Charities Appeal at $2.23 Million at End of May

With the first month of the Fall River Diocese 2015 Catholic Charities Appeal completed, results from both parish sources and community gifts stand at $2,230,588.11, which represents a 10% increase over last year’s pace, Appeal officials have announced.

Proceeds from the Catholic Charities Appeal provide funding for diocesan charitable programs, services and ministries throughout southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands. The Appeal, which began on the traditional first day of May, will continue until June 30.

Next week, the Catholic Charities Appeal office will provide parishes in the diocese with an analysis of their progress to date and a comparison with their results over the last eight years.

“Our hope is that each parish will continue to advocate strongly for the Appeal and increase both the rate of participation among their parishioners and the total dollars raised,” said Diocesan Director of Development Jim Campbell. “Early indications are that the average gift is higher than last year.  That is great news, and we hope the trend continues over the final four weeks!”

Parishes will also be receiving copies of the diocesan development newsletter Sharing for distribution to their parishioners. Spotlighting the Appeal, this issue of Sharing includes a message from Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., in which he shares his hopes and encouragement for the annual fundraising campaign. It also provides a breakdown of revenue and expenditures from the 2014 Appeal.

As this year’s Catholic Charities Appeal continues, Campbell reminds donors that matching gifts continue to be an important source of additional revenue for it.

“People have no idea how significant these ‘matching gifts’ can be to the final Appeal total,” he explained. “Many also don’t realize that their employer may match donations to not-for-profit organizations like Catholic Charities. It is not a complicated process. All of the work is done by the employer and us.  The donor just has to initiate the process by asking for a form at their human resources office.”

Campbell also pointed out that the Catholic Charities Appeal will honor the wishes of any donor who wants to dedicate their gift either to the loving memory of a deceased relative or friend or to acknowledge a living person whose actions are inspirational. Interested donors should contact the Appeal Office at 508-675-1311 or Jim Campbell by e-mail at jcampbell@dioc-fr.org.

Contributions to the Appeal can be sent to the Catholic Charities Appeal Office, P.O. Box 1470, Fall River, Mass. 02722; dropped off at any parish in the Diocese of Fall River, or made on the Appeal website: www.frdioc-catholiccharities.org. For more information, contact the Appeal Office.

(For specific information on making a Planned Gift to the Diocese or any of its ministries, please visit the new website devoted solely to Planned Gift resources at https://frdiocesegifts.org.)

Parishes leading in returns to the Catholic Charities Appeal for each deanery or area of the Fall River Diocese as of May 28 are as follows:

Attleboro:

St. Mary, Mansfield                                                     $   97,230.48
St. John the Evangelist Attleboro                                 65,802.63
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Seekonk                           62,305.00
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Seekonk                          43,134.00
St. Mark, Attleboro Falls                                                 30,025.00

Cape Cod:

St. Pius Tenth, South Yarmouth                               $ 102,330.00
Our Lady of the Cape, Brewster                                      67,563.00
Christ the King, Mashpee                                                66,750.00
Corpus Christi, East Sandwich                                       56,569.67
St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis                                            55,958.00

Fall River:

Holy Name, Fall River                                                 $   36,741.00
St. John of God, Somerset                                                28,705.00
St. Patrick, Somerset                                                         25,852.00
St. John the Baptist, Westport                                        24,187.00
St. Dominic, Swansea                                                        23,155.00

New Bedford:

St. Julie Billiart, North Dartmouth                             $ 49,668.00
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New Bedford                    38,448.56
St. John Neumann, East Freetown                                37,140.00
Immaculate Conception, New Bedford                         33,530.00
St. Mary, South Dartmouth                                               33,101.50

Taunton:

St. Ann, Raynham                                                          $   62,092.00
St. Andrew the Apostle, Taunton                                     39,813.00
Holy Cross, South Easton                                                   24,235.00
St. Jude the Apostle, Taunton                                           21,407.00
St. Nicholas of Myra, North Dighton                               17,280.00