eligible for retirement. This will require an additional $800,000 each year to provide care for those who have dedicated their lives to their parish communities. Amid increasing healthcare costs, we must be prepared to meet growing demands by increasing the current endowment for our retired clergy. This will provide a renewed opportunity to give back to our priests who have given so much to us.

Seminarians: The extraordinary news is that our current class of seminarians has grown to more than 30 men! Bishop O'Connell has set the goal of bringing that number to 50 seminarians in formation over the coming years. This growth will present a welcome challenge, as the cost to educate one seminarian is approximately $40,000 per year for five years of post-college education. Recognizing the seminaries' indelible impact on our Church, the Diocese will establish a priestly formation endowment to address these growing costs.

Deacons: With more than 300 deacons currently in service, the Diocese of Trenton has been blessed with one of the largest diaconate programs in the country. As the need for permanent deacons continues, so too must the Diocese's investment in preparing men who can support our priests and minister to their congregations with engaging homilies, sacramental preparation and spiritual direction.

4) Catholic Schools

With a 99% overall graduation rate and 95% of our students pursuing higher education each year, our Catholic schools strive to enable our youth to live faith-filled lives as educated and morally responsible Catholics. Funds from the campaign will be used for strategic programs and initiatives that will help to build a stronger future and encourage more families to enroll their children in Catholic schools amidst an increasingly secular culture:

Foundation for Student Achievement (FSA): Providing additional sponsorships for "seats" at a school reflecting the total cost of educating the student, which has risen to nearly $7,000 each year.

Mission Schools: Supporting our "Mission Schools," which serve underpriviledged children from ethnically diverse communities with limited access to a quality Catholic education.

Catholic Alumni Partnership (CAP): Providing administrative and operational support to continue building the CAP program, which has already raised more than $100,000 for tuition assistance, technology upgrades, and local campus needs for Catholic Elementary Schools since its launch in 2013.

5) Social Services

In response to the call of Pope Francis, our mission is to be a "Church of the Poor" by providing care and assistance to individuals and families in need throughout the Diocese. As a vibrant Catholic community, in collaboration with our parishes, this endowment fund will enable us to work in faith and in charity to provide vital support in the following areas:

Grants: Awarding grants to parishes and Catholic Social Service agencies to respond to the increasing needs of those struggling in their communities.

Diocesan Parish Counseling: Providing professional assistance to parishes with a critical need for counseling services among their parishioners suffering from addiction, loss of a loved one, divorce, and other mental health issues.

Community Services: Enhancing the network of partnering social service agencies, including St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities, in all four counties of the Diocese.

Our parish goal is to raise a minimum of $1.49 million. It is a great goal because our mission is great. The parish will receive 40% of the collected amount (or a minimum of $450,000) up to our goal that will go towards parish needs. Additionally, we will receive 70% of any funds collected beyond our parish target.

Our share of the funds will be used to:

* Estimated costs

As we move forward with this campaign, it is my hope that our entire community will join together and participate in this blessed effort for our diocese and our parish. I encourage all of you to pray for our success and to participate in this graced endeavor. As has been proven so many times here at our wonderful Spirit-filled community of OLS-SA, when you give it away, your get it back one hundred fold. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Grace, peace, and blessings to you!
Monsignor Thomas Gervasio