Every fall, the parishioners of 110 parishes of the Archdiocese of Louisville are asked to participate in the Catholic Services Appeal to assist in the funding and operating of diocesan agencies and ministries.  An archdiocese or diocese is a collection of parishes under the governance of an archbishop or a bishop.  The parishes provide the income that enables the archdiocese to operate.  Our archdiocese receives income from three sources:  the cathedraticum or assessment of parish income, the performance of archdiocesan investments, and the Catholic Services Appeal.  The goal of this year’s CSA is $4.2 million.

This weekend I am presenting the Catholic Services Appel during each Sunday Mass at St. James.  Last weekend, I presented the case for the Catholic Services Appeal at St. Brigid.  The archdiocese sponsors a large number of programs and services throughout the area, most of which are too large to be sponsored by individual parishes.  Much like the WHAS Crusade for Children, the archdiocese receives free will offerings from the 110 parishes and combines these funds. More than 100 services, agencies, and initiatives then assist people – throughout the archdiocese – with the contributions from the Catholic Services Appeal.

This year I am describing two particular programs, among the many, that are too big for individual parishes to provide:  Refugee Resettlement from Catholic Charities, and Sister Visitors.  The refugee resettlement program helps families from foreign countries to settle into the Louisville area.  This includes housing assistance, acquisition of furniture, language interpreters, assistance in working with social service agencies, and helping children find schools.  Over the years, our Catholic Charities agency has done an excellent job of organizing and administering this essential program.

Sister Visitors has long served the Portland and Russell neighborhoods, among the poorest in Louisville.  At their site on Market Street, they have a food pantry that operates like a grocery. They also provide donated new and gently used child and adult clothing, emergency assistance, and especially at Christmas, donated new and used toys  I know some of you, like me, have volunteered down there and seen firsthand the operation of this ministry.

The Catholic Services Appeal also assists in the paying for seminarian education costs.  This year, a generous donor is matching, dollar-for-dollar gifts so that the amount you give will double. 

All registered Catholic households have already been mailed full information about this year’s Catholic Services Appeal.  In addition, it is very easy to donate online at www.archlou.org. The year’s slogan is the Scripture verse “As I was sent by the Father, so I send you.”  The Catholic Services Appeal helps us all serve the Lord as we help one another.  I hope you will make a generous pledge or contribution on behalf of one or both of our parishes. 

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