Archbishop Henning delivers his homily during a March 15 Mass celebrated on Appeal Announcement Weekend at St. Mary of the Nativity Parish in Scituate. Pilot photo/Wes Cipolla
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BRAINTREE -- The Archdiocese of Boston kicked off its annual Catholic Appeal on the weekend of March 15 and 16, with all of the Archdiocese of Boston's parishes encouraging parishioners to donate in support of the archdiocese's ministries.
The Catholic Appeal is a crucial source of funding for the archdiocese and the services it offers to both Catholics and non-Catholics who are in need. The money raised will go to ministries such as the Office of Vocations, campus ministry, hospital chaplains serving 70,000 patients, Catholic schools serving 35,000 students, faith formation, addiction recovery, prison ministry, and pro-life initiatives. The appeal's funds will also go directly to the parishes themselves. Every parish is running a Catholic Appeal campaign tailored to its own needs.
"We just know that there are so many unique and beautiful parishes out there that are supporting the Catholic Appeal as well," Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Appeal Manager Arlene Dubrowski told The Pilot on March 24.
Archbishop Richard G. Henning marked the Appeal's Announcement Weekend by celebrating Mass at St. Mary of the Nativity Parish in Scituate on March 15 and St. Paul Parish in Hingham on March 16. During that weekend, parishioners in every church received envelopes from the Catholic Appeal.
On Commitment Weekend, March 22 and 23, the parishioners returned the envelopes to their parishes with donations inside. Archbishop Henning marked Commitment Weekend by celebrating Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Quincy.
"The appeal is the invitation from Archbishop Henning to the parishioners throughout the archdiocese to support the one church," Archdiocese of Boston Vice President of Philanthropy Patrick O'Connell told The Pilot.
Archdiocese of Boston Chief Philanthropy Officer Gavan Mooney said that while the Appeal doesn't change much from year to year, the money raised is more important than ever to keep the archdiocese's parishes and ministries thriving. This year's Appeal is made all the more significant by the fact that it is Archbishop Henning's first as archbishop of Boston.
"I think it's really important that the Catholic Appeal is successful for his first year," Mooney told The Pilot.