United Catholic Appeal donations ‘make it possible to care for each other,’ archbishop says
Young adults gather for Mass at the archbishop’s residence as part of the archdiocesan Young Adult and College Campus Ministry’s “Bishop’s Bash” event on Sept. 15, 2013. The event is a way for the archdiocese to reach out to young adult Catholics to stem the tide of 75-80 percent of college students falling away from the faith. The ministry is supported by funds from the annual United Catholic Appeal. (Submitted photo)
By Natalie Hoefer
As United Catholic Appeal: Christ Our Hope intention weekend on Nov. 8-9 approaches, there are statistics that might leave Catholics in central and southern Indiana feeling proud.
The figures reveal the powerful impact that United Catholic Appeal (UCA) funds have on three essential areas of ministry for the Church in central and southern Indiana: celebrating the sacraments, proclaiming the word of God and exercising charity.
But one figure regarding donations to the United Catholic Appeal—which has a goal this year of $5.7 million—left Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin “puzzled.”
“The statistics I’ve seen mean that two out of 10 Catholic Christians support the Catholic Appeal,” he revealed in a recent interview. “Honestly, I’m really puzzled by that.”
Religious figures
In a recent address to Miter Society members—those donating $1,500 or more to the United Catholic Appeal—Archbishop Tobin revealed some statistics demonstrating how UCA funds make celebrating the sacraments possible in the archdiocese.
“Your contributions are helping to educate our 26 seminarians,” he said. “This past June 7, we ordained four men to the priesthood, and next year we will ordain three more priests.
“In 2016, God willing, we will ordain six men to the priesthood. That will be one of the largest ordination classes we’ve had in many years.”
Archbishop Tobin noted that UCA funds help “in every stage of a young man’s formation, preparing him for the ministry of the future.”
To assist priests in their role as shepherds, 21 men are on track to be ordained permanent deacons in 2017.
Alongside those numbers is an additional figure: 45 percent of the pastors in the archdiocese today will be of retirement age in 10 years, according to Father Stephen Giannini, archdiocesan vicar for clergy and parish life coordinators.
Archbishop Tobin points out that those retiring priests will rely on UCA funds to help “subsidize [their] retirement so that they can live a modest but fulfilling life in their later years.”
With such a large number of pending retirements looming in the future, archdiocesan vocations director Father Eric Augenstein notes the need for annually replenishing UCA funds to assist in promoting vocations and the formation of future priests.
“With an aging clergy, it is more and more important that our vocations outreach is able to be broad and comprehensive throughout the archdiocese,” he said. “United Catholic Appeal funds help the Vocations Office coordinate with other archdiocesan and parish leaders to promote vocations on college campuses, in our Catholic high schools, with youth groups, and in families.
“We must be present wherever young people are as a witness to the priesthood and religious life, and to be able to help them discern God’s call.
“At the same time,” he said, “UCA funds provide for high-quality seminary formation so that our future pastors are good, holy, pastoral men who are able to be leaders in the new evangelization as missionary disciples.”
The difference four years can make
In his recent address to the Miter Society, Archbishop Tobin had good news to report in the area of proclaiming the word of God, another essential activity supported with UCA funds.
“Our Catholic grade schools and high schools are educating more than 23,000 students, and at least another 15,000 kids are receiving religious education through our parishes,” he noted.
He also pointed out that United Catholic Appeal funds make “our many youth ministry and young adult and campus ministry programs possible.
“We have been putting extra focus on these particular ministry programs, because from high school into college and young adulthood, many young people fall away from the Church.”
Matt Faley, archdiocesan director of Young Adult and College Campus Ministry, sheds light on the extent of that loss.
“By the time a student starts his or her freshman year and ends their senior year, we lose about 75-80 percent of them,” he said. “They’re not actively involved in the Church by the time they graduate from college.”
To turn that around, said Archbishop Tobin, “We need to keep our young people engaged in their faith, and give them the support that will help them remain Catholic despite the many challenges that come with living in today’s secular world.”
‘Providing clothing, meals and shelter’
In terms of exercising charity, Archbishop Tobin noted that “the number of people who need our help is growing each year.”
Last year, he said, 180,000 people within the boundaries of the archdiocese—regardless of faith, race or creed—received aid from Catholic Charities organizations.
“We’re seeing more and more people who are working and trying to support a family, but they only earn minimum wage, and they can’t make ends meet,” he said. “Without your support, many of these people would struggle just to get the basic necessities of life.
“The majority of those who need our help are women and children. We’re doing everything from providing clothing, meals and shelter to helping unwed mothers.”
According to Joan Hess, agency director of Catholic Charities in Tell City, “If you donate $25 [to the United Catholic Appeal], that’s going to provide two cans of formula that will feed a baby for maybe a month. If 12 [people] did that, we’ve taken care of that baby for a whole year!”
In light of the need for annually replenishing the funds to accomplish the ministry of celebrating the sacraments, proclaiming the word of God and exercising charity in central and southern Indiana, Archbishop Tobin put forth a request.
“I’m knocking. I’m asking the people of the archdiocese to make it possible for us to care for each other, and the United Catholic Appeal will do that.”
(For more information on the United Catholic Appeal or to view the videos highlighting the impact that financial support has on ministry, log on to www.archindy.org/uca. For questions, contact the Office of Stewardship and Development at 317-236-1415 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1415 or uca@archindy.org.) †
