CHARLOTTE — The 2018 Diocesan Support Appeal campaign, “We Are Called,” raised a record-breaking $6.33 million from 16,973 donors across the Diocese of Charlotte – about 8 percent over the campaign goal of $5.87 million.
Overall, 27 percent of registered parishioners across the diocese shared an average gift of $373, up from $352 in the 2017 campaign. Sixty-four percent of parishes and missions across the diocese reached or exceeded their goal.
The annual DSA campaign funds more than 50 programs, including the core operations of 23 ministries and agencies that serve thousands of people across the diocese – most notably, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte for its counseling, food pantries, pregnancy support, refugee resettlement, elder ministry, Respect Life and other programs, as well as the programs and ministries of the Education Vicariate. The DSA also supports multicultural ministries, seminarian education, the permanent diaconate, the annual Eucharistic Congress, and the diocese’s Housing Corporation.
“In my first year working for the diocese, it is so gratifying to see the commitment our parishioners have to serving others through their gifts to the DSA. They understand that the DSA-supported ministries change lives every day,” said Barb De Mase, the diocese’s associate director of development.
Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions in the Charlotte diocese fund the DSA.
Parishes that exceed their goal keep the extra funds they collect, while parishes that fall short of their goal in donations from parishioners make up the shortfall from their operating budgets.
Some of the parishes receiving rebate funds include: Holy Angels Parish in Mount Airy; St. John Baptist de la Salle Church in North Wilkesboro; St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Statesville; St. Bernadette Mission in Linville; St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lenoir; St. Joseph of the Hills Parish in Eden; and Our Lady of Fatima Mission in Winston-Salem.
Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy was among the parishes that surpassed their 2018 DSA goal. Father Lawrence Heiney, pastor, said they will save the $3,678 they received for future use.
“We put it in savings for a new church,” Father Heiney said. The current church building, built in 1921 to seat only 75 people, is much too small to accommodate the current Sunday Mass attendance which averages 450 people, he noted.
The 2018 campaign continues a trend of record-breaking DSA campaigns in the diocese. The 2015, 2016 and 2017 campaigns also broke each prior year’s fundraising total and campaign goal.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter