Braintree, MA – In the Flatley Room of the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Boston, Cardinal Seán O’Malley launched the 2010 Catholic Appeal, Called to Love and Share. The late Thomas Flatley was a major benefactor of the Archdiocese and someone who loved the Church. He contributed both his time, expertise and treasure for the good works of the Church and he made it possible for the Pastoral Center to become the home for the central ministries of the Archdiocese, which exist to support parishes, schools, agencies and the people of the Archdiocese and beyond.
Cardinal Seán said, “The Archdiocese is blessed by the continued generosity of our parishioners and friends. In a particular way the priests, deacons, religious and lay members of our parishes are able to build up communities of faith and service because of the contributions in support of the Annual Appeal.”
In his Homily to be offered this weekend, the Cardinal says, “All that we have and all that we are is a gift. When we give to help others, we are acknowledging that we are not absolute owners of our possessions, but administrators of the goods God has entrusted to us. Scripture teaches us that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. When we do things out of love, we express the truth of our being. We have been created not for ourselves, but for God and our brothers and sisters. Every time when for the love of God, we share our goods with our neighbor in need, we discover that the fullness of life comes from love. We discover that all is returned to us as a blessing in the form of peace, inner satisfaction and joy.”
Scot Landry, “The Catholic Appeal is the main source of funding for the work of the Central Ministries of the Archdiocese of Boston. In many ways, the Catholic Appeal is to our Archdiocese what the offertory collection is to our parishes or what an Annual Fund is to universities. Through the Catholic Appeal, Catholics in our 291 parishes come together as one Church to pass on our faith, care for those in need, and gather to pray and worship together.”
Gifts to the Catholic Appeal provide 74% of the resources for the Archdiocese’s Central Operating Fund, which funds over 50 ministries, programs and offices, including many services for parishes and schools. 44.9% of gifts received support specialized services to parishes, 22.8% funds education, formation and evangelization efforts, 13.3% underwrites ministries of the Cardinal and the Regional Bishops, 10.8% finances general and operational services, and 8.2% goes for the mailings, materials and management of the Catholic Appeal.
Since Cardinal Seán’s installation as Archbishop, the Catholic Appeal has increased by 44% or $4.6 million and is up nearly 75% or $6.3 million since 2002.
For more information, please visit www.BostonCatholicAppeal.org.
“To everyone who has supported the Church’s works of mercy and evangelization I express my sincere gratitude.” said the Cardinal. “Today, I ask all Catholics to be generous in contributing to the 2010 Catholic Appeal. Every gift matters. Working together in the name of the Church we can go forward to build a civilization of love.”
About the Archdiocese of Boston: The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of nearly 2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 291 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 46,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach and in support of a health care ministry that meets the needs of some 1 million patients each year. Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit www.BostonCatholic.org.