Bishop’s Annual Appeal 2020 update: ‘Transformed by faith, sent in service to all’

Thanks to the support of more than 8,500 generous donors across the diocese, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal has nearly reached its $1.3 million goal. Because of these gifts, we are able to celebrate the many ways your dollars have made a difference this year.

With your help, the TV Mass has gone into homes across our 16 counties and beyond. Couples have prepared for the sacrament of marriage. Seminarians and deacons have been ordained and are now in service to the Church. Classes, webinars and faith formation opportunities have been created to support parishes and families during a time when it has been harder to gather.

We are grateful for the kind and charitable gifts that support these much-needed ministries. If you have not yet given or are looking for a way to help thousands of people, please consider a year-end gift to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. To make a gift, visit www.stcdio.org/annualappeal.

Diocesan TV Mass:

The TV Mass, coordinated by the Office of Worship, allows homebound parishioners to enjoy their faith and stay connected to the diocesan Church through network programming each Sunday morning and online viewing anytime (http://worship. stcdio.org/tv-mass). Volunteers, including Father Gregory Sauer pictured above, gather every other week at the Pastoral Center in St. Cloud to record the Mass. (Photo by Dianne Towalski )

 

Marriage course:

Throughout the year, the Office of Marriage and Family offers a marriage preparation course for engaged couples, a requirement for those choosing to marry in the Catholic Church. The program was revamped this year to include shorter, more interactive talks with time for processing and discussion. (Photo: Pixabay)

 

 

Vocations:

Fathers Thomas Skaja, Brady Keller and Patrick Hoeft were ordained to the priesthood June 6 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud. The Bishop’s Annual Appeal provides seminarians with funding for their education as well as the support they need to become good and holy priests. (Photo by Dianne Towalski)

 

 

Stewardship Week:

For the first time, the diocese hosted a “virtual” Stewardship Week Aug. 25-27 in lieu of an in-person gathering. The online event included three mornings of education, conversation and best practices for fostering stewardship in our parishes and Area Catholic Communities. Pictured is a screenshot of Tommy Rose from Catholic Stewardship Consultants, the speaker for the third morning. (Photo screenshot from www.stcdio.org)

 

Catholic Education:

More than $200,000 from this year’s Bishop’s Annual Appeal was distributed directly to parishes to assist Catholic schools and religious education programs. The Catholic Education Ministries office is working closely with Catholic schools in the diocese to help them meet the needs of families while keeping health and safety a top priority. Pictured above, Tanya Fischer, principal at St. Mary School in Morris, gets supplies ready for her students at the start of the school year. (Photo by Dianne Towalski)

 

Faith Formation:

“Becoming Eucharist: Mealtime table talk for friends and families” is a new faith formation resource developed by the Catholic Education Ministries office and designed around sharing a meal together while engaging in thoughtful conversations about faith. A printable table tent, pictured above, includes a meal prayer and suggested questions for discussion. (Photo by Dianne Towalski)

Author: The Central Minnesota Catholic

The Central Minnesota Catholic is the magazine for the Diocese of St. Cloud.

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