Supporting Our Faith: The Impact of the Catholic Services Appeal

Last weekend we presented the Catholic Services Appeal or CSA. Each year every parish in our Diocese is assessed a certain amount that we are required to raise to support the work of our Church on the Diocesan level. If we do not raise our assessment, we are required to pay the balance from our operations budget. 

Last Saturday evening after the Mass, one gentleman approached me and commented that in the past the CSA always was presented as a tax we were required to pay. He went on to say that this year it was presented as an investment. I really appreciated that comment. I brought it to prayer on Sunday morning before Mass and as a result changed some of what I said about the CSA.

We are blessed as a Diocese to have six young men studying for the priesthood this year. This includes one man from our parish, Andrew Kreye. Andrew is at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee. This is where both Father Dan and Blessed Father Solanus Casey studied. Gifts to the CSA help pay for the formation our seminarians receive. By supporting the CSA we are investing in the priests who will serve our Diocese in the future. 

The young men studying to become priests today did not enter the seminary without first having great opportunities to experience our rich Catholic faith. They often start by participating in our Diocesan summer program for first through sixth graders called Totus Tuus. These weeklong camps are held at local parishes throughout our diocese, including Saint Patrick’s. A team of college students well formed in the faith spend the summer traveling from parish to parish conducting these camps. 

Next is Extreme Faith Camp. It is a weeklong summer camp for middle schoolers. Many of the middle schoolers will continue attending Extreme Faith Camp into their high school years as counselors. Middle and high schoolers will attend the evening Totus Tuus program in their home parishes. High Schoolers can strengthen their faith by participating in a Discipleship weekend, sponsored by the Diocese. Some of the young men will attend a Saint Andrew dinner with their parents to learn especially about the process of becoming a priest. 

The programs supported by the CSA are not just forming future priests, they are forming young people who – strengthened in their faith – will go on to raise strong Catholic families, who will be themselves great disciples and will encourage others in our faith. In this way we ensure that our faith continues to be an instrument of God’s saving grace in the world. 

This year we are called to invest $124,463. This is similar to what it has been the past several years. The great news is that this past year, we surpassed our goal by just over $4,000. That money will move forward and help us with this year’s assessment. My hope is that we can once again show we are in union with the other parishes of our Diocese and our Bishop in generously supporting the CSA. Our contributions don’t just support Diocesan offices; they are an investment in our parishes, our youth, our future priests, and in all of our journeys of faith. Gifts can be made by using the envelopes available at the church or electronically by clicking on the pledge link below.

To watch the Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) video, click HERE.

To make a pledge to the Catholic Services Appeal (CSA), click HERE.