Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
As you know, the Diocese of Rochester is running CMA (Catholic Ministry Appeal). I announced some bulletins ago that our goal is $185,000. Bishop Matano sent some letters asking you to contribute to this campaign, which benefits the different ministries of our diocese. Some of you may ask where your money goes in this annual campaign. The diocesan website says: When you give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal your gift is joined with thousands of others to enable our diocesan community of faith to:
- Support ministries that reach out with the hands and heart of Christ to the aged, the sick, and the imprisoned.
- Ensure we can help struggling families find their way through economic crisis and back to stability.
- Help fund the crucial work of Catholic Charities, which serves more than 250,000 people annually.
- Fund ministries that nurture children and teenagers in the Catholic faith and teaches values they’ll carry into adulthood.
- Help pay for the education of our seminarians on the road to priestly ordination.
- Prepare engaged couples for Godcentered 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.
All funds raised in the CMA are used for programs, services, and ministries.
This information was taken from the diocese website.
Part of this campaign is to help our seminarians in their process to become priests for our diocese. Let me tell you that I was, like other seminarians, a beneficiary of this campaign. I am from Colombia. It was very hard to come to the United States to study and become a priest for the Diocese of Rochester. CMA paid everything during my time as a seminarian. CMA paid the process to get my VISA (including flights to Bogota, hotel, and VISA fees), flights to the United States, English classes, Seminary, transportation, clothes, food, housing, retreats, a monthly stipend for my personal expenses, and even the process for my family to get their VISAS and flights to come to the United States for my diaconate and priestly ordination. I could become a priest thanks to your generosity in CMA.
There are many people who can be beneficiaries of your generosity in CMA. Seminarians, children, youth, students, migrants, and so on, need you. Therefore, I encourage all of you to continue to donate to this very important campaign for all of us. We are doing very well, but I personally want to reach our goal ASAP. Remember, “You are being enriched in every way for all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11).
God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always.
Fr. George
