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OUR ADA APPEAL
Dear Parishioners,
Last Sunday, after reading the gospel I was ready to deliver the homily or rather the “money talk” and when looking at the many empty chairs I realized that it was a bad timing.
At noon that Sunday the 49rs were playing against Philadelphia team (we know the score) and I guess many parishioners prepared for that game in one way or another and missed coming to church.
Therefore, I’m going to repeat certain things from my homily since we officially start our ADA this Sunday.
As you very well know, every year our Appeal has a theme. And the theme for this year is “Supporting Our Mission Together”! That theme corresponds very well with what we are doing as a community and as disciples of Christ who try to live according to his teachings, especially when it comes to helping and sharing. Our Diocese asks for our financial help in the amount of $87,340.
That money will help the Diocese to sustain all the programs that we have. I don’t want to repeat the information that you can find on the brochure, so please, take some time to study it.
You probably have read in my ADA letter that for us to meet the goal, we would need a generous contribution of $600 per household. The experience of the last 2 years tells me that this “ideal goal” per family will not happen. For that reason, I’d like to ask those families who can afford more, to please, give more to the ADA. Last year we were on the brink of not meeting the goal for the first time in the history of the parish. I was impressed seeing some families stepping up the second time and trying to cover for the difference that we needed to meet the goal. Thank you all for your past and for your future support which we will really need. I’m very positive and hopeful that this year we also will meet our goal! Do you know why? Because I have received last week a letter from one of our parishioners that touched my heart.
Here is an excerpt:
I have lost my job few months ago and wasn’t able to find a new one. So far, no luck on a job for me, not even a nibble or interview. Simply speaking, while I am going through this, I need to reduce my gifts to St Anthony, and to consider reducing my ADA annual pledge.
Last year, I pledged and paid $550 to the ADA (please, keep in mind that that was the amount I have asked for last year), $55 a month for 10 months. I am now paying $200 per month to St Anthony, for a target of $2,400 a year ( I raised during the year). I am likely to reduce the annual from almost $3,000 to about $1,800 annually. That would mean $150 a month. I will return to the high levels for St Anthony while employed, but for now, I need to make some changes.”
I was literally touched by this letter and responded immediately to the parishioner telling him not to worry about donating at this time but rather taking care of his family. And there again I got a response that touched my heart for the second time! He wrote:
I appreciate your prayers and views. Supporting the church is still part of our plan. I would rather cut in all other areas, before giving up on the church. I will pray and decide on my plan. The parish and the diocese will both get some”.
How can one not be touched by such words? Since I came St. Anthony in 2020, I got to experience how generous people are in this parish. We all have our challenges of one sort or another but at the end of the day we all come together supporting our Mission. So, today ALL I want to ask of you is just this one: Take care of your families first and if you can, please, support your church to the best of your ability like the author of that letter does!
I truly believe there are plenty of you like him. And with that belief I’ll look forward to your financial supporting pledges of meeting our ADA goal in the next 9 weeks with one Chinese proverb in mind: “Keep a green tree in your heart, and the singing bird will come”.
Blessings,
Fr. Tad
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