CHARLOTTE — Nearly 17,000 people helped to "Share God's Gifts" in the 2015 Diocesan Support Appeal, which concluded Dec. 31.
The 2015 DSA campaign raised $5,295,300 from 16,628 donors across the diocese – 3 percent over the campaign goal of $5,120,000 and the most ever raised in this annual appeal. Overall, 27 percent of registered parishioners across the diocese shared an average gift of $318.
The annual 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. It also supports multicultural ministries, seminarian education, the permanent diaconate, the annual Eucharistic Congress, and the diocese's housing corporation.
"In 2015, we made a concerted effort through our various campaign materials to share with parishioners all the wonderful things being done throughout the diocese thanks to their DSA contributions," said Kerry Ann Tornesello, associate director of development for the diocese.
"We asked everyone to 'share their gifts' of prayer and financial support, and they responded very generously."
Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions in the Charlotte diocese fund the annual DSA. Each parish is assessed a goal based on its average weekly collection.
Parishes that exceed their goal get to keep the extra funds they collect, while parishes which fall short of their goal in donations from parishioners make up the shortfall from their operating budgets.
In the 2015 campaign, 50 parishes and missions exceeded their DSA goal in payments. Parishes that will receive rebates over $10,000 include St. Jude Mission in Sapphire; St. Bernadette Church in Linville; and Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.
Parishes that will receive more than $20,000 include St. Thérèse Church in Mooresville, St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, Holy Family Church in Clemmons, Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, and St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville.
"Our diocese is blessed to have thousands of people who 'share God's gifts' by serving in the ministries and programs funded by the DSA each year, and to have thousands more people who support these ministries with their financial gifts," Tornesello said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — Father Frank O'Rourke, pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, announced earlier this month he will join Crystal Cruise Lines as its Catholic priest for World Cruise 2016, Jan. 24-May 11.
"I will join a Protestant minister and a rabbi in providing for the spiritual needs of the crew and passengers of Crystal Serenity," Father O'Rourke wrote in the parish bulletin.
Father Ed Sheridan, former long-time St. Gabriel pastor, will serve the parish during Father O'Rourke's absence. Father Sheridan will join Father Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar, parochial vicar, and Father Fidel Melo, priest in residence, to minister to parishioners' needs along with "our deacons and with our well-seasoned staff," Father O'Rourke added.
The priest will set sail from San Francisco Jan. 25 with a first stop in Honolulu, Hawaii; then off to Sydney, Australia, and several East Asian countries; before sailing back full-circle to U.S. soil via Alaska and San Francisco.
Father O'Rourke described his ministerial duties while on the Crystal Serenity: "I will offer Mass each day and on weekends have a vigil Mass on Saturday evening, Sunday morning and 10:30 p.m. Sunday evening for the crew in their quarters. So, in some ways, it is much like ministering in a parish with much more leisure and relaxation."
— Catholic News Herald