Archbishop's Annual Appeal
February 10, 2001
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy:
Can you believe I'm spending my birthday composing this letter for the Archbishop's Annual Appeal? You must think me totally crazy! But it's a very worthwhile cause, and so I am happy to use this 25th birthday* to thank those of you who have supported the parish and the AAA in the past, and to encourage some new people to participate in this yearly campaign.
For those who might be unfamiliar with the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, one might say that it enables us to participate in the ministry of Archbishop William J. Levada, who is responsible not only for Daly City, but for all three counties of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. By donating money to the AAA, we help the Archbishop support countless worthy causes:
- the seminary where our future priests are formed,
- care for our elderly and infirm priests,
- the poorer parishes and schools which need subsidies just to survive,
- scholarships for needy students attending Catholic schools and high schools,
- the Archdiocesan offices which offer training sessions for our teachers, catechists and liturgical ministers,
- funding for hospital chaplains and grief counselors,
- Catholic Charities, which provides counseling, shelter, food, and refuge,
- assistance for immigrant families new to California,
- the School of Pastoral Leadership.
You might say the Archbishop's Annual Appeal is a sort of "tax" every parish pays to the Archdiocese to fund those ministries that are larger than any individual parish. An amount is determined each year based on the size of the parish, and for us here at OLM this year's goal is $62,000 - just slightly higher than last year's assessment. The bad news is: if our appeal to you is not sufficient to raise this amount, the money will be taken from our parish savings account to make up the difference. The good news is: the people of OLM have always been generous in helping us not only meet but even exceed our goal - and the extra money raised comes back to the parish for our own local needs. We have been trying to keep you o keep you informed about what these needs are.
A year ago we wrote to you about the need to repair the plumbing problems in our church hall and parochial school, but thanks to some wonderful parishioners and the Uniacke Co. of San Francisco, the entire job was done for free!
Last summer we also formed a parish Maintenance Committee, which is looking into the complete renovation of our parish hall. We are sending a letter to Archbishop Levada with our plans, including a ramp to provide handicapped access, the remodeling of the restrooms (making them handicapped accessible, and installing diaper changing tables), the renovation of the hall kitchen, putting in a stage and modern sound system, redoing the entire electrical system, etc. The members of the Committee estimate that the cost will be approximately $250,000 to complete the necessary work.
We have also had other major expenses, such as repairing water damage to walls in the Parish Center, painting several of the PC offices, and putting in new carpeting where water had ruined the old carpet. Naturally, during our school faculty Christmas luncheon, the garbage disposal decided to flood the PC kitchen, which meant a plumber was called to replace that little monster and repair the dishwasher as well.
In the bulletin of February 18 you will be able to read the parish financial report for the first half of our fiscal year, which outlines our parish expenses and also provides some encouraging information in terms of giving. Namely, our Sunday collections are going up, which is extremely good news given the demise of Bingo and the Men's Club last June. Both groups used to be extremely effective in raising funds for the parish, and since their disappearance we have been trying to raise consciousness about the need for all parish members to contribute, to the best of their ability, toward keeping OLM financially sound. At the moment, only about 30% of our registered parishioners support the parish and the AAA, an unfortunate reality that we hope to change with this appeal.
Years ago a pastor from Hunter's Point praised his congregation for being so generous to the Church and other charities, telling us that his people never wanted to be "spiritual shoplifters". If you are using the Sunday collection envelopes and are supporting the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
If you are not supporting the Church, we urge you to join the faithful few who are enabling this parish and this Archdiocese to continue the ministry of Jesus. You know we will be there for you when you need the Church for weddings, funerals, baptisms, Sunday worship, the education of our young people, visiting our sick and elderly. Please be there for the Church through your time, your prayer, and your generosity.
Many thanks!
Sincerely,
Reverend William E. Brown
Pastor
On behalf of the OLM Stewardship Committee*Although I was kidding about the 25, I'm serious about everything else. Truly!
