2020 Catholic Ministries Appeal

• Fund ministries that nurture children and teenagers in the Catholic faith and teaches values they'll carry into adulthood.
• Help pay for the proper education of our seminarians on the road to priestly ordination
• Ensure we can help struggling families find their way through economic crisis and back to stability
• Prepare engaged couples for God-centered 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
• Support ministries that reach out with the hands and heart of Christ to the aged, the sick, and the imprisoned
• Help fund the crucial work of Catholic Charities, which serves more than 250,000 people annually

All funds raised in the CMA are used for programs, services and ministries. No CMA contributions are used for the settlement of legal cases.

The purpose and necessity for the CMA is unchanged after
nearly 40 years. As Catholic Christians we are responsible
for continuing the Church’s mission through good times
and badthrough prosperous times and lean times.

For those who have already made a pledge/donation, we are very grateful!

As of Tuesday, Novevber 24, 242 households have pledged $58,060, taking us to 54.5%% of our $106,530 Goal.

Please fill out your envelope, be sure to make your check
payable to: CMA and put 008 Holy Cross in the check
memo and on the envelope. Return it by November 26,
Thanksgiving Day.

May God reward you for your kindness and generosity and
let each of us pray for the success of our efforts.

Click here to Make a Donation

Watch CMA Video

Click here to view our progress

You might be wondering; how does the CMA help with the Faith Formation of our parish children and their families?

Your contribution to the CMA, helps our children grow in Faith by supporting Holy Cross School, Religious Education, Home Study,      Sunday School, and preparation for the reception of Sacraments.

Some of the programs and services that the CMA helps to support that we see right here at Holy Cross include:

• Training, instructing, and re-certifying our School, Religious Education, and Sunday School teachers to a deeper understanding of the faith they will hand-down to our children. 
• Through Youth Ministry, our 6^th – 12^th graders walk with Jesus as they strive to be disciples who perform works of mercy and are the light of Jesus to others. The CMA offers scholarships to Youth Retreats and diocesan Youth activities. 
• Because of the Covid restrictions this past spring, many sacraments were postponed, but the Bishop didn’t want to disappoint the teens who were waiting for Confirmation. So, the Bishop led numerous special Confirmation ceremonies from August through October to make sure our teens who had been prepared for the sacrament were able to be Confirmed!
• This past spring and summer, the Diocese was able to hold weekly Zoom meetings, webinars, and training videos, so that even though we couldn’t meet in person, School administrators and parish Faith Formation staffs were able to keep up-to-date with the latest news and restrictions the Diocese and health department had implemented. 

When we give to the CMA, we strengthen our own Holy Cross Church and we also provide assistance to those who need it most!  

Making a pledge or gift to the CMA is easy. 

Simply return your gift or pledge in the envelop provided by the Diocese. Remember to use our parish code on your check #008.

Or you can drop your pledge off at church or in the parish office mail slot.

Let us be inspired to give generously to the CMA so that we can share our personal blessings with Holy Cross Church and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as Jesus showed us how to be a light to those in need; we can, through the CMA, show our joy and gratitude for the gifts we have received by being generous to others!

Thank you, Mary Toot

It’s time again for the annual Catholic Ministries Appeal, a diocesan wide appeal in support of diocesan programs. Each parish has an assessed amount. The assessed amount this year is the same as last year $106,530.00. The goal is based on offertory collections from previous years. This will be a difficult year because of the ongoing pandemic and if the goal is not reached it will come out of parish funds so I encourage people to give what you can.

Why should we give to the appeal? The appeal supports a wide variety of ministries and programs in the diocese of Rochester including Catholic Charities, so needed in these days, St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, of which I am a product as your Deacon, hospital chaplaincies, faith formation programs as well as administrative programs at the pastoral center. As always we are challenged to see ourselves as members of the one, diocesanwide church and share responsibility for the programs of the diocese. I encourage you again to prayerfully consider your gift to the CMA.

If you have any questions about the CMA just ask me. Let me finish with this for your consideration. We are one human family. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Pope Francis insists, “We are all really responsible for all.” Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. With a gift to the Catholic Ministries Appeal you can show your love for all our sisters and brothers and help further justice and peace. Please remember my deep love and respect for all of you. Have a wonderful week!

Deacon Joe