BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL
The Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA) begins in the fall of each year and provides for a critical portion of the yearly funding needed to support many of the diocesan ministries and services which are administered by the bishop's staff at the diocesan offices. A sacrificial offering to the Annual Appeal affirms your support of four important diocesan ministries: Seminarians/Vocations, Catechetics, Family Life and Youth Ministries. All of these ministries are key components to the vitality and future of the church as they assure the education and formation of our priests, provide for the spiritual foundation of children and adults, help to strengthen family life and marriages as well as engaging our youth in the Catholic faith.
Bishop Armando X. Ochoa notes that fundamental to our lives as Catholics is the realization that everything we have is a gift from God and that we are called to share these gifts with our brothers and sisters. By sharing these gifts from God we demonstrate our gratitude and acknowledge that the many blessings we’ve received flow from God’s love. Please remember: no gift is too small. Let God’s love shine through your generosity.
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| The annual appeal is distinguished from the on-going Our Faith, Our Family, Our Future Capital Campaign, which is a long-term program (begun in 2005) designed to fund construction of church facilities, support Catholic education and support the evangelization outreach programs of the greater diocesan church. |
Status of 2012-2013 Bishop’s Annual Appeal
“STRONGER IN FAITH” is the theme for the 2012-2013 BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL in the Diocese of Fresno, and you the Faithful, are the strength of the Diocesan Church. The theme for this year’s Annual Appeal, “STRONGER IN FAITH,” springs from the “Year of Faith” which has been proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI to also begin this fall (October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013) concurrent with the Annual Appeal. In proclaiming this “Year of Faith” our Holy Father has challenged all believers to “profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope.”
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In this “Year of Faith” the Bishop’s Annual Appeal presents us with the opportunity to live out our faith by being faithful in prayer as well as being faithful in giving. We are called to be stewards of God’s abundant blessings by sharing our gifts and by living our mission to go forth as instruments of the Lord with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope.Launched this October, the four programs targeted for support by the Annual Appeal (see box below) ultimately benefit each and every parish in our eight-county diocese, efforts that a single parish would be unable to support on its own. Fully one-half of the $900,000 diocesan goal is earmarked for helping to defray the seminary costs for our future priests as well as to help establish an education/formation endowment. Important ministries that support our youth, family life, and catechism programs are also aided.
To the many parishioner/donors to the Appeal, Bishop Ochoa sends his heartfelt thanks for your support of our diocesan ministries and vocations. In an extremely difficult economic climate, our bishop recognizes the sacrifices made by our parishioners throughout our diocese. Bishop Armando also acknowledges the tireless efforts of our priests in promoting this important Appeal knowing that these are not the easiest of times to be requesting the support of our parishioners.
The Annual Appeal is scheduled to conclude June 15, 2013 although individual donors may continue to pay on their campaign pledges through the end of the summer. Remember that if every family of the more than 110,000 registered families in the Diocese of Fresno gave just $10.00, Bishop Armando would more than meet his Annual Appeal goal of $900,000.
You can make your contribution online through PayPal -- Just select your parish then click the Donate button.