Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries hopes to raise $8 million January 31, 2024By Adriana Montes Catholic Review Filed Under: Appeal, Feature, Local News, News The 2024 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries by the Archdiocese of Baltimore is underway, serving as a critical funding source for 100-plus ministries across the region. The aim for the current appeal is $8 million. The previous campaign saw success with $7.4 million raised through 20,000 gifts from 16,100 donors. This year’s theme, “Faith in Action: Transforming Lives, Impacting Communities,” emphasizes the dynamic nature of faith as more than just a set of beliefs, portraying it as a force for tangible change. Father Matthew Himes, right, associate director for vocations for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and chaplain for UMBC in Catonsville, leads Quo Vadis campers back to the bus following an afternoon of biking and tubing down the Big Gunpowder Falls River along the NCR Trail in Monkton July 13, 2022. The vocations department is one of the programs supported by the Annual Appeal. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff) Support from the appeal extends to a diverse range of ministries, including religious education, faith formation programs, missionary discipleship, and essential services for seniors, youths, vocations and Catholic education. Since the appeal’s inception in 1992, Catholics across Maryland have contributed more than $64 million. “Contributions to the annual appeal have been securely managed as part of a separate perpetual and irrevocable trust safeguarded against any other uses of the archdiocese,” said Kim Montgomery, chief advancement officer at the Archdiocese of Baltimore, assuring donors of the responsibility to financial stewardship. “People can feel confident in giving to the appeal; their dollars don’t sit idly, they go right back into the community and are making an immediate impact,” Montgomery, a parishioner of St. Joseph in Sykesville, told the Catholic Review. Several notable ministries benefit from the appeal, including the Baltimore Child Abuse Center; bereavement ministry; Black Catholic ministries; ministry to people who are deaf or have other disabilities; evangelization through media; vocations; and Hispanic ministry, among others. To maintain transparency and accountability, an allocations committee convenes twice annually, composed of laypeople, diocesan representatives and clergy. They review raised funds, voting on their allocation. An annual impact report details allocation percentages, and the archdiocesan website provides access to the annual audit, reinforcing a commitment to openness in fund management. Susan Bernetich, director of annual and special appeals for the archdiocese, shed light on this year’s significant allocation. “Twenty-two percent of the dollars that came in this year will return back to the parishes for their own ministries,” Bernetich said, indicating a considerable portion dedicated to strengthening local community initiatives. Bernetich, a parishioner of St. Patrick in Havre de Grace, noted that the funds are utilized for the benefit of all the people in the archdiocese, including Catholic parishioners and the broader community, with parishes set to receive nearly $1.5 million this year – earmarked for food pantries, social programs, outreach efforts and essential initiatives in religious education, faith formation and community services. Father Michael Depcik, chaplain for the Deaf Ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, celebrates Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore May 18, 2023. The Deaf Ministry is one of the programs supported by the Annual Appeal. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff) For the past decades, the appeal has supported Catholic Charities, helping that agency provide 2.6 million meals, facilitate 2,000 job placements and aid more than 500 families in finding homes. Mary Comer, a parishioner of St. Louis in Clarksville and donor to the appeal, shared her family’s deep-rooted involvement in supporting deaf ministry and the Catholic Church. Comer emphasized the importance of initiatives, such as those led by Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father Michael Depcik, who is deaf, in making religious services accessible to the deaf community. Comer said both her parents and brother are deaf, and she has found this initiative to be life changing. “I’ve taken my parents to many of his Masses. It is transformational to be able to go to a Mass and hear it in your own language,” referring to the Mass being celebrated in American Sign Language. “The appeal is not merely a fund but a beacon of hope, a testament to collective achievements,” Comer said. How to contribute ONLINE Visit bit.ly/aob-aacm24 to make a gift or pledge by credit card. YOUR PARISH Reach out to your parish community to learn how to participate in this vital initiative. The in-pew appeal weekend is Feb. 3-4. GIVE BY MAIL Make a check payable to Annual Appeal and mail it to: Archdiocese of Baltimore, Department of Advancement, 320 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201 OTHER OPTIONS Email appeal@archbalt.org to learn how to make a gift of appreciated stock or to give by way of IRA distribution or donor-advised fund. 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