Catholic Ministries Appeal

Begun nearly forty years ago in 1981-1982 as the “Thanks Giving Appeal,” the purpose of the CMA is to raise money to support crucial diocesan-wide ministries and outreach.The fund was renamed in 2006 to better reflect the appeal’s intent: helping to support crucial outreach and ministries of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and the mission of each of our parishes.

When you give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal your gift is joined with thousands of others to enable our diocesan community of faith to:

• Fund ministries that nurture children and teen-agers in the Catholic faith and teaches values they'll carry into adulthood.
• Help pay for the proper education of our seminarians on the road to priestly ordination
• Ensure we can help struggling families find their way through economic crisis and back to stability
• Prepare engaged couples for God-centered marriages rooted in the Catholic Church
• Educate and prepare those who wish to become Catholic for the fullness of life in the Church through RCIA
• Enable us to promote Catholic values about the sanctity of all life and make our voice heard in society
• Fund programs that give young adults on college campuses a connection to the Church.
• Provide important services to your parish that it would find difficult to afford on its own
• Support ministries that reach out with the hands and heart of Christ to the aged, the sick, and the imprisoned
• Help fund the crucial work of Catholic Charities, which serves more than 250,000 people annually

When you give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal, you are really giving to the eager children hungry to learn about the faith of their parents and generations of Catholics. You are giving to the dedicated young seminarian learning to serve God and the Church, or the older priest who has served faithfully and needs retirement support. You are giving to help the Vatican in its work in the world and to the bishops for ministries that span our nation. Your money goes to help the vital work of Catholic Charities, to families just like yours whose faith sees them through the ever-growing stress of life. And you give “locally: – more than half of every dollar raised returns to your parish in the form of services and programming your parish would have a difficult time providing on its own. None of the money is used to pay legal settlements related to sexual abuse cases.

From the very beginnings of the faith and the earthly ministry of Our Lord, our Church has depended on the faithful to provide their time and energy, skills and gifts in building the Kingdom of God. Without financial support, we could not adequately teach our young, help our old, feed our poor, maintain our churches and other buildings, or provide for our priests. The Body of Christ’s only real means of support is through the generosity of its members.

No. All monies raised in the CMA are only used for the programs, services and ministries for which they are designated. No gifts to the CMA are used to satisfy legal fees or settlement costs associated with abuse.

Your contributions provide funding to operate crucial ministries for people of all walks of life. While the Diocese reorganizes, these needs continue and can only be met with the financial support of the faithful.

From the very beginnings of the faith and the early ministry of Our Lord, our church has depended on the faithful to provide their time and energy, skills and gifts in building the Kingdom of God. Without financial support, we could not continue the mission of the Church. The Body of Christ’s only real means of support is through the generosity of its members.

There are many ways that you can give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal. Please consider the following options when making you gift this year:

Cash Gifts, Credit Card, Electronic Funds Transfer: For information, please see the back of your pledge card.

Online Giving: You may also donate online by clicking on the button below. Your confidential gift information will be transmitted via a secure server.

Donate To The CMA

Gifts of Securities: A gift of appreciated securities is one way to make a significant contribution at a reduced cost to you. To make a gift of stock, please contact the Office of Stewardship, Development & Communications at (585) 328-3228, x-1326.

Please remember that your gift to the Catholic Ministries Appeal will be credited to your parish’s campaign goal.

That is a personal decision you must make. Each of us is called to reflect the compassion and generosity of Jesus, who gave his very life so that we might have eternity with God. We are called to be good stewards of all the many blessings God has bestowed on us. That is true discipleship. It means God asks us to use our blessings well, to help others, to share our bounty so that our wealth, however large of small, does good for God and returns to God with increase. Giving should be a sacrifice, but only you can decide. One thing is certain. Our God promises that our generosity will be returned to us many times over in ways that will delight us.