Catholic Ministry Appeal

The Catholic Ministry Appeal is the diocesan program which assists the bishop to meet the needs of the faithful throughout the five counties of the diocese.  The major benefit of the Catholic Ministry Appeal is that 100 percent of all contributions received go directly to the various ministries of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.  This means that none of the money collected will be used for the operating expenses of the Pastoral Center.  All financial  contributions will be used for the following ministries:

Catholic Charities                                     Ministries of Mercy                               Clergy Care & Education

                             La Clinica Guadalupana                       Lay Pastoral Ministry                         Diaconate Programs & Formation

                                           Life Ministries                                                Marriage & Family Life                      Missions

                                           Communications                                       Catholic Education                              Faith Formation

                                           Worship                                                             Prison Ministry                                        Safe Environment

                                           Spirit FM Catholic Radio                         Stewardship                                             Seminarian Education & Support

                             Tuition Assistance Grants                    Vocations                                                   Tribunal Office

                            Youth & Young Adult Ministry

Under the Catholic Ministry Appeal Program, all operating expenses of the Pastoral Center will be covered by the Cathedraticum, which is 2 percent of parish offertory and donations less their school support. 

All diocesan ministries and services will live within the budget of what is contributed each year to the Catholic Ministry Appeal.  Therefore, the more successful the appeal, the more ministries and services the diocese can provide to its Catholic families and those most in need.

Our parish's goal for the 2024 Catholic Ministry Appeal is $96,931.00.  The Catholic Ministry Appeal begins in January 2024.  Please prayerfully consider participating in this Appeal which allows the Diocese to continue the mission of Jesus Christ and the spread of the Good News.

Catholic Ministry Appeal envelops are located by all the entrances of the church and chapel.  These envelopes may be placed in our collection boxes located by the last pews near all entrances.  As always, thank you for your support of this essential appeal.

Each year, the Diocese of St. Petersburg makes an appeal to the members of all of our parishes to support the many ministries of our diocese that help fulfill the needs of the people living within the Tampa-Bay area. This appeal is known as the Catholic Ministry Appeal, and it is once again time to revisit the many benefits that this appeal has for the work that our diocese does day-in-and-day-out. It is important to note that 100% of the funds collected by the Catholic Ministry Appeal go directly towards the mission work it is intended to fund. The ministries and services that the diocese provides will live within the amount of money collected by the appeal each year. Here are just a few of the ministries supported by the Catholic Ministry Appeal:

The diocese is committed to follow Christ’s command to spread the message of the gospel and to share His love with everyone that we can (Mark 16:15). Catholic Charities is one of the largest ministries in our diocese, reaching out to those who are in need. Catholic Charities not only offers a shelter to the homeless through their Tampa Hope ministry, but they also provide financial assistance, immigration and citizenship services, and medical services to the sick, women in crisis pregnancies, and adoption services for children in need of a home. Each year they serve over 10,000 people, provide housing for over 4,000 people, and put over 100,000 meals on families’ tables who have no way of providing food for themselves.

The prison ministry in our diocese is a small group of individuals who commit themselves to following Christ’s call to visit the imprisoned (Matthew 25:36). While the group is small, they have a large impact on the men and women in our jails and prisons throughout the diocese. While visiting the prisons they pray with the inmates, lead bible studies, prayer groups, teach catechism classes, and a group of clergy assist them in offering the sacraments to the inmates on a regular basis.

The Office of Vocations is in charge of not only the recruitment, but also the support of our seminarians in formation for the priesthood, of which I am one. Our diocese is blessed with 14 men who are discerning God’s call to serve our Church as priests, and that is no small effort. We as seminarians are direct beneficiaries of your generosity, as it goes directly toward supporting our education and formation towards ordination, after which we will, God-willing, return to the diocese to serve you all as priests. Being in my second year of seminary formation, I can personally tell you how important this is to me. My own spiritual growth and the things I have learned in formation this past year-and-a-half would not have been possible without your generosity and prayerful support. On behalf of myself and all of my brother seminarians, I thank you for this.

I hope you will consider making a contribution towards this year’s Catholic Ministry Appeal. Our parish’s goal for 2024 is $96,931.00 and your help is needed to help us reach this goal. Envelopes can be found at all the doors of the church and chapel and your contributions can be placed in the collection boxes. Donations can also be made online by visiting our parish website. May God bless our efforts to do His work in our diocese.

God bless,

Vincent Washburn