My Dear Friends in Christ,
The Catholic Appeal is an exercise of love.
It strengthens the Archdiocese’s essential ministries, bringing awareness, care, and compassion into our parishes and communities. For many, the line between hope and despair is thin. The Appeal serves as a tangible sign of our concern for those in need and allows us to bring them the presence of the Lord, to heal brokenness and restore hope. For so very many, our outreach is the light that helps them find a way forward.
Each year, I am humbled and thankful for your generosity. I see how your gifts are carefully utilized to serve thousands of people across the Archdiocese through ministries like our hospital chaplaincy programs that bring pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and sacraments to patients and staff in dark hours of crisis. Appeal contributions also sustain vocation and youth ministry programs where the next generation is formed and prepared to lead our Church. And importantly, the Catholic Appeal strengthens our parishes so that they can flourish and grow in vibrancy as they serve the local community.
Thank you for supporting the work of the Church through your generosity and compassion.
Asking God’s blessings upon you and all whom you hold dear, I remain,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Cardinal Seán O’Malley, O.F.M., Cap.
YOUR GENEROSITYAT WORK
Funds raised through the Catholic Appeal provide approximately 50% of the budget for Archdiocesan Central Ministries. These ministries make programs and services possible both within and beyond the walls of our parishes.
Below is a list of allocated priorities you made possible in 2023.
$7,937,000 VIBRANT PARISHES
Services needed to ensure parishes have the resources and expertise to assist with issues of HR, IT, benefits, as well as pastoral planning; parish emergency services including risk management and property management.
$2,467,000 FAITH AND FORMATION
Support for youth, young adult and adult faith formation programs; respect life, college campus, CYO ministries, permanent diaconate program.
$2,269,000 HELP FOR THOSE IN NEED
Chaplaincy programs in hospitals and prisons; bereavement support; palliative care; healing ministries; spiritual care for those touched by addiction.
$2,017,000 SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION
Central office support for the 93 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston. Formation for our Archdiocesan priests. Encouraging and fostering vocations to the priesthood, and relisious life; clergy personnel; support for seminaries.
$1,500,000 REBATES
Did you know $1.5M is returned to parishes each year as rebates to be used for their local programs?