July 8, 2014 // Local

The 27th Annual Bishop’s Appeal another success

Todays Catholic

FORT WAYNE — The 27th Annual Bishop’s Appeal is being called another success.

Harry Verhiley, Secretary for Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and director of the Annual Bishop’s Appeal, told Today’s Catholic the goal for the 2013-2014 appeal was $4,990,044. “We raised $6,185,704,” Verhiley said, which accounts for 124 percent of the goal.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades told Today’s Catholic, “The faithful of our diocese are always so very generous in the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. I thank all the donors to the appeal for their donations, their witness of faith and goodness, and their evident love for the Lord and His Church. I pray that the Lord will bless all for their generosity and stewardship.”

“The Annual Bishop’s Appeal is about funding mission and ministries of our Lord Jesus throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend,” Verhiley said. “This is important work of the Church, such as: evangelization, seminarian support, religious education, Catholic school funding, youth ministry and works of charity are all means of witness to our Catholic faith.”

“A successful Bishop’s Appeal also means that the work of Christ in our parishes remain strong, because this year we raised $1,195,660 over our $4.9 million goal and the parishes that went over goal will received their respective overage once it is collected,” Verhiley said.

In a summary of statistics, 21,368 gifts were received for this appeal. Thirty seven percent of the 57,019 families of the diocese participated.