More Information about the Catholic Ministries Appeal

A letter from Bishop J. Peter Sartain
What is the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA)?
What are the agencies and ministries funded by the Appeal?
Where were your 2009 contributions applied?
Ways to Make Your Gift
Mission Statement of the Diocese of Joliet

Greetings in the Risen Lord Jesus!

As I travel across the Diocese of Joliet, I meet many fine individuals and families who inspire me by their faith in the Lord Jesus, their love for the Church, and their devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Fed with the Lord’s body and blood, we are given strength to be good disciples and to know his presence in daily life.

I am also reminded of the love and generosity expressed through support of the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. When you share God’s blessing with others, you reveal your deep gratitude for all he has done for you.

This year as we celebrate the diocesan “Year of the Eucharist,” we have chosen “One in the Body and Blood of the Lord” as the theme for the 2010 Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. It is a very appropriate choice, for Psalm 34 invites us to “Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord.”

Please consider a gift to the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal this year. Your gift will make it possible for the Diocese of Joliet to continue to create a stronger, more vital community that embodies all that Jesus calls us to be. Your gift will allow us to continue to serve and support the many ministries of our diocese, such as:

• Supplying food, shelter, and clothing to the needy of our communities through the work of Catholic Charities
  
  
• Educating the youth of our diocese, reaching out to over 77,000 students enrolled in our Catholic schools and Religious Education Programs
  
  
• Offering hope to the poor and abandoned through the work of our diocesan missionaries who travel to missions here in the United States and throughout the world

• Forming future generations of Catholics through excellent Campus Ministry, Young Adult, and Youth Ministry programs

• Educating and preparing fine young men for the priesthood by the good work of our Vocations Office

When we join together in supporting the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal, we act as God’s hands in helping meet thedeepest spiritual, educational, and human needs in our diocese and the missions we serve throughout the world.

            Please give prayerful consideration to making the most generous gift you can to the 2010 Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. May the Risen Christ bring peace, joy, and hope to you and your family.

Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain
Bishop of Joliet

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What is the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA)?

The Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal is an annual fundraising effort that underwrites 75% of the diocesan budget. Parishioners will be asked to make a pledge to the Appeal through the information they receive in the mail or at Masses on the weekend of April 17 & 18, 2010. The funds raised through the Appeal are the major source of financial support used to underwrite the ministries, charities and services of the diocese.

What are the agencies and ministries funded by the Appeal?

Agencies and offices on the diocesan level have as their main focus to support the overall mission of the diocese--and that means that they exist to help parishes and schools accomplish their local missions. To do so requires that the diocese provide some level of oversight, training, and administrative support to the 2,300 employees who work in our parishes, schools and diocesan agencies. See the list of agencies and ministries funded by the Catholic Ministries Appeal.

Where were your 2009 contributions applied?

58% of the $5,900,000 pledged was applied to Ministry and Agency Services; 16% to Catholic Charities; 11% to Catholic Education; and 15% to other Education and Services. For more information visit our web page.

Ways to Make Your Gift

Gifts may be made through cash, checks, direct debit, an online Click & Pledge, Credit Card, Installments, Matching Gifts, or Gifts of Stock. For more information visit our Ways to Make Your Gift web page.

Mission Statement of the Diocese of Joliet

We, the Roman Catholic Church of Joliet,
a people of diverse races and cultures within seven counties,
strive to be the Body of Christ by living the Faith,
preaching the Word, building community,
serving others, especially the poor,
and celebrating our unity through the sacraments.

Established in 1948, the Diocese of Joliet includes seven counties:
DuPage Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall, and Will.
The diocese convers 4,218 square miles with 120 parishes,
10 missions and more that 650,000 Catholics.

Return the Blessings the Lord has given to you by Joyfully and Generously
Making a Contribution to the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal.