PARMA, Ohio — The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma has launched its annual Stewardship Appeal, with a fundraising goal of $190,000. This year’s theme is “Let Your Light Shine” (Mt 5:16) and seeks to encourage all of the faithful to be beacons of Christian hope in their communities.
In his letter for this year's campaign, Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, apostolic administrator, said the “eparchy faces serious financial need” and appealed to the eparchy to “support generously” this year’s campaign.
He also encouraged the faithful to support the church through prayer and volunteerism, so that each parish “can reflect the light of Christ in the local community.”
Parishes play a key role in achieving the campaign goal and the faithful are encouraged to do their part to help meet the parish goal. Pastors also received a guidebook this year as an aid for running the appeal in their parishes.
The $190,000 covers less than 25 percent of the eparchy’s operating costs in the combined areas of health insurance for both active and retired priests, parish assistance, seminary formation, communications, youth ministry, education, and outreaches and missions.
The funds allocated from the appeal to each of these areas for 2018 will be as follows; the amount in parentheses is the projected need: parish assistance, $50,000 ($200,000); health insurance for priests, $45,000 ($231,000); seminary formation, $35,000 ($90,000); retirement for priests, $24,000 ($50,000); communications, $14,000 ($110,000); youth ministry, $10,000 ($20,000); outreaches and missions, $6,000 ($31,000); religious education, $6,000 ($25,000). The total projected need is $797,000.
The campaign will run from Dec. 1 to March 31, though donations will be accepted up until the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2018.