Bishop Anthony B. Taylor is asking Arkansans to continue their generosity to the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal, the annual appeal that supports a variety of parish, school and diocesan ministries.
For the second year, Bishop Taylor will kick off the appeal with a recorded homily in English and Spanish at all Masses Feb. 6-7.
Parishioners responded to his message in 2009, resulting in a 42-percent increase over the goal. As of Jan. 26, the appeal brought in $1,930,000.
“Last year I asked you to trust in God’s providence and to be agents of his providence for others, and that’s exactly what many of you did,” Bishop Taylor said in the recorded homily. “I asked you to not give in to fear in the face of economic uncertainty, and isn’t it true that faith in the Lord is more powerful than any of the things we fear?”
Bishop Taylor has set the goal for 2010 at $2 million, the largest goal since CASA was started in 1990.
Dianne Brady, interim stewardship and development director, said the bishop’s message generated more donors in 2009 than in previous years. In 2008, there were 6,693 donors, but last year there were 8,265, a 23-percent increase. Many of the donors gave smaller gifts, but had never given to CASA before. As a result, the average gift dropped from $123.83 to $112.67, Brady said.
 20 years of CASA Click here |
Brady said she would like to continue to see more donors participating. Only 18 percent of the 45,000 registered Catholic households in the state gave last year, compared to the national average of 27 to 30 percent for diocesan appeals.
Brady said all of the churches have been asked to distribute pledge envelopes during the Masses following the bishop’s homily and give parishioners time to fill out their information. The envelopes will then be gathered and presented during the offertory.
Parishioners can make a one-time gift or a pledge paid out over the next 10 months.
In his homily, Bishop Taylor announced that the appeal will support one new project this year: the renovation of the former chancery building, to be known as the McDonald Center. The building has been vacant for 10 years, but once $1.2 million in renovations are complete in June, Catholic Charities of Arkansas employees will use the building.
“This will enable us to provide a more suitable place for us to extend a warm welcome to all those who come to us seeking assistance, to those who seek to adopt a child and to volunteers who come from all over Arkansas to receive training to meet the needs of the poor in their local communities,” he said in his homily.
The bishop said $300,000 of last year’s donations went to the renovations and another significant amount has been pledged for this year.
Brady said CASA will continue to support the same other ministries:
Adoptions Black Catholic missions Campus ministry Catholic Charities Clergy Welfare Fund Diocesan ministries General missions Hispanic missions Religious education grants School grants Seminarian expenses Youth ministry
Brady said she wants parishioners to know that CASA donations go directly to pay for ministries that cannot support themselves.
“It goes to ministries all over the state,” she said. “There are parishes that get more dollars back than they give — religious education grants, Hispanic ministry. All of this money goes right back out to work. There are a lot of needs in our state. Our bishop is very frugal with our money and tries to spend it wisely.”
To donate to CASA, fill out a pledge card at your parish, visit www.dolr.org or call (501) 664-0340.
20 years of CASA
Since Bishop Andrew J. McDonald started CASA in April 1990, Catholics have donated more than $18 million to the appeal.
1990: CASA started with a $1 million goal for various ministries and projects, including St. John Center renovations in Little Rock and the Arkansas State University Catholic center in Jonesboro. The goal was reached by 7,500 donors.
2001: CASA began handing out religious education and school grants.
2002: Goal was set at $1,150,000. Goal was met for second time.
2007: Appeal was moved to March to coincide with Lent. Goal was set at $1,350,000. Goal was met for the third time.
2009: Appeal was moved to the first Sunday in February and paired with the Arkansas Catholic subscription drive. Bishop Taylor recorded his first CASA homily played at all Masses. Goal was set at $1,350,000 but $1,930,000 was collected.
